After five straight defeats, Troyes benched Socceroos goalkeeper Patrick Beach for Hillel Konaté, whose clean sheet ended the club’s losing run.
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Konaté’s display earned praise from Dumont, who pointed to his saves and his contribution to the team’s composure. “Serenity? That’s what he exudes,” the coach said, adding that a goalkeeper’s ability to give teammates confidence can be overlooked. His closing instruction was simple: “Now, we have to move on.” Troyes teammate Paolo Gozzi played down the idea that the selection settled a clear pecking order among the club’s three goalkeepers, with Zacharie Boucher also in contention. “All three goalkeepers are strong, for us there’s no difference,” he said. Gozzi was pleased for Konaté, whose qualities, he said, were already known inside the squad. Beach had faced five-time world champions Brazil in two friendlies earlier in October. Now he has an immediate fight to regain his club place, only months after becoming Australia’s first-choice goalkeeper on the world stage.
Aussie phenom makes another Premier League start as big clubs circle
Lucas Herrington’s rise at Hull City is gathering pace. The 19-year-old started and played all 90 minutes in Monday’s (AEDT) 1–1 draw with visiting Brentford, extending a run of three consecutive Premier League starts after opening his top-flight spell with four appearances off the bench. His contribution was defensive: Herrington recorded a game-high seven clearances, made 10 defensive contributions and won more aerial duels than all but one player on the pitch. Those figures offer a concrete sign of why Hull have kept him in the side, though the draw itself gave them only a point.Hull head coach Sergej Jakirovic said his players responded well after the previous weekend, starting aggressively and winning first and second balls. He felt they might have scored again before half-time, but said Brentford’s greater pressure around the hour mark disrupted Hull’s control. Substitutions helped create further chances; in the end, he considered a draw fair and said every point moved the team forward. Herrington joined Hull from MLS side Colorado Rapids at the start of 2026–27 in a record Australian transfer. Reports say he continues to attract interest from major clubs.
Teenage defender attracting elite interest
Hull City’s teenage Australian centre-back is drawing attention after a strong opening spell in the Premier League. Transfer reporter Rudy Galetti says some of the “biggest clubs in world football” are tracking him, with top sides following his progress from week to week. That’s meaningful validation, though it doesn’t tell us which clubs are involved or whether any are preparing a move.
“The Australian Hull City CB remains on the radar of top clubs, who are monitoring his progress closely week after week,” Galetti wrote on X.
A stoppage-time finish lifts Cummings and Ho Chi Minh City
Jason Cummings delivered the kind of finish that can change the mood around a club: his goal in the fifth minute of added time gave Cong An Ho Chi Minh City a 1-0 win over Ninh Binh in Vietnam’s V.League 1. The celebrations pulled head coach Arthur Diles, formerly of Melbourne Victory, into the moment.
For Cummings, the strike was his second in four appearances since arriving from India. For his team, it lifted them to third after five rounds, just one point behind the leaders. The timing made the result feel bigger than a routine three points.
“This was a very special match and the emotions were also very special, as we won in the very last minute of injury time,” Diles said after the game. He also pointed to an earlier win over the league leaders on their home ground as a result that made this victory especially satisfying.
Diles said his focus after the win was recovery and preparation for the next fixture, rather than looking beyond each match. On Cummings, he stressed that a striker won’t score every time; he values taking chances at decisive moments and plans to rotate among several forwards.
Elsewhere in Asia, Jackson Irvine’s Cerezo Osaka scored in the 96th and 98th minutes to turn a two-goal deficit into a 2-2 home draw with JEF United, who were missing Australian defender Dan Hall. Steve Corica’s Yokohama F.Marinos drew 1-1 with Nagoya Grampus.
Arthur Papas’s Al-Ettifaq beat Al Kholood 3-0 for a second win in three Saudi Pro League matches. They sit seventh, seven points behind Ange Postecoglou’s Al-Nassr and nine adrift of leaders Al-Hilal.
China’s title race is heading into its final weekend with a 12-match unbeaten run for Kevin Muscat’s Shanghai Port, extended by a 3-1 away win over Tianjin Jinmen Tiger. The three-time defending champions have won three straight but remain fifth, 10 points behind John Aloisi’s Chengdu Rongcheng. Chengdu lost 1-0 to second-place Dalian Yingbo.
Nick Montgomery’s third-place Beijing Guoan produced the round’s wildest comeback, recovering from 3-0 down to beat Henan 4-3 with four goals in 16 minutes, capped by an 81st-minute winner. Ross Aloisi’s Zhejiang FC also won, beating Liaoning Tieren 4-2.
McKenna’s brace puts Forest in front
Leticia McKenna scored twice before the 15-minute mark, but Nottingham Forest had to settle for a 2-2 draw with WSL 2 leaders Newcastle United. The Matildas midfielder, starting alongside Australian teammate Alana Murphy, opened the scoring with a shot into the roof of the net. It was her first goal for Forest since joining from A-League Women champions Melbourne City; she then converted a penalty to make it 2-0.
Newcastle, coached by Australian Tanya Oxtoby and featuring Matildas utility Kaitlyn Torpey, fought back to claim a point.
In England’s WSL, Holly McNamara scored for Everton in a 3-2 home defeat by Aston Villa. Everton were three goals down when the Matildas forward pulled one back in the 79th minute.
Mary Fowler set up a goal in the Manchester derby as defending champions Manchester City drew 1-1 with Manchester United.
Ellie Carpenter’s Chelsea won 3-1 away to Crystal Palace. Emily van Egmond and Leah Davidson both started for Charlton Athletic in a 1-0 loss at Birmingham City.
In Sweden, Aivi Luik started as league leaders Hacken beat Vaxjo DFF 2-1, moving eight points clear at the top of the Allsvenskan. Third-place Malmo remain 19 points back after winning 2-1 at Kristianstad, where Matildas teammates Charli Grant and Amy Sayer both started.
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