While international football may have brought many leagues to a temporary halt, there has been action in the English lower divisions and that means involvement for Chelsea players out on loan, including a first senior goal for one…
Chelsea Academy midfielder Jon Russell (pictured top) was the hero for Accrington Stanley on his first start in senior football. The 20-year-old scored the winner as his new loan side came from behind to win 2-1 against Lancashire rivals Rochdale who had been victorious in the previous six league meetings between the sides.They went ahead in this one too, early in the second half, but two goals in two minutes for Accrington Stanley turned the result around, with Russell side-footing in a cross on 66 minutes to claim the three points for the sixth-placed side. Another Chelsea player, Tariq Uwakwe, came on for the final 20 minutes while goalkeeper Nathan Baxter, who became a third there last week, remained on the bench.In the EFL trophy last Tuesday, Uwakwe had again come off the bench in a game against Blackpool that ended 1-1, with his side taking the extra point by winning the penalty shoot-out.Luke McCormick was in the Bristol Rovers side that recorded a League One victory away from home against Lincoln City. His opponents had a 100 per cent record prior to that game and they went ahead at the very start of the second half through an own-goal, but an equaliser just two minutes later and a 58th-minute penalty turned the tables, with the 2-1 win taking Rovers up to 12th. McCormick had a busy game in the midfield with attempts on goal in each half.
In League Two at the weekend, Jamie Cumming was in goal for Stevenage and he kept a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw away at Mansfield. He saved well from one second-half effort and helped his side climb to 15th.