Loan Roundup – April 19-22

Irish midfield powerhouse Darron Gibson was the only one of United’s loanees to taste victory this week…

Gibson played in central midfield as Wolves ran out convincing 3-0 winners at home to FA Cup finalists Cardiff City on Tuesday night, going close to scoring on a number of occasions. This recent spell of good health and regular first-team football in his favoured position will be doing the Ireland international a world of good after a frustrating, injury-hampered season (worth noting that United academy graduate and current Championship top scorer Sylvan Ebanks-Blake was on the scoresheet for the Molineux outfit). With two games in the space of 72 hours, Darron had earlier sat out Wolves’ 1-1 home draw with Danny Simpson’s Ipswich on Saturday, a result that did neither team’s play-off bid any good. Simpson played the full ninety and had a torrid afternoon against Wolves’ left flank due of Elokobi and Jarvis.

Slightly higher up the Championship table, Hull’s automatic promotion bid was dealt a serious blow as they went down 2-0 at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane. Fraizer Campbell’s pace and intelligent running paid dividends just before half-time as Blades’ captain Chris Morgan picked up a second yellow card and subsequent red for a desperate challenge on the young striker. Hull were unable to press home their man advantage however and succumbed to two second-half strikes from the home team. Wins for West Brom (now all but promoted) and Stoke City saw Hull drop out of the automatic promotion places and the remaining fixtures for the sides involved certainly don’t appear to favour the Tigers – the playoffs may now be their best chance of reaching the Premier League.

Febian Brandy was another loanee who experienced defeat as Swansea, fresh from confirming their promotion at Gillingham last weekend, put in a classic ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’ performance at home to Yeovil and slipped to a 2-1 defeat (Brandy starting and getting a rare ninety minutes under his belt). It wasn’t all bad news for Roberto Martinez’s men though, as Carlisle also being beaten confirmed the Welsh side as League One Champions.

The remaining quartet of loanees didn’t feature this week. Jonny Evans was sorely missed by Sunderland as they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat against local rivals Newcastle at St James’ Park. The hamstring injury that ruled him out of the Tyne-Wear derby is also likely to keep him out of the Black Cats’ game with Middlesbrough this weekend. There was better news on the injury front for Lee Martin, who scotched fears that his season was over by making the bench for Sheffield United’s win over Hull. Kieran Lee was again an unused substitute for QPR in their 1-0 win over Charlton – he’s not featured since March now, extremely disappointing considering how highly-rated he appeared to be by both fans and manager at Loftus Road. Michael Barnes is even more out of favour, failing to make the matchday 16 again for Shrewsbury’s trip to Mansfield (a 3-1 defeat fwiw) – he’s instead been slumming it in the Pontins League, featuring for the Shrews’ reserves against Leicester on Monday and against Walsall on Wednesday.