Sunderland defender Trai Hume continued his sensational form after his stunning free-kick secured all three points for the Black Cats in their 1-0 win over West Brom at the Hawthorns at the weekend.
For the second week in a row the former Ballymena United and Linfield player hit the only goal of the game as Sunderland kept alive their slim hopes of automatic promotion to the Premier League following a fourth win in six matches.
“We’ve got another tough game coming up at Norwich,” said Hume, who again filled in as an emergency left back.
"I’m glad we got the three points, but the focus turns straight to the next one now. The key thing is to keep winning games and picking up as many points as possible”
However, missing from the West Brom side on Saturday was the influential Isaac Price who rolled his ankle in training on Friday.
Scans subsequently revealed the former Standard Liege midfielder has suffered ankle ligament damage which could potentially keep him out for the rest of the campaign.
A man on fire 🔥@Hume_Trai
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) April 6, 2025
Elsewhere in the Championship, teenage goalkeeper Pierce Charles started his second successive league game for Sheffield Wednesday who lost 1-0 at home to fellow Yorkshire outfit Hull City, while Terry Devlin was also given a start as Portsmouth lost 2-1 away at Millwall.
In League One Jamie Reid came on as a substitute to score in Stevenage’s 3-1 home success against Crawley Town. It was his eighth goal of the season.
Huddersfield Town striker Dion Charles, who has missed the last three games with a hamstring complaint, returned to action after coming on with half-an-hour remaining of the Terriers’ 2-1 home victory over Mansfield Town.
Midfielder Ethan Galbraith, who picked up a knock whilst on international duty, was also restored to the Leyton Orient starting XI as the south London outfit were held to a scoreless draw at home by Wigan Athletic.
Meanwhile in the Premier League, Conor Bradley was welcomed back by Liverpool after being absent for the last seven matches, and he made an immediate impact just five minutes after coming on as a substitute to set Luis Diaz up to score the Reds' second goal in a 3-2 defeat at Fulham. It was Liverpool's first loss in 26 league matches.
Twenty-one-year-old midfielder Justin Devenny was once again used as a substitute when he played the final eight minutes of nine-man Crystal Palace’s 2-1 home victory over Brighton and Hove Albion.
In the Scottish Premiership Motherwell defender Kofi Balmer received a straight red card after just 26 minutes when he followed through after a challenge on Kilmarnock’s Fraser Murray.
“Of course he has knocked him, but it was one movement – he was just clearing the ball,” said 'Well boss Michael Wimmer, whose side eventually lost 1-0 to Killie. “We have to try and appeal it because in my opinion it was never a red.
“The game was killed for us after the red card. In the end we deserved the defeat. Hopefully we can make a good reaction.”
Finally, in the Scottish U18 League, Callum Burnside was on target for the fourth time this season when he found the net in Rangers’ 2-0 victory over Aberdeen who had another former JD Irish FA Academy graduate in their starting line-up in the shape of Noah McDonnell.
