League Two match reviews: 24 October 2026 to 26 October 2026
Grimsby won 4-1 at Gillingham for their first away win of the season, Accrington won 5-0 at Rochdale, and Chesterfield led Crewe 5-0 at half-time on the way to a 5-1 win. Eleven of the round's twelve games were played on Saturday 24 October. The twelfth, Walsall against Salford City, is on Monday 26 October and kicks off at 20:00, so it had not been played when this round-up was published.
Thirty-four goals went in across the eleven games, with five home wins, two away wins and four draws. Three players were sent off in two of them: Rotherham's Kian Spence in the 21st minute, Shrewsbury's Kian McMahon-Brown in the 83rd, and Barnet's Isiah Noel-Williams, who came on in the 62nd minute and was shown a second yellow card in the 70th. Cheltenham coach Ashley Vincent was also shown a red card, and Cheltenham goalkeeper Wyll Stanway saved a Newport penalty in a 1-0 win.
Salford lead on 25 points from 12 games and were due to visit Walsall, sixth on 19 from 11, on Monday 26 October, so the table below is the one before that meeting. Barnet are second on 22 from 11 games, and Cheltenham and Crewe are third and fourth on 21 from 13. Crawley, who have won once in eleven games, are bottom on six points.
Full time
Gillingham1-4Grimsby Town
Grimsby win a first away game of the season, and climb to 11th
Grimsby won 4-1 at Gillingham, their first away win of the season, after a draw at Rochdale on Tuesday and four league defeats in a row before that. They had 21 shots to eight and put nine on target to two, though Gillingham had 55 per cent of the ball.
Harvey Rodgers gave Grimsby the lead in the seventh minute with a 25-yard drive into the top left corner, their first effort on goal, after a defensive header dropped loose. Gillingham were level in the 37th minute, when Garath McCleary played an inside pass to his Gillingham team-mate Ronan Hale in the box and Hale finished across Grimsby goalkeeper Christy Pym into the corner. It was 1-1 at half-time, and Gillingham did not score again.
Grimsby scored three times after the break. Grimsby's Iwan Morgan put them back in front from the penalty spot in the 54th minute, sending the kick down the middle after Gillingham's Armani Little fouled Grimsby's Kieran Green. Geza Turi made it three for Grimsby from close range in the 63rd minute, prodding in after a deflected cross from his team-mate Green reached him. Grimsby substitute Sonny Finch, on since the 55th minute, beat Gillingham goalkeeper Ollie Wright in the 70th after a through pass from Turi.
The win lifts Grimsby from 17th to 11th on 17 points, the biggest climb of the round, and drops Gillingham from seventh to 12th, level with them on points. The score was the same when the clubs met on 18 April. Grimsby are at home to York at 12:30 on Saturday 31 October.
Rotherham led 2-0 after 18 minutes, were behind from the 67th minute, and drew 3-3 when Rotherham's Tom Bradshaw headed in a free-kick in the 76th. Both sides finished with ten men, Rotherham from the 21st minute and Shrewsbury from the 83rd. Shrewsbury had 66 per cent of the ball and 19 shots to 10, and all three of their goals came while Rotherham were a man short.
Paul Mullin scored his seventh and eighth goals of the season for Rotherham in the 15th and 18th minutes. The hosts' Kian Spence was sent off in the 21st minute, and in the 24th Shrewsbury's Josh Davison tapped in after a spill by Rotherham goalkeeper Julian Eyestone, seconds after Eyestone had denied him with a save.
Shrewsbury's Josh Ruffels levelled with a header in the 59th minute, and his team-mate Will Boyle put the visitors in front at the far post in the 67th. Rotherham substitute Tom Bradshaw, on for his team-mate Mullin in the 62nd minute, headed in a free-kick from his team-mate Jayce Fitzgerald in the 76th. Shrewsbury lost Kian McMahon-Brown to a red card in the 83rd minute.
Shrewsbury had won their previous two league games and drop from eighth to 10th on 18 points. Rotherham stay 22nd on 12, without a win in their last six league games and with two draws in a row.
Accrington score five away, their biggest win since March 2025
Accrington won 5-0 at Rochdale, their biggest victory since March 2025, and are now unbeaten in nine games in all competitions. They had 26 shots to five and put ten on target to one, and Accrington's Tyler Walton scored twice.
The first goal was handed to them. Rochdale goalkeeper Sam Waller passed the ball straight to Accrington's Josh Woods, who guided a low shot in from 20 yards in the 14th minute. Charlie Warren made it 2-0 for the visitors in the 38th minute with a low strike in off the post from the edge of the box, after a pass from his team-mate Tyler Walton, and Walton scored the third in first-half stoppage time with an angled strike over Waller from just inside the box.
