Preston North End loan round-up: Weekend action for Jack Armer and Graham Burke

First-year pro Jack Armer is on loan at Lancaster City until January and he played in their FA Cup clash with Northwich Victoria on Saturday.

The Giant Axe contest ended in a goalless draw, with the replay scheduled for Wednesday night.

Armer has settled in well with the Dolly Blues, the move designed to give him a good run of first-team football.

The 18-year-old defender came through PNE’s academy and signed his first pro deal in the summer.

He has been a regular in the Lancaster defence, scoring in their 2-1 win last month over Stafford Rangers.

Armer’s loan runs until January which should ensure him gain plenty of experience.

The other loan-out North End player to see action was Graham Burke at Shamrock Rovers.

He played in their 2-1 FAI Cup win at Galway on Friday night, victory carrying them into the semi-finals.

Burke rejoined Rovers on loan at the end of July, PNE having signed him from the Tallaght club a year before.

First-team football was hard to come by for Burke at North End and he spent the second-half of last season on loan at Gillingham.

However, a move back to Dublin appealed during the summer and Burke seems to have fitted straight back in.

In Rovers’ last League of Ireland game on August 30, Burke scored their winner against Bohemians.

Burke’s loan runs until next summer, by which time he will have 12 months to go on his North End contract.

Connor Simpson, loaned to Accrington Stanley last week, had to be content with a seat on the bench for a thrilling 3-3 draw at Bristol Rovers.

Stanley played much of the second half with 10 men after a red card for Seamus Conneely but managed a 77th minute equaliser.

There were no games in the Scottish Premiership this weekend where goalkeeper Chris Maxwell is on loan with Hibernian.

In the first month of the season, Maxwell’s action has come in three games in the Scottish League Cup.

Ofir Marciano has been the No.1 in Hibs’ four league games to date.