Aussies abroad: Ryan's first Genk win and Smith in Premier League action

Australia goalkeeper Mat Ryan celebrated his first win for new Belgium club Genk, while defender Brad Smith was in action in a nine-goal Premier League thriller overnight.

Ryan Smith

Mat Ryan, left, Brad Smith and a host of Socceroos stars were in action overnight Source: Getty Images

Ryan, who joined Genk during the January transfer window, made his second straight start for the Belgium outfit and produced an impressive performance in their 1-0 win over Royal Excel Mouscron.

The Australia goalkeeper made several vital saves throughout the contest and denied Farouk Miya’s long-range effort in the dying stages to secure all three points for his side.
Genk's win sees them move up to eighth on the Belgium Pro League table, just two points shy of sixth-placed Gent.

The former Valencia shot stopper, who debuted in Genk's narrow Belgium Cup semi-final last week, told The World Game he made the move to Belgium in the search of "more game time".
Meanwhile, in the Premier League, Smith was a half-time substitute for Bournemouth who were trailing 3-0 to a red-hot Everton outfit.

Led by Romelu Lukaku, who bagged four goals and moved past Socceroos icon Tim Cahill as the Toffees' second-highest goalscorer, Everton eventually went on to win 6-3, despite 22-year-old Smith shoring things up defensively for the visitors in the second-half.
Elsewhere in England, four Australians were in Championship action - with Jackson Irvine and Bailey Wright playing 90 minutes as their respective clubs secured vital wins.

Irvine's Burton left it late with Cauley Woodrow netting in the fourth minute of injury-time to secure a 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, while Wright's Bristol City sealed a 1-0 win over last-placed Rotherham.
Star Socceroos midfielder Massimo Luongo played 78 minutes for Queens Park Rangers, who conceded a goal in the dying stages to go down 1-0 to Blackburn.

And 22-year-old defender Callum Elder debuted for loan club Barnsley in a scoreless draw with Preston North End.

Meanwhile, Aidan O'Neill made a dream debut for League One outfit Oldham Athletic after securing a loan deal from Premier League club Burnley.

O'Neill, 18, who told The World Game he was looking forward to getting "smashed" at his new club, was the hero for Oldham - setting up the winning goal in stoppage-time with a sublime cross for a 1-0 win.
Elsewhere, in the UAE, former Melbourne City attacker Harry Novillo scored the winner for Mark Milligan's Bani Yas in their 1-0 win over ex-Western Sydney Wanderers captain Nikolai Topor-Stanley's Hatta.

Despite their win, Bani Yas remain in last place on the UAE Arabian Gulf League table, with Hatta in 10th spot.


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3 min read
Published 5 February 2017 1:53pm
Updated 5 February 2017 3:21pm
Source: SBS

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