Riley McGree made a statement with a goal to help Middlesbrough earn their maiden win of the English Championship season, beating Southampton 2-1.
McGree has been in and out of the Boro starting line-up this term, but was lively throughout, earning an 8/10 rating from the Evening Gazette.
Soton went ahead early but McGree almost equalized with a tough close-range finish from a tight angle with his effort rolling across the goalline before he did score with a left-foot rocket in the 44th minute.
After Boro went up 2-1 up, McGree could’ve added another with Josh Coburn finding him across the face of goal, only for the Aussie to fail to hit the target.
The Evening Gazette wrote: “An excellent goal at an important time to get Boro back into the game. His workrate and effort typified the team performance as they pressed hard and caused problems. Should of put the game to bed late on when he smashed the post with a first-time effort when he had more time.”
Sam Silvera came on as a 90th minute substitute while Tom Glover was an unused sub.
Forgotten Socceroos midfielder Massimo Luongo had his own crowning moment with a winner to cap his Player of the Match display for Ipswich Town in a 4-3 victory over Blackburn.
The game was tied at 3-3 when Luongo rifled in a 79th minute winner when Rovers keeper Aynsley Pears punched it to him on the edge of the box.
Luongo put in a full shift and earned an 8/10 rating and Player of the Match honours according to the East Anglian Daily Times. Cam Burgess also played the full game and got an 8/10.
Out-of-favour Harry Souttar was absent once again from Leicester City’s matchday squad for their 1-0 home victory over Bristol City.
On Sunday, Denis Genreau started and played 67 minutes as Toulouse went down 2-1 against Lens after leading early in France’s Ligue 1.
Mat Ryan kept another clean sheet as AZ Alkmaar maintained their perfect record with a 3-0 win at PEC Zwolle in the Dutch Eredivisie. PSV and AZ both have five wins from five games, with the former ahead on goal difference.
Alessandro Circati netted an 82nd minute equalizer for Italian Serie B leaders Parma as they drew 1-1 with Sampdoria. Circati, who put in a full shift, produced a pinpoint header from a right-wing cross.
Another frozen-out Socceroo Ajdin Hrustic was also missing for Hellas Verona’s 1-0 loss at AC Milan in Italy’s Serie A on Saturday.
Garang Kuol started and played 72 minutes as FC Volendam rallied from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Heracles in the Dutch Eredivisie o Saturday.
Connor Metcalfe started and played 88 minute as St Pauli beat fellow promotion hopefuls Schalke 04 3-1 in the German 2.Bundesliga on Saturday.
Jackson Irvine is sidelined due to injury, with the win seeing St Pauli rise up to second.
John Iredale was a 74th minute substitute as newly-promoted Wehen Wiesbaden lost 2-0 at home to Elversberg to sit 13th.
Jordan Bos returned for the first time since August 13 due to appendix surgery, starting and playing 81 minutes as Westerlo drew 0-0 at Aiden O’Neill’s Standard Liege in the Belgian Pro League on Friday.
O’Neill was an unused sub for Standard, having fallen out of favour lately after starting their opening six games.
De startende XI Kemphanen voor vanavond in Luik! #STAWES pic.twitter.com/8nFumsejQi
— KVC Westerlo (@KVCWesterlo) September 22, 2023
Ryan Strain netted the game’s only goal as St Mirren continued their remarkable start to the Scottish Premiership season with a 1-0 victory over Hearts on Saturday.
Strain swooped at the back post after a Hearts defensive mix-up, scoring the winner in the seventh minute. Strain put in a full shift while Keanu Baccus started and played 61 minutes.
Cammy Devlin, who started and played 76 minutes, had a second-half effort tipped around the post. Kye Rowles had a header cleared off the goalline too.
Devlin earned a 6/10 from Edinburgh Evening News along with Rowles, Nathaniel Atkinson and Calum Nieuwenhof who needed treatment for a cut to his chin. Atkinson, however, was stretchered off late in the first half after an awkward fall in a tussle.
Ex-Central Coast defender Lewis Miller netted his maiden Hibernian goal in new boss Nick Montgomery’s second game in charge as they won 2-0 over St Johnstone.
Miller, who played a full game, made it 1-0 in the 35th minute with a back-post header from a lofted diagonal ball into the box. Edinburgh Evening News rated Miller 7/10 and said he produced a “very impressive performance”.
Jimmy Jeggo and Martin Boyle both also put in full shifts, both rated 7/10. On Boyle, Edinburgh Evening News wrote: “A constant threat with his pace and direct running at Saints defence.”
Socceroos winger Awer Mabil was a half-time substitute for Grasshoppers in a 1-1 home draw with St Gallen in the Swiss Super League on Saturday. Jordan Laws came on in the 84th minute too.
Milos Degenek’s Red Star Belgrade had their Serbian Super Liga clash with TSC postponed following midweek European duties for both clubs, with the Socceroo coming on in the 83rd minute as Red Star lost 3-1 away to European and English champions Manchester City.
Tyrese Francois was an unused substitute as Fulham drew 0-0 at Crystal Palace in the English Premier League on Saturday.
In England’s League One, Man City loanee Alex Robertson got the assist for Portsmouth’s opening goal in a 2-1 triumph over Lincoln City.
Robertson started and played 74 minutes, unselfishly laying off the pass for Patrick Lane’s eighth-minute equalizer, but only earned a 6/10 from the Portsmouth News.
The Portsmouth News wrote: “Frustrating performance. Some nice touches at times, but little came off, sometimes a flick or good pass falling agonisingly short. Not effective on the ball enough.”
Mitch Duke opened the scoring as Japanese J2 League leaders Machida Zelvia routed 10-man V-Varen Nagasaki 6-0 on the road on Saturday.
The Socceroos striker started and played 88 minutes, breaking the deadlock in the 36th minute with a trademark header after ghosting into the box unmarked.
Craig Goodwin scored again for new Saudi Arabian club Al Wehda as they eased past Abha 4-0 in the Pro League on Friday.
Goodwin, who started and played 81 minutes, opened the scoring in the eighth minute.
Jason Cummings and Dimi Petratos both scored as Mohun Bagan won 3-1 over Punjab in the Indian Super League on Saturday.
Cummings started and scored the opener after 10 minutes with a simple close-range finish after a teammate’s scuffed effort, before being replaced in the 69th minute.
Petratos also started, making it 2-0 in the 35th minute with a simple left-foot finish and he laid off the assist for his side’s third goal in the 64th minute with a low left-wing cross before going off alongside Cummings. Brendan Hamill put in a full shift in defence.
Others
Full games
Mitchell Langerak (Nagoya Grampus), Patrick Flottmann (Seongnam), Aaron Calver (Gwangju), Alex Grant (Pohang Steelers), Brad Smith (Houston Dynamo)
Minutes
James Holland – ST 74 (Austria Vienna), Patrick Yazbek – SB 59 (Viking), Anthony Kalik – SB 93 (Hajduk Split), Kenny Dougall – ST 46 (Blackpool), Jack Iredale (Bolton), Nicholas Bilokapic (Peterborough), Cameron Peupion – SB 70 (Cheltenham), Caleb Watts – SB 46 (Exeter City), Jordan Murray – SB 66 (Chennaiyin)
Unused subs
Zach Duncan (AGF), Callum Elder (Derby County), Ash Maynard-Brewer (Charlton), Thomas Deng (Albirex Niigata)
