Salford City come into October 17 with a win and a point behind them, while Crawley Town are still looking for their last win. Barnet scored properly against Tranmere, Oldham scrambled for goals and Bristol Rovers’ run offered little in the middle. Across the card, the fun isn’t in the league standings alone, but in the odds.
Fleetwood Town – Rotherham
Fleetwood Town’s 1-1 draw with Walsall at least ended their losing streak but did not bring a first win in five. They’ve scored four times and conceded eight in that spell, so better afternoons have come with some firefighting.
Rotherham suffered their second consecutive defeat after losing 4-1 away to Gillingham, having previously beaten Northampton and drawn with Crewe. With a league point between these two, the interest is simple: the two sides are close, both trying to turn the goals into something more solid.
October 17
| Fleetwood Town | League 16 · 11 points · 2 points from last 5 |
 Rotherham | League 20 · 10 points · 5 points from last 5 |
Shrewsbury v Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers’ 3-1 loss to Barnet resulted in a draw to soften the edge: one win, four losses. They’ve scored just three times and conceded 11 in those five matches, so the away day at Shrewsbury has a sharp goals-against angle.
Shrewsbury had scored in each of their previous four games before Exeter City beat them 1-0. Their mix is different – two wins, two draws and one loss – and this is a meeting between an all-or-nothing Bristol Rovers stretch and a Shrewsbury side who usually stay in games.
October 17
 Shrewsbury | League 18 · 11 points · 8 points from last 5 |
 Bristol Rovers | League 9 · 15 points · 3 points from last 5 |
Oldham – Cheltenham
Oldham’s 0-0 draw with Accrington ST was a clean sheet, but it also came without shots on target. That sits on a five-game run of two goals and three clean sheets, giving this fixture low-table bite without the need for any extra drama.
It came after 2-0 defeats to Cheltenham, Accrington ST and Salford City. They had scored six goals in three games before that, so the contrast is stark: Oldham are generally struggling to find goals, while Cheltenham are trying to restart a lulling scoring streak.
October 17
 Oldham | League 21 · 8 points · 1 point from last 5 |
 Cheltenham | League 8 · 15 points · 7 points from last 5 |
Accrington ST v Gillingham
Accrington ST have kept two clean sheets in their last two games: 2-0 against Cheltenham, then 0-0 against Oldham. The wider five-match run isn’t brilliant, with one win and three draws, but only three goals conceded is a useful baseline.
Gillingham followed up a goalless draw with Newport County with a 4-1 win over Rotherham. They also have three wins in five and three clean sheets, so it combines Accrington’s recent shutouts with Gillingham’s ability to jump to burst through the gap.
October 17
 Accrington ST | League 15 · 11 points · 6 points from last 5 |
 Gillingham | League 4 · 16 points · 10 points from last 5 |
Swindon Town v Walsall
Walsall’s 1-1 draw with Fleetwood Town makes them unbeaten in five games, despite four of those matches being drawn. They conceded just twice this spell, so it wasn’t about the games; enough to turn them to victory.
Swindon Town offer the opposite challenge. Their 1-0 loss to Crewe was their fourth clean sheet in five matches and they scored just one goal all term. Walsall’s tight games come against a Swindon side who are currently failing to score.
October 17
 Swindon Town | League 17 · 11 points · 1 point from last 5 |
 Walsall | League 6 · 15 points · 7 points from last 5 |
Crewe and Rochdale
Crewe’s 1-0 win over Swindon Town was their second in a row after three successive 1-1 draws. They are unbeaten in five, but the route there has been patient rather than explosive, scoring seven goals and conceding four.
Rochdale are also unbeaten and their version has three wins before a 1-1 draw with Tranmere. They have conceded just twice in five. Crewe brings a more steady climb; Rochdale bring a cleaner defensive record and a habit of holding opponents to one or none.
October 17
 Crewe | League 3 · 18 points · 9 points from last 5 |
 Rochdale | League 10 · 14 points · 11 points from last 5 |
Tranmere and Barnet
Barnet have scored three goals in each of their last two wins, beating Fleetwood Town and Bristol Rovers by identical 3-1 scores. In five matches they have 12 goals and no clean sheets, giving the trip to Tranmere clear attacking boots.
Tranmere’s last was a 1-1 draw with Rochdale, one of three draws without a win in five games. They have conceded eight goals in that run, including four against Chesterfield, so Barnet’s goalscoring streak comes against a side that has had some very busy defensive days.
October 17
 Tranmere | League 13 · 12 points · 3 points from last 5 |
 Barnett | League 2 · 18 points · 11 points from last 5 |
Port Vale – Chesterfield
Port Vale’s 1-0 win over Grimsby was their second win in five consecutive away draws. The margins were often narrow, but the results were cleanly divided: win or lose, nothing in between.
Chesterfield comes with a wider arm spread. Their 2-2 draw with Crawley Town followed a 4-2 win over Tranmere and they have not drawn in five. Port Vale’s stop-start run now meets a Chesterfield side that continues to find the net.
October 17
 Port Vale | League 22 · 8 points · 6 points from last 5 |
 Chesterfield | League 7 · 15 points · 10 points from last 5 |
Grimsby – Northampton
Grimsby started this five game run with two wins and two clean sheets before losing their next three games. The latter, a 1-0 loss to Port Vale, was also the first gap in their run, so early sharpness gave way to a more clumsy run.
Northampton’s 1-1 draw with York was a useful point after two defeats, but they have only scored three times in five. With Grimsby refusing to settle and Northampton narrowly drawing, this has two sides looking for rhythm.
October 17
 Grimsby | League 11 · 13 points · 6 points from last 5 |
 Northampton | League 23 · 7 points · 5 points from last 5 |
Colchester – Exeter City
Exeter City won 1-0 in their last two games against Rotherham and Shrewsbury after three games without scoring. That means just two goals in five as well as three clean sheets, so their recent football is low-scoring either way.
Colchester lost 1-0 to Newport County last time out, ending a run of three consecutive goals. They conceded eight in five and didn’t keep a clean sheet, making for an interesting clash with an Exeter side whose goals alone would go a long way at the moment.
October 17
 Colchester | League 19 · 10 points · 3 points from last 5 |
 Exeter City | League 14 · 12 points · 7 points from last 5 |
Salford City – Crawley Town
Salford City’s 2-0 win over Cheltenham extended their run of four wins and a draw, with clean sheets in the last two. They scored 11 goals in five and conceded four, which explains why this home fixture has such a clear upper hand.
Crawley Town’s 2-2 draw with Chesterfield at least brought a goal but no victory. They conceded 11, two draws and five defeats. Crawley reminds them they can still score.
October 17
 City of Salford | 1 in league · 19 points · 13 points from last 5 |
 Crawley Town | League 24 · 5 points · 2 points from last 5 |
Newport County – York
Newport County’s 1-0 win over Colchester made it two points in a row and maintained their five-game unbeaten run. It hasn’t been all wins – three out of five have been draws – but just the two goals conceded makes a lot of sense.
York’s 1-1 draw with Northampton followed bigger attacking days against Swindon Town and Gillingham. They scored nine goals in five despite conceding one in the defeat to Chesterfield. Newport’s run of clean sheets and York’s more goals makes it worth watching.
October 17
 Newport County | League 12 · 13 points · 9 points from last 5 |
 York | League 5 · 15 points · 8 points from last 5 |
to you
Your judgment
Would you like to watch unbeaten Crewe v Rochdale on October 17th or the top-down contrast between Salford City and Crawley Town?
Let us know what you think in the comments
