'So how are you voting then?'. You're probably sick of being asked that question already but you'd better get used to it because it's all people are going to be talking about for the next few weeks. You won't be able to get away from it on TV or radio, in the papers or on social media, it'll be everywhere. It just goes to show how big the Loan Watch Player of the Season Award has become since its humble beginnings in 2015. While Kennedy, Huws and Saadi are the bookies' favourites for now, it was interesting to see Rhys Healey out campaigning this week (against doctor's orders I might add). If Newport can stay out of the relegation zone there's a strong case for saying that Rhys's spell there will be the most significant of our loans this season. Of course, the Player of the Season Award won't be the only one open to a vote. I'm particularly looking forward to Jon Parkin and Guido Burgstaller's televised debate as the two main challengers for the Former Player of the Season Award go head to head. Parkin says he's going to eat Burgstaller alive, hopefully that's just a figure of speech.
An odd weekend for our big hitters. Matty Kennedy missed Plymouth's draw at Colchester with food poisoning and Emyr Huws was left out as Mick McCarthy made nine changes to the Ipswich team to play Rotherham. Even Idriss Saadi was left on the bench this week but he still had a part to play after coming on in the 74th minute for Kortrijk against Eupen. In a frantic finish, Kortrijk came back from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 with two goals in injury time. That would be considered dramatic at most levels of football but it's pretty routine when it comes to the Belgian play-offs.
The Rotherham/Ipswich game still held an interest for Loan Watch, even with Huws missing and Semi Ajayi no longer a City player (he had another excellent game for Rotherham before going off injured). Tom Adeyemi has been playing well lately and delivered again yesterday, an 8/10 performance capped with the only goal of the game late on as Rotherham won to ensure they don't become the least successful team in English Football League history (in a 46 game season, Doncaster still hold that record). Ipswich will now finish the season as the only Championship team who failed to beat Rotherham (whose only away point of the season so far was at Ipswich).
Another catastrophic day for Gillingham. While manager Ady Pennock was quick to blame his players after the game, two substitutions he made in the 80th minute appear to have been costly. Gillingham were 2-1 up and on top but Cody McDonald and Lee Martin were withdrawn in an attempt to hold what they had .That backfired as Gillingham lost 3-2 with Fleetwood's winner coming in injury time. They may be safe anyway by next weekend but the pressure will be on if Port Vale win at Walsall on Tuesday. Their last game of the season will be at Northampton next Sunday. If it turns out to be Deji Oshilaja's last game as a Cardiff City player then it will complete the circle for him, he made his debut for us at Northampton in a League Cup tie in 2012.
Fleetwood's late winner had a knock-on effect for Adam le Fondre's Bolton as it meant they weren't automatically promoted yesterday, despite a 2-0 win at Port Vale and some premature celebrations from their fans that led to a delay in the game (Bolton ended up making a substitution in the 14th minute of 'injury' time). No goal for Adam but yet another hard working performance from him and he won the free kick that led to the first goal. A point at home to Peterborough next Sunday should take them up. A heavy defeat for Stuart O'Keefe's MK Dons at home to Sheffield United but that's happened to plenty of other teams this season. Ben Wilson was on the bench again for Rochdale.
In the non-leagues, Cinderford (for whom youngsters Jarrad Welch and Isaac Kelly have been playing this season) finished with a 2-0 loss at Dunstable while Theo Wharton started for Weston-Super-Mare as they beat Eastbourne, also by 2-0. Rather disappointingly, Weston had no one named Jake or Jacob on the bench this week, maybe they've reached their EU quota for the season. Roll on Brexit.
A familiar ring to our former players who scored this week. Jon Parkin and Guido Burgstaller (of course), Javi Guerra, Conor McAleny (2) and Scott Malone. Parkin's heroics at York (he's scored 11 in 22 appearances) still may not be enough to save them from the drop, it looks like they'll need to beat Forest Green next week to have a chance of staying up. A mention for Sheffield United keeper Simon Moore, who made the PFA team of the season for League 1. Good to see him finally fulfilling the potential he showed when he helped the Isle of Wight to 10th place in the 2009 Island Games. I imagine the locals still talk about the 5-1 victory over Saare County to this day.
