West Ham United loanee Martin Samuelsen played the full 90 minutes in Sunday’s Norwegian Cup Final, but the day ended in disappointment as FK Haugesund lost 1-0 to Viking.
The competition’s top scorer this season - the 22-year-old has plundered seven goals in six appearances en route to the showpiece occasion at Ullevaal Stadion - Samuelsen started the match in a central attacking role, but could not add to his tally as a tense game was settled by Zlatko Tripic’s 51st-minute penalty.
The result means that Haugesund miss out on silverware and the prospect of European football next season, with Viking set to participate in the Europa League second qualifying round.
Samuelsen ends the Norwegian domestic season with 14 goals and 5 assists in 39 appearances for his loanee club.
In the Championship, Grady Diangana enjoyed 90 minutes as a constant menace on the wing as his West Bromwich Albion side defeated Swansea 5-1 at the Hawthorns.
The Baggies’ attacking outlets were in razor sharp form, with Semi Ajayi nodding in from close range after 25 minutes before Diangana was involved in the build-up to Matheus Pereira’s low finish ten minutes later.
Sam Surridge pulled a goal back for the Swans before half-time, but West Brom pulled away again just before half-time through Hal Robson-Kanu’s calm finish.
Diangana tormented his marker with movement and trickery throughout, and started off the counter-attack which led to Matt Phillips stooping to head a fourth with 20 minutes remaining, before the West Ham loanee was replaced by Kyle Edwards, who added a fifth moments later.
The result maintains West Brom’s two-point lead at the top of the division over nearest rivals Leeds United.
Elsewhere in the same division, Jordan Hugill linked up with Queen’s Park Rangers’ strike partner Eberechi Eze to productive effect in the Rs’ 2-0 win at home to Preston.
After Eze had given the home team a 16th-minute lead, pouncing on a spilled ball by Preston keeper Declan Rudd, Hugill’s strength proved a good foil for his strike partner’s dynamism, showcased when the Hammers loanee linked up well with Eze just before half-time, but couldn’t find the target with a difficult half-volley.
A game of few chances saw Eze seal the result from the penalty spot with just over 20 minutes remaining, a scoreline which keeps his team battling in mid-table in a tight-looking middle pack – just five points separate QPR in 14th from Nottingham Forest in fifth.
Finally, in League One, goalkeeper Nathan Trott was in the thick of the action for AFC Wimbledon as they were held to a 2-2 draw away to Bolton.
An open game saw Marcus Forss’ double – both goals coming towards the end of the each half -– twice put the Dons in the driving seat, intersected by Daryl Murphy’s 56th-minute equaliser, with which Trott had little chance.
The England U21 keeper was called upon several times, but couldn’t stop Joe Dodoo’s bullet header deep into injury time, meaning the points were shared at Macron Stadium, with Wimbledon in 19th place.
