Hirst's First Pompey Goal Headlines Foxes Loan Involvement
- George Hirst nets during Portsmouth’s comprehensive League 1 win at Lincoln
- Callum Wright returns from injury in Cheltenham’s victory over Gillingham
- Daniel Iversen helps Preston defeat Middlesbrough in the Championship
- Tyrese Shade was also on the winning side on Tuesday with League 2 Walsall
The 22-year-old striker, who joined the south coast side on a temporary deal ahead of the 2021/22 season, netted in Sky Bet League 1 for the first time on his 13th league appearance of the campaign, to lift Danny Cowley’s side up to ninth in the table.
Hirst, who was starting his third league game for the club, played the first 74 minutes before being replaced by Michael Jacobs. His 66th-minute strike came after also having a hand in the build-up to Marcus Harness’ opener in first-half stoppage time, while Reeco Hackett-Fairchild wrapped up an away triumph late on.
Pompey have now collected 29 points from their 19 league fixtures and are sitting three points and three places outside of the play-offs as things stand, ahead of a trip to face Gillingham on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
Staying in League 1, Callum Wright made his return from injury for Cheltenham Town, playing the final 17 minutes of their 2-0 away victory over Gillingham at Priestfield Stadium.
The midfielder had made a blistering start to the season with the newly promoted Robins after lifting the League 2 trophy in 2020/21, scoring three goals in four games early on this term, before an injury ruled him out for over two months.
But after goals from Sean Long and Alfie May had all but wrapped up the three points in Essex, former Leicester City Development Squad captain Wright was introduced in place of May – a first appearance since 11 September.
Wright, who was named in the starting XI for all six of his appearances before Tuesday, will be targeting more minutes when Cheltenham visit Bolton Wanderers’ Macron Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off). Michael Duff’s side have made an impressive start to life in the third tier, sitting 10th in the standings with 26 points from 18 fixtures.
Fellow League 1 loanee Khanya Leshabela was an unused substitute in Shewsbury Town 1-0 success over Sunderland. The South African midfielder has featured six times for the Shrews, but only once in the league.
Meanwhile, in the Championship, there was another 90 minutes for goalkeeper Daniel Iversen as Preston North End defeated Middlesbrough 2-1 on Tuesday evening.
The Danish shot-stopper made his 20th appearance of the season in the away success at Riverside Stadium, which was secured via two goals in the final 13 minutes from Ched Evans and Emil Riis Jakobsen, after Paddy McNair had opened the scoring in the first half.
Iversen will be hoping to continue his run of starting every Championship game this season when Frankie McAvoy’s 14th-placed Lilywhites welcome Fulham to Deepdale on Saturday (12:30pm kick-off).
Over in League 2, forward Tyrese Shade played the final 36 minutes of Walsall’s 1-0 away win over Port Vale at Vale Park, coming on as goalscorer Brendan Kiernan’s replacement early in the second half.
Shade was featuring in his 20th game for the Saddlers across all competitions and has two league goals to his name so far this season, including the winner away at Sutton United last month.
One goal was also enough to seal victory in Stoke-on-Trent on Tuesday, as Kiernan’s strike on the half-hour mark moved Walsall up to 11th in the fourth-tier standings, five points outside the play-offs.
Carlisle United are next up for Matty Taylor’s midlands-based outfit as they travel to Brunton Park on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
On Monday evening, Belgium midfielder Dennis Praet started Torino's 2-1 home success against Udinese in Serie A, playing the first 62 minutes as Josip Brekalo and Gleison Bremer moved the hosts into a two-gaol lead at Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.
Karol Linetty then replaced 27-year-old Praet ahead of Fernando Forestieri pulling a goal back late on, though it was the Turin-based side who collected three points to rise up to 11th in Italy's top-flight standings.
Praet has made seven Torino appearances since joining on loan at the end of August, scoring his first goal in a 3-0 triumph over former club Sampdoria last month and is in line to feature again when meet Roma at Stadio Olimpico on Sunday (5pm kick-off).
All times GMT.