Loan watch: Snodgrass moves one step closer to promotion

Robert Snodgrass celebrates Aston Villa's victory at Middlesbrough

 

Robert Snodgrass was the only one of West Ham United’s three outstanding loanees to feature for his club at the weekend.

The Scotland winger played the full 90 minutes as Aston Villa won 1-0 at Middlesbrough in their Championship Play-Off semi-final on Saturday evening.

After Mile Jedinak had headed Villa into the lead at the Riverside Stadium, Snodgrass hit the post with a curling shot that was tipped onto the upright by his former West Ham teammate Darren Randolph.

The second leg will be played at Villa Park on Tuesday evening, with the winners to face Derby County or Fulham at Wembley for a place in the Premier League.

Elsewhere, Toni Martinez was an unused substitute as Real Valladolid beat Albacete 3-2 to keep up their own promotion challenge in Spain’s Segunda Division.

Valladolid are up to sixth in the table, just a point behind Zaragoza in fourth, ahead of Saturday’s trip to already-relegated Lorca.

Finally, Reece Oxford was not involved as Borussia Monchengladbach ended the German Bundesliga season with a 2-1 defeat at Hamburg, who were relegated for the first time, despite their victory.

The 19-year-old finished the season having made eight appearances for the Foals – seven in the Bundesliga and one in the German Cup – including six starts.