Sometimes, a breath of fresh air can do wonders for a player, and that seems to be the case with Luca Gasparotto.
The 19-year-old defender scored his second goal in two games for Airdrieonians on Saturday, helping lift his club to a 3-2 win over Ayr United. The youngster joined the Scottish League One club in early September on a four-month loan from Rangers – and at this rate, Airdrie won’t be in any hurry to send him back.
But should Gasparotto make a return to Rangers in January, he’ll be rejoining fellow Toronto native Fraser Aird (above), who on Monday came on as a halftime sub for the Old Firm club as they continue their slow march back to the Scottish Premiership. This week’s 3-1 loss to Hibernian put a minor dent in those plans, however.
Further down the Scottish ladder, in League Two, Dylan Carreiro couldn’t match last week’s heroics – when he scored a brace – but still went the full 90 for Arbroath FC as they claimed a 1-0 win over Elgin City on Saturday. Arbroath currently sit top of the table in League Two and are hoping 19-year-old Carreiro – on loan from Dundee – can help keep them there.
Elsewhere in the UK, David Edgar continues entrenching himself on the backline for Birmingham City, as he went the full 90 in Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Fulham.
Simeon Jackson (Coventry City) and Marcus Haber (Crewe Alexandra) both got the start for their clubs in League One, but both sides went down to shutout losses on the weekend. Up in the Premier League, Junior Hoilett didn’t start but saw the pitch as a second-half sub for QPR in Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Southampton.
Heading north, the Finnish season is drawing to a close, with several Canadians looking to go out on a high note. Goalkeeper David Monsalve notched his fourth straight victory for AC Oulu, with Canadian teammate Dominic Oppong also going the distance in Sunday’s 4-1 decision against Ilves.
Roger Thompson finally got back into the action for IFK Mariehamn after a nearly two-month absence, coming on as a late sub in a 3-1 win against KuPS. On the other side, Charlie Trafford went the full 90 in a losing cause.
Milan Borjan got back on the field for Ludogorets Razgrad for the first time since his memorable Champions League debut against Liverpool. He backstopped his side to a 5-1 win over Botev Vratsa in Bulgarian Cup action last Wednesday.
Atiba Hutchinson, to no one’s surprise, was a fixture in midfield for Besiktas throughout their 1-1 result with Eskisehirspor on Saturday.
Andre Hainault picked up a yellow card during his full-match performance for VfR Aalen in Friday’s clash with Erzgebirge, while Nik Ledgerwood went 73 minutes for Energie Cottbus against Arminia Bielefeld on Sunday.
Tosaint Ricketts went the distance for Hapoel Haifa in a 3-0 defeat to Hapoel Tel Aviv on Saturday, while Randy Edwini-Bonsu was removed after just 41 minutes for Stuttgarter Kickers against Borussia Dortmund II on Saturday. Daniel Haber made an appearance for Ayia Napa as a second-half sub against Anorthosis on Saturday, but his side ultimately fell to a 4-1 defeat.
