Share
.Iheanacho makes Foxes’ 200th appearance in Leicester loss
.Balogun, Awoniyi return
By JOHNNY EDWARD
Chuba Akpom continued his goalscoring form for Middlesbrough on Saturday when he scored for the fifth consecutive game in a row as the Teesiders were stunned 4-2 by relegation-threatened Huddersfield Town.
The Nigerian headed in from Riley McGree’s cross for his 26th goal of the season, a consolatory goal in the 74th minute – to cut the deficit after Huddersfield Town had produced a stunning second-half fightback to dent Middlesbrough’s automatic promotion hopes.
The result left Boro six points adrift of second-placed Sheffield United having played a game more.
Akpom, currently leads the top scorers chart in the English Championship with 25 goals from 32 league games
At the DW stadium, Leon Balogun made his first start since November for out-of-form Queens Park Rangers who lost by a lone goal to Wigan.
It was a return to remember for the Super Eagles defender who made a clumsy challenge on Danel Sinani to allow a composed Max Power grab the winner from the spot in the sixth minute.
The defeat was Rangers’ seventh in eight league game and they are now just three points above the relegation zone.
In Italy, Nigerian forward, Ademola Lookman ended his two months goals drought when he netted Atalanta’s third goal in a 3-1 win away at Cremonese who paraded Cyriel Dessers for the last 16 minutes of the defeat.
The Nigerian scored 12 times in his first 19 games for Atalanta after he joined from German Bundesliga side, RB Leipzig last summer but has failed to find the way to the opponents’ goal in his last seven games.
The 25-year-old however ended that drought at the Stadio Giovanni Zini in Cremona when he came on for Luis Muriel at the start of the second half and sealed victory for the LaDea with the last kick of the game – his first goal since January.
The former Leicester City player now sits third in the top scorer chart with 13 goals, eight behind his countryman, Victor Osimhen.
Caleb Okoli was also an unused substitute in the encounter for Atalanta while David Okereke missed out on account of a thigh injury.
In Belgium, Gift Orban, scored a brace to take his tally to 14 goal (nine in seven league games) in 11 games across all competition for Gent who thrashed RFC Searing 5-0 away on Saturday.
The 20-year-old scored in the 18th and 52nd minute of the encounter.
In the English Premier League, Kelechi Iheanacho came off the substitute bench to make his 200th appearance for Leicester City who lost 2-1 to Crystal Palace on Saturday. The Nigerian forward replaced Patson Daka in the 72nd minute and was scored 4.23 by the BBC for his cameo appearance.
The Nigerian has been subbed on in 114 of the games and has been left to stay on the bench for the entire duration of the games 71 times since he made his debut in the competition in August 2017 when he switched Manchester City for Leicester City.
The game was also his 190th appearance in the Premier League since August 2015 when he made his debut in the competition.
The 26 year old has scored 40 times in the competition with 28 coming in 43 appearances for the Foxes while the remaining 12 was scored in just 46 games for his former club.
Meanwhile, Iheanacho’s Nigerian compatriot at the club, Wilfred Ndidi made his 13th start in 19 Premier League games this season and 172nd in 184 appearances in the competitions since January 2017 when he joined the Foxes from KRC Genk of Belgium.
At the City Gorund stadium, Taiwo Awoniyi returned to action for Nottingham Forest who forced Wolves to a 1-1 draw on Saturday. He came on for Danilo in the 86th minute of the encounter.
Half-time substitute Daniel Podence’s late equaliser rescued Wolves a crucial point in an ill-tempered encounter in the 83rd minute after Brennan Johnson had given Forest a 1-0 into the break.
His Nigerian teammate, Emmanuel Dennis played for 67 minutes before been replaced by Joe Worrall.
A point each could prove crucial to both sides during the run-in, but Forest’s winless league run was extended to seven matches, while Wolves have won only one of their last seven.