Striker Callum Marshall took his tally to three goals in two games after hitting a brace in Huddersfield Town’s emphatic 4-0 away win at Cambridge United at the weekend.
The loanee striker also provided an assist for his international team-mate Brodie Spencer who scored for the second consecutive week as the Terriers stretched their unbeaten run in League One to 11 matches.
“It was a potential banana skin,” Marshall told HTTV. “So we were happy to get the three points and put our stamp on the game.
“Every game we go into we believe we can win. Once we play our football I don’t think there’s any team in this league that can deal with it."
A third Northern Ireland player, 20-year-old Conor Falls, came on in the final minute of the game to make his Town debut after being hampered by injuries in recent years.
“If I'm being brutally honest I didn't really know who Conor was two weeks ago,” said Huddersfield Town boss Michael Duff. “I went to watch the B team and walked over after 30 minutes and went 'who is that?'.
“He has been injured for 18 months so I haven’t seen him and I thought he looked good. It shows where we are at in terms of bare bones but what I liked about it was in the 90th minute I turned around and said 'get Conor ready' and in 15 seconds he's standing beside me ready because he's desperate to get on the pitch!”
Elsewhere in League One Josh Magennis scored his seventh of the campaign as Exeter City recorded a 2-1 victory at Burton Albion and Dale Taylor was on target for the second successive Saturday, scoring in Wigan Athletic’s 2-2 draw at home to Shrewsbury Town.
In the Championship Daniel Ballard found the net for the second time this term with a powerful second half header in Sunderland’s 2-1 home success over Norwich City, however he was substituted in the closing minutes of the encounter at the Stadium of Light after picking up an injury.
Meanwhile, 20-year-old Doncaster Rovers midfielder Patrick Kelly, who like Huddersfield's Callum Marshall is on loan from West Ham United, helped move the Yorkshire outfit up into third in the League Two table after scoring in the 3-1 home victory over Tranmere Rovers.
Speaking after the game his manager and former Northern Ireland international Grant McCann said: “His finish was great but I was screaming at him to square it for Bails (Owen Bailey) for a tap-in. But he puts it in the net and you can’t grumble."
“I thought it was a perfect game for him,” added McCann. “Over the last few weeks, probably since the Kettering game, the weather has turned and we’ve played in a different way. The last few games I didn’t feel would really suit him.”
In Scotland a stunning free-kick in the final minute from former Dungannon Swifts midfielder Oisin Smyth, who was making his first start since 19 October, gave 10-man St Mirren a 2-1 win at Ross County.
“Oisin has waited really patiently for his chance,” St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson told BBC Scotland. “He's shown a terrific attitude and been superb in training.
“It was a terrific finish but it's no surprise. We see him do that every day in training. He’s a boy that I feel can get better and better. That goal deserved to be the winner today.”
Finally, there were assists over the weekend for Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Shea Charles, Paul Smyth of QPR and Kilmarnock’s Brad Lyons.
