Zac Ashworth had a debut to remember for Sky Bet League One side Burton Albion on Saturday afternoon, as he made an impactful start to his loan spell at the Pirelli Stadium.
The young defender was forced to wait for his maiden Brewers outing after their fixtures against Lincoln City and Peterborough United were both postponed earlier this month. However, it was eventually worth the wait as he helped them to a 2-0 win over Oxford United over the weekend.
Ashworth thought he'd netted the opening goal of the game with a stunning long distance strike, but on closer inspection the youngster's effort struck the post before bouncing back into the net via U's goalkeeper Simon Eastwood.
Dino Maamria's side added a second through Dale Taylor and ultimately cruised to victory, ensuring that it would be solid start to Ashworth's spell in Staffordshire.
Zac (sm)Ashworth 💥🏓 pic.twitter.com/0FOlqpPFRs
— Burton Albion FC (@burtonalbionfc) January 29, 2023
Another defender who enjoyed a positive weekend was centre back Caleb Taylor, who played the full 90 minutes and earned a clean sheet in Cheltenham Town's goalless draw with against Port Vale.
The 20-year-old earned a spot in the Sky Bet League One Team of the Week thanks to his impressive display at the back, in a result which stops the Robins' losing run in the league.
See who made the #SkyBetLeagueOne Team of the Week! 👇
— Sky Bet League One (@SkyBetLeagueOne) January 29, 2023
Powered by @WhoScored ratings.#EFL pic.twitter.com/Upt2W8t5sp
Another player who earned recognition for his display away from The Hawthorns was Tom Fellows, who was voted Man of the Match in Crawley Town's 3-2 win over Salford City.
Dom Telford, Dion Conroy and Teddy Jenks put the home side in a dominant position over Salford, that didn't stop the visitors staging a late surge to get pulses racing in the Sky Bet League Two fixture, but the Reds held on to claim the win.
Fellows played the full 90 minutes as his side got back to winning ways, lifting them to 20th in the table.
🍾 Tom Fellows was voted as yesterday's Man of the Match!
— Crawley Town FC (@crawleytown) January 29, 2023
Another fine performance from the @WBA loanee!#TownTeamTogether🔴 pic.twitter.com/4pS3MyrMSS
In the Sky Bet Championship, Alex Mowatt made a substitute appearance in Middlesbrough's 2-0 win over Watford at the Riverside Stadium.
The win lifts Michael Carrick's side to third in the table, with Mowatt coming on in added time to see home the victory over the Hornets, who now sit fourth, a point behind Boro.
Second half goals from Chuba Akpom and Marcus Forss ensured the points would stay in the north east, as Middlesbrough's impressive spell continued.
Down the pyramid to the National League North, Mo Faal featured for the entirety of AFC Fylde's 1-1 draw with Chester.
Connor Barrett fired Fylde ahead at the break, but a 66th-minute effort from Kurt Willoughby was enough to earn the visitors a hard-fought draw against Adam Murray's table-topping side.
Finally, young Albion goalkeeper Ronnie Hollingshead featured once again for Hednesford Town, but couldn't help guide his side to victory as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to Alvechurch.
Goals from Jed Abbey and Tyrell Skeen-Hamilton, either side of Todd Parker's strike, were enough to claim the spoils for the Church.
Lead photo credit: Epic Action Imagery/BAFC