Conor Coventry and MK Dons maintained their push for automatic promotion from EFL League One, with the midfielder one of four loanee Hammers in action over the weekend.
The Republic of Ireland U21s captain played his part in a hard-fought 1-0 win at Cambridge United on Saturday, with Liam Manning’s side scoring the decisive goal on the hour mark when the U’s failed to deal with a long throw and defender Warren O'Hora stabbed home.
Prior to that, however, Coventry performed heroics to keep the ball out of the Dons’ net, making a spectacular overhead goal-line clearance inside the opening ten minutes.
Chances came and went for both sides with Coventry once again helping MK Dons dominate the ball, recording 59 per cent possession on the way to extend his team’s unbeaten run to 12 games, equalling a club-record 11 away matches without defeat.
As a result, Dons moved within four points of table-topping Rotherham United, with both sides having seven games left. Between them lie Wigan Athletic, one point off the Millers with two games in hand on both teams.
Coventry will now head off on international duty – alongside Academy of Football teammate Mipo Odubeko – as the Boys in Green continue their push for qualification to the 2023 UEFA U21 European Championships in Georgia & Romania with a vital game in Sweden.
Elsewhere in League One, Nathan Holland came off the bench for the final five minutes of Oxford United’s 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town – helping his side claim a last-gasp equaliser.
In a match sparse of chances, the U’s were still trailing deep into injury time to Bersant Celina’s crisp strike for the Tractor Boys midway through the second half.
Holland came off the bench as manager Karl Robinson sought some inspiration for the closing stages, and was on the field when Luke McNally rose highest to plant a header into the top corner from a set-piece on 95 minutes.
Oxford dropped to fifth as a result of the draw, but crucially remain three points inside the play-off places with seven games to go – and with a strong goal difference to boot.
Goalkeeper Joseph Anang was on the wrong end of a last-minute goal himself as St Patrick’s Athletic fell to a frustrating 2-1 defeat away at Derry City on Friday.
The 21-year-old was beaten at both ends of the game by a brace of long-distance efforts from Will Patching, the first a curling shot from 25 yards, the second a powerful half-volley from a similar range.
St Pat’s did draw level shortly after half-time thanks to Tom Grivosti, but it was Derry who did most of the pressing in the game and could have been further out of sight were it not for one particularly impressive near-post stop from Anang in the second half.
Nevertheless, the goalkeeper’s adopted side will hope to get their title challenge back on track when they host Drogheda United following the international break.
And in Ligue 2, fellow Academy goalkeeper Nathan Trott – restored to AS Nancy’s starting XI in midweek in an impressive 3-0 win over title-chasing Paris FC – suffered a more difficult Saturday afternoon with a 3-1 loss at fellow relegation candidates Guingamp.
Les Chardons struggled to get going as, moments after Trott had pulled off an outstanding low save from a shot inside the box, they conceded from the subsequent corner, Baptiste Roux heading home a near-post flick.
Guingamp added further goals through Youssouf M’Changama either side of half-time, Trott later atoning for an error he made for the midfielder’s first with a fine one-on-one save later in the second period.
Nevertheless, Saliou Ciss’s late goal for Nancy was merely a consolation as Trott and his teammates, bottom of Ligue 2, will need to make up a gap of nine points between themselves and the sides above the relegation zone – with just eight games left to go after the international break.