Walton knocked in the rebound for Accrington in the 51st minute after Rochdale goalkeeper Sam Waller saved a shot from Accrington's Joe Anderson. Alex Henderson, who had replaced his team-mate Woods in the 20th minute, made it 5-0 for the visitors from 10 yards in the 66th, with team-mate Warren the creator.
Rochdale were booed off after a fifth successive match without a win in any competition. They fall from 14th to 17th on 15 points, and Accrington go from 11th to ninth on 18.
Oldham equalise in stoppage time against ten-man Barnet
Mike Fondop's header four minutes into stoppage time gave Oldham a 1-1 draw at Barnet, who had played with ten men since the 70th minute. Oldham had 17 shots to 10 and 43 touches in the opposition box to 27, with four shots on target to Barnet's two.
Barnet started brightly, Charlie Lakin chipping the ball to his Barnet team-mate Oisin Gallagher, whose shot was saved well by Oldham goalkeeper Matthew Hudson, and Lakin then hit the frame of the goal. Kabongo Tshimanga gave Barnet the lead in the 20th minute, running on to a through ball from his team-mate Romoney Crichlow and slotting into the bottom right corner. Oldham came back into it, and Barnet goalkeeper Matthew Cox palmed the ball away after Oldham's Favour Fawunmi and Jamie Robson combined down the left, then used his fingertips to keep out a looping header from Oldham's Kai Payne just before half-time.
Isiah Noel-Williams came on for Barnet in the 62nd minute, was booked in the 66th and was shown a second yellow card in the 70th. Oldham's Fondop, booked in the 86th, looped his header past Barnet goalkeeper Cox in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
Barnet stay second on 22 points from 11 games, three behind Salford, who have played 12. Oldham move from 21st to 20th on 12.
A goalless draw, and Bristol Rovers still without a league win in five
Bristol Rovers had 22 shots to nine and put eight on target to three, and still drew 0-0 with Swindon at the Memorial Stadium in blustery conditions. It was Rovers' fifth league game without a win, after four defeats in a row.
Swindon's Matty Virtue wasted the best chance of a lively first half, breaking clear and sending a low angled drive wide of Rovers goalkeeper Brad Young's right-hand post. At the other end Swindon goalkeeper Connor Ripley tipped over a dipping shot from Rovers right-back Tom James and then beat away a close-range effort from Rovers' Fabrizio Cavegn.
After the break Swindon's Aaron Drinan set up his team-mate Joe Snowdon, whose miscued shot was easily saved by Young, and Swindon substitute Joseph Hungbo curled a shot just wide. Swindon edged the later stages, and Rovers goalkeeper Young, formerly of Sunderland, held firm through a series of set-pieces, the visitors winning six corners to Rovers' two.
Rovers rise a place to 15th on 16 points, and Swindon a place to 14th, also on 16.
Cheltenham win 1-0 and their goalkeeper Wyll Stanway saves a Newport penalty
Cheltenham beat Newport 1-0, ending the visitors' unbeaten run of nine games in all competitions and handing them their first defeat since 5 September, at Northampton. Cheltenham's Charlie McCann scored in the fifth minute, his eighth goal of the season, and Cheltenham goalkeeper Wyll Stanway saved a second-half penalty from Newport's Harrison Biggins. Newport had 15 shots to six, though only two were on target.
Newport had the better of the chances. Newport's Harrison Biggins tried to catch Cheltenham goalkeeper Stanway out from inside his own half and sent the shot just past the post before Cheltenham's McCann scored, and on 40 minutes Newport had the goal at their mercy and put the ball over an unguarded net.
The second half began with Cheltenham coach Ashley Vincent being shown a red card, and the game grew fiery, with five yellow cards in all. Newport's Biggins was tripped for the penalty and Cheltenham goalkeeper Stanway kept it out, and George Miller, a substitute in the 73rd minute, missed from two yards for Cheltenham. Newport were without Shaquille Gwengwe, who was suspended, and Christian Doidge, who was injured, and have now played more than 360 minutes against Cheltenham without scoring.
Cheltenham manager Steve Cotterill told BBC Radio Gloucestershire: "To have the clean sheet, it makes it even more spectacular for him [Stanway] after saving a penalty." Newport manager Hayden Mullins told BBC Radio Wales: "On another day, we potentially would have won it. There was a lot going past the post." Cheltenham rise from fifth to third on 21 points, and Newport fall from 12th to 16th on 15.
