Callum Marshall’s remarkable season continued as he took his goal tally for the campaign to 18 after finding the net twice in West Ham United’s 3-1 victory at Spurs in the U18 Premier League at the weekend.
The 18-year-old, who joined the Hammers from Linfield just over a year ago, has achieved that total in only 17 outings for the West Ham youth team who incidentally also qualified for the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup last week following a 4-2 success over Ipswich Town.
Meanwhile, in the U21 Premier League, U19 international Omari Kellyman (pictured) not only scored for the second successive game but he also weighed in with two assists as Aston Villa beat Sunderland 6-4 to make it three league wins on the bounce.
In the Championship Paddy McNair was stretchered off in the second half of Middlesbrough’s 2-0 defeat at West Brom after suffering a facial injury.
“His face was in a bad way when he came off the pitch,” Boro boss Michael Carrick told the club website after the game. “I only briefly saw him there but his face looked a little better once he was all patched up.
“He took a really bad one and it didn’t look too good at the time. But he is patched up and up and about in the dressing room, so that’s a positive.”
Striker Shayne Lavery further added to Northern Ireland’s injury woes when he had to leave the field after just 21 minutes of Blackpool’s 3-1 loss at Reading after picking up a hamstring injury.
Addressing the striker's knock, Blackpool boss Mick McCarthy said: “Shayne hurt his hamstring. We don’t know the extent of it yet, but he’ll be assessed in the week.”
Elsewhere in the division Trai Hume, who was rested in midweek, played the full 90 minutes alongside Daniel Ballard as Sunderland lost for the second match in a row, while Millwall midfielder George Saville also started his side's single goal victory at Stoke City.
In League One the Bolton trio of Conor Bradley, Eoin Toal and Dion Charles all played in the 2-1 home win over Port Vale who again had loanee defender Aaron Donnelly in their starting XI.
It was a special day for Northern Ireland midfielder Ellie Mason who celebrated her 100th professional game with four goals in Lewes’ 6-1 success over Cardiff City Ladies in the fifth round of the Women’s FA Cup.
Also through to the last eight of the competition are Jackie Burns and Lauren Wade after Reading defeated Spurs 5-4 on penalties with former Glentoran striker Wade hitting the decisive spot kick.
