Football briefs: Motherwell | Southend | Reading

MOTHERWELL striker Bob McHugh has signed a new two-year contract. The 21-year-old has been rewarded for his goalscoring form, hitting three goals this season after coming off the bench for 23 of his 25 first-team appearances.

McHugh has also scored 13 goals in 12 starts for the Under-20s and has made 71 first-team appearances in all, all but eight as a substitute. The Glasgow-born forward told MFCTV: “I’ve worked hard at it, even though I’ve not started as many games as I may have liked, and it looks like I was rewarded. Obviously it’s not easy to come on and score so hopefully if I get more starting time there will be more goals to come.”

McHugh follows fellow youth-team graduates Stuart Carswell, Zaine Francis-Angol, Adam Cummins and Craig Moore in extending his contract.

• New Southend boss Phil Brown expects the matter regarding who will manage the club for the impending Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final at Wembley “will be resolved in the next few days”. Confusion reigns at Roots Hall after chairman Ron Martin’s announcement on Sunday that Paul Sturrock had been sacked but, bizarrely, would return to take charge for the Wembley showdown against Crewe on 7 April.

The Scot has also since confirmed that he will not only be leading the team out but will also be taking training all week and picking the team.That provides an unprecedented situation after former Hull boss Brown was confirmed as United’s new manager yesterday, with an Easter double-header in npower League Two coming up.

Yet exactly who will be in charge next weekend still remains unclear after Brown was unveiled to the press this morning.

Asked about the arrangement, Brown told reporters: “Strange things do happen in football.”

• Reading have confirmed Nigel Adkins as their new manager on a deal until the summer of 2016.

The Royals have been searching for a new boss since they sacked Brian McDermott two weeks ago, and former Southampton manager Adkins is the man they have opted for.

The 48-year-old had been out of work since surprisingly losing his job with the Saints in January, with his sacking coming after back-to-back promotions.

Long-time assistant Andy Crosby will join Adkins at Reading and the pair will take the team to Arsenal on Saturday.

Royals owner Anton Zingarevich agreed the deal and is happy to have got his man.