The list holds goals and player dismissals. The red card shown to Cheltenham coach Ashley Vincent is not a player dismissal and is not in it.
Chesterfield lead 5-0 at half-time and beat Crewe 5-1
Chesterfield led 5-0 at half-time and won 5-1. Chesterfield's Josh Koroma scored in the third minute from a low cross by team-mate Liam Mandeville, and his team-mates Tom Naylor and Fraser Bryden added the second, from close range, in the sixth minute and a headed third in the 19th. Crewe's Josh Stephenson turned a cross from Chesterfield's Dilan Markanday into his own net in the 35th minute, and Mandeville scored the fifth in first-half stoppage time, his cross floating over Crewe goalkeeper Tom Booth.
Chesterfield's Koroma, who scored in the third minute, was replaced by team-mate Markanday in the fifth. Chesterfield had 65 per cent of the ball, 14 shots to three and 29 touches in the opposition box to 12.
Crewe made two changes at half-time, and one of the two, Charlie McNeill, scored in the 57th minute. They lost for the second time in the week, after a 2-0 defeat at Exeter on Tuesday, having been unbeaten in the league before then. Chesterfield rise from ninth to seventh on 19 points and Crewe fall from third to fourth on 21.
The own goal, by Crewe's Josh Stephenson, is listed under Chesterfield, the side it counted for.
A draw for Crawley in their interim manager's first game
Kevin Blackwell's first game as Crawley's interim manager, after the midweek sacking of Colin Kazim-Richards, finished 1-1 with Tranmere at the Broadfield Stadium. Crawley, bottom of the table, had 15 shots to 10 and put eight on target to four, but an equaliser from Tranmere's Will Vaulks denied them a first home league win for seven months.
Dylan Morgan put Crawley in front in the 52nd minute, his third goal in three games, with a half-volley off the underside of the bar after a free-kick from his team-mate Kellan Gordon was only half cleared. Tranmere's Vaulks levelled in the 60th minute with a deflected low shot after good work by his team-mate Tom Ince.
Tranmere goalkeeper Luke McGee had parried a shot from Crawley's Morgan over the bar in the first minute and made a double save from Morgan and his team-mate Danilo Orsi just before the break. At the other end Crawley goalkeeper Vito Mannone stopped Tranmere's Dylan Jones, the club's top scorer, and later Jones's team-mate Tom Ince. Tranmere had 15 corners to five and pushed for a winner late on.
It was only Crawley's second home point of the season. They are 24th on six points from 11 games, six behind the four clubs on 12, and Tranmere stay 13th on 16.
Exeter beat Fleetwood 2-1 at a sodden St James Park and have now won four and drawn one of their five league games this month.
Exeter's Jack Taylor hit the post after six minutes, and the ball cannoned off Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch and went behind. Exeter's Charlie Cummins headed in a corner from his team-mate Reece Cole in the 58th minute, his first league goal. Fleetwood's Ronan Coughlan turned in a free-kick from close range in the 61st minute to level, and Exeter's Luca Woodhouse curled in the winner from 25 yards, into the top corner, in the 64th.
Exeter's Ethan Sutherland blazed over with a chance to seal it, and Fleetwood's Josh Robertson drilled a long-range shot just wide with the last chance of the game. Exeter had 12 shots to Fleetwood's 14, with four on target each, and 47 per cent of the ball.
Exeter rise from 10th to eighth on 19 points, and have conceded seven goals in 13 league games, the joint-fewest in the division with Walsall, who have played 11. Fleetwood stay 18th on 14.
Northampton beat Colchester 2-0 at Sixfields and climbed from 23rd to 19th. They had 13 shots to four and four on target to three, even though Colchester had 65 per cent of the ball.
Northampton's Matty Warhurst headed in a cross from his team-mate Lee Evans in the ninth minute. Colchester responded, and their Ben Perry was denied by Northampton goalkeeper Zach Jeacock before Colchester's Bradley Ihionvien glanced a chance wide shortly before the break. Northampton's Sam Hoskins flicked in a cross from his team-mate Owen Dale in the 50th minute.
Northampton hit a post, and in the closing stages had further chances, Northampton's Owen Dale firing narrowly wide and Colchester goalkeeper Thimothee Lo-Tutala tipping a shot from Northampton's Elliott List wide. Colchester fall from 19th to 21st on 12 points and have not won in their last six league games.
York extend their unbeaten home league run to 25 games, including National League fixtures
York beat Port Vale 2-0 and made it 25 home league games without defeat, a run that includes National League fixtures and equals their best since 1971. Port Vale had 15 shots to 13, five on target to four, and eight corners to two, and did not score.
