Liverpool youngster on loan at Aberdeen debuts as man of the match with goal

Leighton Clarkson enjoyed a whirlwind, goals coring start to his loan spell in the Scottish Premiership with Aberdeen at the weekend. Just hours after his season-long move to the Dons was confirmed on Saturday, the midfielder was sent on as a 12th-minute substitute in his new side’s meeting with St Mirren.

Clarkson promptly produced a Player of the Match performance in a 4-1 win that was highlighted by a thumping finish from distance on the stroke of half-time. “I’m buzzing,” the 20-year-old said post-match. “I was ready. I knew at some point of the game I was going to come on; obviously I didn’t know it was going to be that early. I was ready for it and just enjoying it.

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“The goal was probably one of the best hits I’ve ever done. I’ve seen it come across. I had one in the first half and I sliced it so I thought this time I was going to take a touch. But when it sits perfect like that you’ve just got to hit it, I’m just happy it went in. “I knew as soon as it left my foot it was going in. It’s just one of those strikes. I was really buzzing.”

Other loans

In the Championship, Rhys Williams played the full game as Blackpool were beaten 2-0 away at Stoke City and Tyler Morton debuted for Blackburn Rovers in the final moments of their 3-0 success against Swansea City. Conor Bradley continued his positive start to life on loan with Bolton Wanderers, playing 81 minutes and setting up the opening goal of a 3-0 League One victory versus Wycombe Wanderers.

James Balagizi was another to claim Player of the Match plaudits, the midfielder featuring for the whole of Crawley Town’s 1-0 loss against Leyton Orient at League Two level. In the same division, Adam Lewis made a late substitute appearance for Newport County in their 1-0 home defeat by Walsall, while Vitezslav Jaros remained on the bench as Stockport County lost 2-1 at Stevenage.

Marcelo Pitaluga registered a clean sheet to help Macclesfield FC progress in the Emirates FA Cup extra preliminary round with a 2-0 win over Wythenshawe Town. In Europe, Owen Beck was an unused sub for Famalicao, whose campaign in the Portuguese top flight got under way with a 2-0 reversal at Estoril.

Jakub Ojrzynski also watched from the bench as Radomiak Radom chalked up a 2-1 victory at Jagiellonia Bialystok in Poland. On Sunday, LFC Women defender Lucy Parry was in the starting XI for Hibernian’s Scottish Women’s Premier League opener versus Celtic, which ended in a 9-0 defeat.