Loan report: Grante debuts for Totton, Hill keeps clean sheet

Club

30 Mar 2026

With the March international break taking centre stage, fixtures across the Championship and beyond were paused – meaning no club action for several of Crystal Palace’s loanees, including Danny Imray, Hindolo Mustapha, David Ozoh, Tayo Adaramola, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Matheus França and Aziz Ouedraogo.

But while the spotlight shifted to the international stage, there was still plenty of action further down the football pyramid. With Non-League Day in full swing, it proved a valuable weekend for those continuing to gain valuable experience outside the EFL.

Here’s how they got on:

Jake Grante – AFC Totton

Palace Under-21s defender Jake Grante has joined AFC Totton on loan for the remainder of the season, following his recall from St Albans City.

The 20-year-old centre-back steps up from Step Three (Isthmian Premier Division) to Step Two (National League South) after an impressive spell with St Albans, where he made 18 starts and featured in every match he was eligible for after arriving in December.

His performances saw him named the club’s Player of the Month for March, having helped secure three clean sheets during a five-game unbeaten run.

Grante made his debut for Totton in Saturday’s 3-1 National League South defeat to Maidstone, playing 87 minutes before being replaced by Mike Carter.

Marcus Hill – Raynes Park Vale

After being on the receiving end of a 3-0 defeat away at Littlehampton Town on Tuesday, Hill responded with a composed display to help Raynes Park Vale to a goalless draw against Hendon in the Isthmian League South Central Division on Saturday at Grand Drive.

The 19-year-old produced a number of key saves – particularly in the opening 15 minutes – to secure his fourth clean sheet in 12 appearances.

The result leaves Vale 13th on 46 points in Step 4 of the English football pyramid.

Joe Whitworth – Exeter City

Whitworth failed a pre-match fitness test ahead of Saturday’s goalless draw with Leyton Orient at St James Park, with Jack Bycroft stepping into the Exeter City XI.

The absence ends Whitworth’s run of 39 consecutive league starts. With 94 appearances now to his name for the Grecians across two loan spells, he will need to feature in all of their remaining six matches to reach the 100 mark.

He will hope to return to fitness in time for the Good Friday trip to Blackpool. With Exeter sitting just inside the relegation zone on 43 points – two behind their hosts – it shapes up to be a crucial encounter.

Owen Goodman – Barnsley

Barnsley’s scheduled League One fixture away to Northampton Town on Saturday was postponed due to international call-ups, meaning Goodman was not in action.

Loan Life

Last season, Owen Goodman, Danny Imray, Tayo Adaramola and Joe Whitworth all featured featured in the Palace TV series Loan Life, where our cameras gained an unprecedented insight into their time adapting to new clubs and developing in the Football League.

Watch every episode on Palace TV now!

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