Alfie McNally, York's on-loan Fulham goalkeeper, kept the game goalless before the break, denying Port Vale's Keyrol Figueroa and then a drive from the edge of the box by Port Vale's Oli Lynch that deflected off York's Ryan Fallowfield.
York's Zak Johnson, a former Sunderland defender, scored his first EFL goal in the 54th minute, volleying in from eight yards after a free-kick from the right by his team-mate Alex Hunt. Hunt scored the second himself in the 61st minute from six yards, after York's Arthur Read crossed to the far post and team-mate Ollie Pearce challenged for it. York goalkeeper McNally saved again late on, this time from Port Vale substitute Max Watters.
York rise from sixth to fifth on 20 points. Port Vale fall from 20th to 23rd on 12, with six goals in 11 league games, the fewest in the division.
Snapshot: . P played · W won · D drawn · L lost · GF goals for · GA goals against · GD goal difference · Pts points.
League Two standings after Saturday's games
#
Club
P
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
Salford City
12
8
1
3
19
12
7
25
2
Barnet
11
6
4
1
24
16
8
22
3
Cheltenham Town
13
6
3
4
22
22
0
21
4
Crewe Alexandra
13
5
6
2
16
16
0
21
5
York City
12
5
5
2
21
13
8
20
6
Walsall
11
4
7
0
16
7
9
19
7
Chesterfield
13
5
4
4
23
17
6
19
8
Exeter City
13
5
4
4
10
7
3
19
9
Accrington Stanley
13
4
6
3
22
16
6
18
10
Shrewsbury Town
13
5
3
5
16
20
-4
18
11
Grimsby Town
13
4
5
4
19
16
3
17
12
Gillingham
13
4
5
4
18
18
0
17
13
Tranmere Rovers
13
3
7
3
16
16
0
16
14
Swindon Town
13
4
4
5
13
16
-3
16
15
Bristol Rovers
13
5
1
7
16
20
-4
16
16
Newport County
13
3
6
4
16
16
0
15
17
Rochdale
13
4
3
6
15
22
-7
15
18
Fleetwood Town
13
3
5
5
15
17
-2
14
19
Northampton Town
11
3
4
4
8
8
0
13
20
Oldham Athletic
12
3
3
6
14
18
-4
12
21
Colchester United
12
2
6
4
11
16
-5
12
22
Rotherham United
13
2
6
5
17
23
-6
12
23
Port Vale
11
3
3
5
6
12
-6
12
24
Crawley Town
11
1
3
7
12
21
-9
6
The table was archived on Monday 26 October, before Walsall against Salford City, and shows Saturday's results. Salford have played 12 games and Walsall 11.
Salford lead on 25 points, three clear of Barnet on 22, though Barnet have played 11 games to Salford's 12. Cheltenham and Crewe are on 21, York are fifth on 20, and Walsall, Chesterfield and Exeter are on 19. Below them it is tight: Accrington and Shrewsbury are on 18, Grimsby and Gillingham on 17, and Tranmere, Swindon and Bristol Rovers on 16, so ninth to 15th is covered by two points. Barnet's 24 goals are the most in the division, Exeter and Walsall have conceded the fewest, seven each, and Port Vale have scored the fewest, six.
Positions before the round are the table after Tuesday's games. Grimsby made the biggest climb, six places from 17th to 11th, and Northampton went up four, from 23rd to 19th. Cheltenham, Chesterfield, Exeter and Accrington each rose two places. Gillingham fell furthest, five places from seventh to 12th, and Newport fell four, from 12th to 16th. Rochdale and Port Vale fell three each, Rochdale from 14th to 17th and Port Vale from 20th to 23rd, and Walsall dropped two places, from fourth to sixth, without playing on Saturday. At the bottom, Crawley are 24th on six points from 11 games, six behind Oldham, Colchester, Rotherham and Port Vale, who are all on 12.
06 / KEEP READING
League Two upcoming fixtures: 27 October 2026 to 31 October 2026
Walsall were due at home to Salford City on Monday 26 October, kicking off at eight o'clock. The archived October schedule then lists Barnet against York on Tuesday 27 October and Newport against Chesterfield on Friday 30 October, both at a quarter to eight, followed by eleven games on Saturday 31 October. Grimsby are at home to York and Port Vale host Rochdale at 12:30, and at three o'clock Salford host Exeter, Crewe host Barnet and Colchester host Walsall.
League Two fixtures: to
All kick-offs UK time. Schedule checked ; fixtures may change.