There was plenty of midweek involvement for Northern Ireland players across the water this week.
Striker Liam Boyce continued his scintillating form in front of goal when he bagged his seventh in as many games as Hearts recorded a 4-0 win at Raith Rovers to increase their lead at the top of the Scottish Championship to nine points.
Boyce set the Edinburgh outfit on their way when he opened the scoring nine minutes before the break after playing a neat one-two with fellow Northern Ireland international Michael Smith to chalk him his tenth goal of the season.
Also on the scoresheet in midweek was 30-year-old midfielder Matty Lund who despite firing home his 11th goal of the campaign could not prevent Rochdale from going down to a 4-3 defeat at home to Oxford United in League One.
Elsewhere in the division, Dion Charles was among the scorers as Accrington Stanley chalked up a surprise 2-0 win over leaders Hull City while Charlton Athletic moved into the play-off positions as Conor Washington provided an assist for the only goal of the game at MK Dons.
One absentee from the Addicks line-up was former Linfield striker Paul Smyth who is expected to have his loan spell at the Valley cut short by his club Queens Park Rangers this week.
“We don’t have a term where we can send him back,” explained Charlton boss Lee Bowyer. “If QPR call him back, they call him back. That’s their decision. But Paul Smyth has been excellent around the place.”
Finally, in the Premier League in England, Jamal Lewis and Stuart Dallas played the full ninety minutes for Newcastle United and Leeds United respectively however Jonny Evans was substituted late in the second half of Leicester City’s 1-1 draw at Everton.
Revealing the reason for Evans’ departure Foxes boss Brenda Rodgers said after the game: “Evans had blurred vision in one eye after he went up for a header.”