Latest League Two Odds: A Weekend To Forget For Some

There have been some big changes to the bottom of the League Two table this weekend, and whilst nothing major happened at the top, there is some interest there too.

MK Dons Arrive

We’ll start with the top spot, which has actually not been affected after the weekend’s games, despite an opportunity for it to have done so. So, Walsall remain at the top of the pack, whilst failing to win either of their last two games. 

This weekend, it was a loss rather than a draw, and it came against Barrow, who have been fantastic as of late. Either way, though, it will be seen as a frustrating result for the Saddlers, who will be expecting more after the season’s opening.

Things are certainly tight, though, so they need to get back to winning ways again quickly. 

Sitting right on their tail is Swindon, who have actually played twice since the last round of fixtures, and their record mirrors that of Walsall’s. At the weekend, they lost heavily against Accrington, who have been glued to the bottom end of the table this season. 

At 1-0 down, Ollie Clarke was sent off for a last-man foul, and after the break, the hosts ran rampant, scoring three goals in 20 minutes to round off a terrible day at the office for Ian Holloway’s men. However, they recovered slightly in midweek. 

Hosting Notts County on Tuesday evening, Holloway’s side fell behind twice but managed to level both times through Aaron Drinan. Certainly not the best performance, but a step forward after the poor showing at the weekend.

Then, the expected champions have finally emerged into the conversation, and you’d expect it with four wins on the bounce. Of course, we are speaking about MK Dons here. After a 4-0 smashing against Bristol Rovers last weekend, they continued with a 3-1 win against Crewe Alexandra. 

A brace from Alex Gilbey, with another coming from Will Collar, was enough to see Crewe aside, and they are now looking like the side that many expected them to look like at the start of the season. They are around 3/1 for the title right now. 

Finally, we also have to take a look at Grimsby, who are blowing a lot of people away this season. This weekend, they recorded a third win in their last five games, grabbing a narrow win against Gillingham, which has only strengthened their position inside the top seven. 

Level on points with MK Dons, they are just two points away from the top spot, and they could certainly contest it with the slip-ups occurring elsewhere. 

Five Points In It

Sitting below them, the play-offs are just as exciting, with several teams fighting for a spot in the top seven. 

We’ll start where we left off, with Gillingham, who sit in fifth. After the end of that record-breaking run, things have been a bit poor for the Gills, who have not won a game since. A draw last week was a nice break after two losses, but this weekend, the negative showing returned.

Ending the game with nine men, a narrow loss to the Mariners is not terrible, but it is certainly a way away from their unbeaten ways. 

Chesterfield, who are on the same points, then follow behind, and again, they will feel like they missed an opportunity at the weekend, considering other results. After falling behind against Fleetwood, Dilan Markanday levelled the scoring with almost 70 minutes to go. 

However, despite being on top for the rest of the game, they were unable to make the difference and had to settle for a point. 

Salford take the final play-off spot currently, and after three consecutive losses, they grabbed a 1-0 win in one of Saturday’s early kick-offs. Daniel Udoh was the difference maker, and it probably should have been more on the day, with Oldham’s keeper making seven saves on the day.

A win is a win, especially after three losses in a row. However, a bit more ruthlessness could have helped settle any fears, considering the recent form.

Given that a three-point gap only takes you to 12th, there is certainly not much room for error at this moment, and teams must be especially cautious. 

Not Great

Moving to the bottom, it has been a big week with some massive results. 

Newport are now sat at the bottom, with another loss at the weekend. Of course, this is not really new. However, the fact that it came against Cheltenham, who were previously bottom, is a massive worry for County.

Deepening the worries is the fact that they were completely outclassed by the visitors, who scored two goals. With points so difficult to come by, this was a massive opportunity that has been missed, and now they are forced to look up. 

Taking the other spot in the relegation zone is Crawley, whose loss to Shrewsbury is also rather concerning, given they were level on points before the game. Going down to 10 men and only losing by one is not terrible. 

However, the consequences of that loss could be massive, especially with their last win coming on Matchday Eight. They are certainly in trouble.

For the two teams that won this weekend, Cheltenham and Shrewsbury, they have hit form at the right time, with both unbeaten in their last three games. Perhaps they will now start to push on a bit, and whilst the gap is currently small, it could extend quickly. 

It is also worth mentioning Accrington, who took their points tally to 12 this weekend, with a 4-0 hammering against play-off contenders Swindon. Their first win in four games, maybe it will give them a bit of safety for a few games, at least.