Five Albion players were in action for their loan teams over the weekend, with debut goals and full league debuts on the agenda.
Caleb Taylor started for Sky Bet League One side Wycombe Wanderers for the first time last week during their Bristol Street Motors Trophy win against Brighton, and there was more success on his full league debut on Saturday afternoon.
The centre-back produced a commanding display at the heart of the Chairboys’ defence as they beat Cambridge United 2-1 at Adams Park, with Caleb playing the full 90.
Garath McCleary and Cameron Humphreys were on target, either side of Dan Nlundulu’s leveller for the U’s, to stretch their unbeaten run in England’s third tier to four matches and move them up to ninth in the standings.
In the same division, goalkeeper Josh Griffiths couldn’t prevent Bristol Rovers from falling to a third consecutive defeat against Peterborough at the West Homes Stadium.
The Gas were 3-0 down without reply after 63 minutes of the clash, but rallied back courtesy of two goals in two second-half minutes (74, 76’) via Luke McCormick and Gatlin O’Donkor to give them hope of a third late on.
However, they couldn’t find a late leveller, or avoid another loss, and shot-stopper Griffiths will be keen to improve the West Country outfit’s form when he goes head-to-head with fellow academy graduate Taylor’s loan team Wycombe next weekend.
In non-league, Souleyman Mandey made a scoring start to his loan spell at Southern Premier Central League side Stourbridge.
Although the Glassboys eventually fell to a 3-1 defeat against Bishop’s Stortford, the Austrian youth international couldn’t have wished for a better introduction - pouncing on a loose pass within six minutes to net the game’s opening goal.
6’ GOAAAAAL - SOULEYMAN MANDEY!!
A through ball splits the Storford back line and Mandey is on hand to slot it under the keeper! 0-1 pic.twitter.com/gfwRAw9vXo— Stourbridge FC (@StourbridgeFC) September 21, 2024
It was the 18-year-old’s first appearance in senior football, and he will hope for many more during his work experience loan at the War Memorial Athletic Ground.
There was another first-team appearance in the same league for full-back Alex Williams, who came off the bench late on during Stratford Town’s uneventful stalemate with Harborough Town.
Finally, Ronnie Hollingshead was unable to keep up his impressive run of clean sheets as Alvechurch suffered a narrow 1-0 home defeat to Stamford.
The visitors netted within the last 15 minutes to break up the Church’s impressive form and knock them off the top of the Southern Premier Central table.
