Striker Liam Boyce ended an eight-game run without a goal when he scored in Burton Albion’s 2-1 FA Cup defeat to fellow League One outfit Scunthorpe United at the weekend.
It was the 27-year-old’s first-ever appearance and goal in the competition though he was disappointed that the Brewers will not now be able to mirror the run they have had in this season’s Carabao Cup where they have reached the quarter-final stage.
“It was my first FA Cup game, so I was a bit excited and looking forward to the game,” said the former Cliftonville forward. “But first-half, we weren’t up to our ‘A’ game.
“We had a couple of half-chances and if one of those goes in, it changes the whole game.
“To be fair, we stuck at it in the second half, we played well and got a goal - it was just a bit too late though.
“You always see FA Cup’s with teams and underdogs going on long runs, “ he added, “We’re a bit disappointed we don’t have the chance to be one of those underdogs when you get to the later stages.
“We need to forget it now. We’re back to the League, that's the most important thing now and we need to start climbing up the League.”
Elsewhere in the competition, Jordan Thompson celebrated his call-up into the Northern Ireland squad with an assist for Blackpool who won 3-2 at Exeter City, while Gavin Whyte’s Oxford United were held to a scoreless draw at home by Forest Green Rovers of League Two.
In Scotland, former Glenavon player Bobby Burns, who on Monday was added to Michael O’Neill’s panel for the upcoming games with the Republic of Ireland and Austria, made his first start for Livingston who held champions Celtic to a scoreless draw in yesterday’s lunchtime kick-off.
The 19-year-old is currently on loan with Livingston from Hearts until the end of the season.
His fellow under-21 international colleague Conor Hazard, who is also in the senior squad, was on the bench for Brendan Rodgers' side in that game played at the Tony Macaroni Stadium.
At Ibrox, Rangers recorded an emphatic 7-1 success over Motherwell, who had Trevor Carson in goal, with both Gareth McAuley and Kyle Lafferty coming on as second-half substitutes for the ‘Gers.
Winger Shane Ferguson, who has been a regular starter for Millwall in recent weeks, suffered a late injury in the Lions’ 4-3 defeat at Norwich City, while Jonny Evans was also replaced after picking up a knock in Leicester City’s 0-0 draw at home to Burnley.
It was another emotional day at the King Power Stadium as the Leicester City players, officials and fans paid tribute to former Chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, and the four other people who died in the tragic helicopter crash outside the ground a fortnight ago.
Speaking after the game Evans said: “I’ve only been at the club a few months now and, for all the players and staff who have been here a long time, you could tell it was emotional for them and they’ve been through a lot, especially with the chairman.
“For me, coming from the outside in, from the first day I got here, every day, the Chairman was very highly spoken of.”
Finally, former Northern Ireland under-19 goalkeeper Brett Longwas sent-off in the 90thminute as East Fife moved to within a point of Raith Rovers following their injury time victory over them at the Bayview Stadium.
