Loan Round-Up: Payne scores in top-four clash

The 19-year-old played 62 minutes of King’s Lynn Town’s 2-2 draw away to Spennymoor Town in the National League North on Saturday before being replaced by Sam Kelly, but it’s his work earlier in the week that makes the headlines.

Playing at home to fellow title-contenders Alfreton Town on Tuesday night, Payne scored his third goal of the season so far inside the 27^th minute, netting from 20 yards out to give the hosts a 2-0 lead. King’s Lynn just about saw out a 3-2 victory and climbed to the top of the table, where they now sit one point above York City.

Down in the National League’s South Division, Aston Oxborough played 90 minutes of both of Wealdstone’s fixtures. The ‘keeper kept a clean sheet and made a string of crucial saves to bring home the three points in a 1-0 win over Oxford City on Saturday, deservedly picking up the Man of the Match award as a result.

On Tuesday, he also featured in the club’s 3-2 win away to St. Albans City. That pair of victories sees Wealdstone extend their lead at the top of the table to seven points, having won nine games and lost just one.

A couple of on-loan Canaries were reunited on Tuesday night, albeit for opposite teams, with Sean Raggett (Portsmouth) playing against Mason Bloomfield (Crawley Town) in a Leasing.com Trophy group stage clash. The pair share a group with Oxford United and Norwich City Under-21s, and it was Portsmouth who came away with the 1-0 win, both Raggett and Bloomfield playing the 90 minutes.

Bloomfield also played 45 minutes on Saturday, coming on for the second half of Crawley’s 1-1 League Two draw away to Macclesfield Town in place of Nathan Ferguson. The former currently occupy 11^th place in League Two with seven games played.

Up in League One, James Husband played his part in Blackpool’s 3-2 defeat at Coventry City on Saturday, setting up his side’s second goal which was converted by Sullay Kaikai. That result keeps Blackpool just about inside the play-off spots.

Elsewhere in the division, Carlton Morris played 80 minutes for Rotherham United in their 2-1 loss away to Doncaster Rovers, before being substituted for Michael Smith.

Back in the Leasing.com Trophy on Tuesday, Louis Thompson was on the field for 59 minutes of Shrewsbury Town’s 2-1 defeat at Port Vale. He was replaced by Luke McCormick.

Across the pond, Caleb Richards enjoyed another 90 minutes for Tampa Bay Rowdies as they managed a 3-1 away win over Charlotte Independence in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship on Sunday. Having won that game in hand, the Rowdies are now breathing down the necks of the New York Red Bulls Reserves, who are only top of the league by one point.

Finally, Charlie Gilmour got another 90 minutes under his belt but also picked up a yellow card for SC Telstar, as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at home to Cambuur on Saturday in the Eerste Divisie.

Picture supplied by King’s Lynn Town FC.