The English Football League continued this weekend, with all but two sides in action in their second fixtures of the new season.
Forest Green Rovers, Northampton Town, Mansfield Town and Stevenage were left with a 100% winning record once the dust settled, with Forest Green taking top spot on goals scored.
Forest Green blow Walsall away in first half
Forest Green had their points sealed by half-time on Saturday, taking a 3-0 lead into half-time– Matty Stevens accounted for two of those, taking his tally to three for the season so far and establishing himself as an early front-runner for the golden boot.
Oh, I do love playing away.#WeAreFGR 💚
— Forest Green Rovers (@FGRFC_Official) August 14, 2021
Forest Green’s opponents Walsall netted a late consolation but ultimately find themselves bottom of the table after defeat in their opening game too.
Stevenage are also two from two and can also boast a perfect defensive record after their 2-0 win on the road against Bristol Rovers.
The game looked destined to finish goalless, but Chris Lines – Bristol born and twice a former Bristol Rovers player – scored late to snatch victory for his new club. Stevenage, with the game stretched late in injury time, added a second to put some gloss onto the score line.
Mansfield edge past Newport
Mansfield Town’s second win of the season came via a 2-1 win over Newport County with all the goals coming in the first half, while Northampton – the remaining side with a perfect start – beat Colchester United in a tightly contested 1-0 win.
Angol the hero
There was drama in Bradford as visitors Oldham appeared to have snatched an injury-time equaliser, but the hosts, even deeper into injury time, were awarded a penalty.
Lee Angol, the man who drew the foul, scored his second of the match with the last kick of the game to give Bradford City a 2-1 win in front of a huge crowd at Valley Parade.
📝 | Un-bel-ieve-able. Two goals in stoppage time – and the Bantams come away with all three points with a @AngolLee winner – from the spot – at the death!
👏 GET IN THERE! 👏#BCAFC | #TakeMeHome | #BRAvOLD | @OFFICEINTERIOR5
— Bradford City AFC (@officialbantams) August 14, 2021
Perhaps the most dominant display of the weekend in League Two was at Brisbane Road, where Leyton Orient delighted their returning home supporters with a comfortable 3-0 victory.
Aaron Drinan scored one and assisted another in a game where Exeter did themselves no favours – at 2-0 down with plenty of time remaining they had a chance from the penalty spot to heap all sorts of pressure on the hosts, but they were denied by Orient’s keeper Lawrence Vigouroux, and not long after were down to ten men with Jonathan Grounds being shown a second yellow.
Three minutes later it was 3-0, and the points were well and truly in the bag for the Orient – who remain unbeaten in the league.
Other results
Sutton United picked up their first ever point in league football after a goalless draw away to Salford City.
The U’s had been cruelly denied this accolade last week, conceding an injury time winner in their opener, but held on this time in a game Salford may look back on as two points dropped. The Ammies spent heavily in the summer and are one of the favourites to earn promotion to League One this season but have picked up just two points so far.
Barrow were pegged back twice in their match against Hartlepool but were able to hold on when they took the lead for a third time – the Bluebirds notched their first points of the season in the 3-2 win.
Elsewhere, Swindon Town fell to defeat in their home opener against Carlisle. Port Vale’s game against Tranmere Rovers and Rochdale’s game against Scunthorpe both finished goalless.
Crawley Town’s fixture against Harrogate was postponed due to a COVID outbreak at the away team.
