Championship: Osmajic Shines with Two Goals Despite FA Biting Charge – EFL CHAMPIONSHIP Championship: Osmajic Shines with Two Goals Despite FA Biting Charge – EFL CHAMPIONSHIP
Championship: Osmajic Shines with Two Goals Despite FA Biting Charge – EFL CHAMPIONSHIP

October 3, 2024

Championship: Osmajic Shines with Two Goals Despite FA Biting Charge – EFL CHAMPIONSHIP

Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom praised Milutin Osmajic after the striker scored twice in their 3-0 victory over Watford, despite facing an FA charge for allegedly biting an opponent. This was Osmajic’s first Championship start of the season, just six days after being charged for allegedly biting Blackburn defender Owen Beck during a 0-0 draw on 22 September.

Although Preston director Peter Ridsdale mentioned in a TalkSport interview that the Montenegro international had accepted the charge, with no official statement yet from the FA, Osmajic remained eligible to play. He responded with goals in the 53rd and 65th minutes, followed by a stunning 75th-minute strike from Ali McCann to seal the win.

Heckingbottom said of Osmajic: “[I was] impressed with him. He scored goals for us in the cup [a hat-trick in a 5-0 Carabao Cup second-round win at Harrogate], played well again against Fulham [in the next round] and deserved his opportunity.”

“I’m not going to punish him twice, me twice, the club twice, the fans twice. We’ll wait and see what the governing body does, and how we deal with that, and that process is ongoing.”

Tom Cannon’s incredible performance in Stoke’s 6-1 victory over Portsmouth was primarily attributed to a conversation between the striker and the team’s new manager, Narcis Pelach. In Saturday’s 2-0 loss at Middlesbrough, Cannon was replaced at halftime. However, the Leicester loanee proved worthy of his starting position by scoring twice in each half, making history as the first Stoke the first individual to score four goals in a single game since Peter Thorne 24 years prior.

In addition, Sam Gallagher and Andrew Moran scored for Stoke as Pelach secured his first victory as the team’s manager. Mark O’Mahoney had tied the score before Pompey’s hopeless situation ended.

Pelach said: “I replaced him [Cannon] and said: ‘I cannot be waiting for performances in the middle of a game. I needed to do what was right for the team. But I want to let you know I am going to back you. Three, four, five bad performances will not change my opinion about you’. I know he is a good player but he needs game time.”

“Life is about confidence and I have confidence in him. I told him, ‘you need to feel free and you will start again’. I want to base something that is based on trust. He is a young player so we need to be supportive and tonight he got his reward.”

Sheffield United defeated Swansea 1-0 at Bramall Lane to maintain their perfect record heading into the title and move up to third place. The hosts won their fifth league match of the year because of an own goal by defender Josh Tymon in the first half and two more shots that went high off the woodwork in the second half.

Liam Manning called the jeers from the home crowd “disappointing and unhelpful” following his Bristol City team’s goalless draw against a disciplined Sheffield Wednesday squad. In a contest of few opportunities, the visiting center back Di’Shon Bernard stood out. Wednesday’s goalkeeper, James Beadle, made the two best saves, one from Anis Mehmeti’s header and the other from Mark Sykes’ stoppage-time shot.

The final whistle brought about a negative response from the stands as boos echoed throughout the ground, even though Bristol City goalkeeper Max O’Leary did not need to make a test save. According to Manning: “I guess it’s the way of the world. The lads didn’t deserve it because they put in a great shift and there were so many positives to take out of the performance.”

“I would rather talk about that than the booing. But it affects players and tonight it was disappointing, as well as unhelpful. I can’t control it, but it was unfair.”

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Katarzyna Nowak

Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and football sportsbook app reviews. As an author for Football News Today, she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for football, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.