Striker Will Grigg scored his first goal since August to salvage a point for Wigan Athletic in their Championship clash at Bolton Wanderers at the weekend.
Grigg, who was making his first start for the Latics since the 6th October, admitted he was pleased to get back amongst the goals after his recent injury problems.
“It was great to be back,” said the 27-year-old, “It has taken a little bit of time to get the fitness back but it was great to start and nice to get the goal.”
His fourth strike of the campaign cancelled out the home side’s seventh-minute opener and he felt a point against their local rivals was the least they deserved.
“I actually think before Bolton’s goal we started really well. We wanted to have a fast start like we did against Blackburn, which we did, but their goal came against the run of play from a ball into the box.
“We reacted well and it was good to get the equaliser early on.
“We feel like we should have won but it has been a good week for us after a tough run, we have reacted well, and if we can get a little run together that would be great.”
In the FA Cup, Billy Kee also scored from the penalty spot for his seventh goal of the season as Accrington Stanley progressed to the third round of the competition with a 3-1 victory over League Two Cheltenham Town.
Elsewhere in the second round, former under-21 international Caolan Lavery returned to action for the first time in three months after recovering from a dislocated shoulder.
The 26-year-old entered the fray as a substitute for the final quarter of any hour as Bury slumped to 1-0 defeat at home to Luton Town.
After being sidelined for a month with a hamstring complaint, midfielder Ben Reeves was one of nine changes made by Charlton Athletic Lee Bowyer as the Addicks were beaten 2-0 at the Valley by Grant McCann’s Doncaster Rovers.
Named by Bowyer as a substitute for Athletic, was former under-21 striker Mikhail Kennedy who has thankfully now recovered after missing the past 15 months with a serious knee injury.
International skipper Steven Davis made a brief appearance for Southampton from the bench on Saturday, in what turned out to be Mark Hughes’ last game, when they drew 2-2 with Manchester United at St Mary’s Stadium.
Meanwhile, in Scotland, there was disappointment for winger Niall McGinn as Aberdeen lost 1-0 in the final of the Scottish League Cup to the 31-year-old’s former employer’s Celtic.
Finally, 19-year-old striker David Parkhouse made his debut for non-league Tamworth who lost 3-1 at home to Coalville on Saturday.
Parkhouse has joined the Staffordshire outfit on a three-month loan deal from Sheffield United.
