⚽ Weekend Notes – Barry-Murphy's Cardiff hit back with both barrels | Argyle shoot themselves in the foot | Doncaster & Bradford open with wins | Oldham stifle MK | Fraser Murray makes Wigan mark
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🗞️ In Big Stories, we’re focusing on the ‘newlies’ – promoted and relegated…
League One
Two of the three sides abseiling into League One started the new season with new managers. It has been 22 years since Cardiff were in the third tier, and Brian Barry-Murphy put respect on that number by fielding the youngest Bluebirds XI this century, with an average age of 22. The kids were more than all right, recovering from Peterborough’s first-half penalty with a second-half display that might’ve yielded more goals. Plenty of youth in development, plenty of depth off the bench for BBM.
Tom Cleverley’s start as Argyle manager got off to a horrendous start. Barnsley capitalised on a duo of errors by debutant Brendan Wiredu, who was booked alongside Barnsley’s Jack Shepherd for WWE Grade Wrestling, and then hooked at half-time.
That would matter when, on 63’, Shepherd saw red for a second yellow (it looked an odd one). Argyle were the more threatening side when they pulled one back, and goalscorer Caleb Watts sparkled throughout, but there was a fragility about their defending and another mistake cost them when two defenders got in a muddle once again, allowing Davis Keillor-Dunn to race through for 3-1.
Bradford were the headline ‘newlies’, running out 2-1 winners over Wycombe, with Josh Neufville and Ibou Touray impressing on either flank and Stephen Humphrys dynamic up top – new signings all. Both Donny and Luton won 1-0 in home matches-that-almost-happened, Rovers requiring a late penalty and Hatters claiming victory courtesy of an own goal by Wimbledon centre-back Ryan Johnson. Dons were a tad unlucky after a solid defensive display against a somewhat insipid title favourite.
And finally, Port Vale were two goals and a man down before the break, with Jaheim Headley seeing red for violent conduct at 2-0. They made a much better fist of the second half, pulling one back and almost finding an equaliser against a Rotherham side who made very hard work of the closing stages.
Call it a draw… Newly promoted: P4 W2 L2. Newly Relegated: P3 W2 L1
League Two
The better side without looking totally dominant, Cambridge were the only ‘newlies’ to taste victory in League Two. The tap-in to win it must’ve tasted all the sweeter for Neil Harris as he watched his team squander good chances at 0-0. A solid enough start against a Cheltenham side looking toothless.
Bristol Rovers took 17 shots from decent areas upon their return to League Two. Most were from set-piece situations and only two were on target as Harrogate put in a chest-out, heads-up performance replete with big blocks, tough tackles and that wonderful opening-day quality: coherence. Simon Weaver’s men nicked it with a flawless counter-attack and lovely dinked finish from Stephen Duke-McKenna. Gas 0, Sulphurites 1.
Dean Brennan’s first match as an EFL manager resulted in a loss. Barnet were good value at 0-0 until Owen Evans made a horrible error in net, allowing Will Davies a debut goal that couldn’t have been easier. Only 0.97xG? Really? The mistake allowed Fleetwood to settle into a defensive game plan, and they out-noused last season’s National League winners, sealing a 2-0 win with a goal on the break.
But Crawley were the biggest losers. Opponents Grimsby fizzed with energy and threat, taking 18 shots inside the box in their 3-0 win. Jaze Kabia, on debut, scored from the spot, hit the bar and made all kinds of runs to keep the Crawley defence honest. They were anything but. Too easy to play through. Shaky against the press. It was a tricky opening assignment, and Scott Lindsey’s side flunked it.
Elsewhere, MK Dons couldn’t find the tools to pick a sturdy Oldham lock, registering zero shots on target in a stalemate against Micky Mellon’s new promotees. Shrewsbury played out a purist’s match-that-happened against Bromley.
Newly promoted: P2 D1 L1. Newly Relegated: P4 W1 D1 L2
🎦 Our Top 5 clips from the EFL weekend — starting in Chesterfield…
Presented without comment, half-time in Chesterfield wins the EFL Internet:
Rubin Colwill’s stunning free-kick equaliser was the pick of the goals, but right-back Ronan Kpakio’s winner wasn’t half bad either — he was one of five young Welshmen in Cardiff’s starting XI and became the youngest player to score on opening day since Wilf Zaha for Palace in 2010.
Evan Weir’s equally stunning free-kick from almost the same spot as Colwill’s was the first goal of the League Two season, and what a way to usher it in.
Charlie Webster’s whack for Burton in the Nigel Clough Derby left the Stags’ stopper standing stunningly still.
And finally, Kyreece Lisbie with the Frisbee, sailing one into the top right corner.
📊 Your Monday morning cheat sheet — records broken and broken records…
👁️ Murray’s Mint — We said Fraser Murray was a bit of fun in the Transfer Bulletin when he signed for Wigan. Last season, outside of the Old Firm, he created more chances in the Scottish Premier League than any other player. This was a lovely and lively debut. Playing off the right, he created two chances against Northampton, and no other player took more shots, had more touches in the box nor was fouled more times… nobody scored more than his two goals, either.
👁️ El Nombe — Anyone remember El Nombre, that Mexican Gerbil teaching you to count on CBBC? Well, Sam Nombe made two shots count on opening day: both resulted in goals for a Rotherham side who really cannot afford to lose his finishing.
🛬 Winging-it — Reading lost 2-0 to Lincoln City, but there’s no stopping the Lewis Wing Long Shot Narrative: he took two and both cannoned off the post via George Wickens’ fingertips.
⛔ Revelling in it — The Stevenage centre-back duo, Carl Piergianni and Charlie Goode, made a total of 31 clearances as Alex Revell’s men made the most of errors from Blackpool new boys Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Fraser Horsfall.
🏠 Walsall win a home game — 10-man Walsall earned their first home win in seven attempts, having ended the 2024/25 campaign on a six-game winless run at the Bescot (D2 L4).
🟥 Off with their reds — Walsall also enjoy the more ignominious record of being the fastest club (and Brandon Comley the fastest player) to receive a red card in 2025/26 – just 21 minutes was all it took.
1️⃣9️⃣8️⃣4️⃣ — It was a bright cold day in August, and the clocks were striking PENALTY for Huddersfield and Alfie May, who converted the Terriers’ first spot-kick in the EFL for 1,984 days.
🎯 Target practice for MK — Following their 0-0 draw, MK Dons have failed to have a shot on target in 5 league games in 2025 – two more times than any other club in England’s top four tiers. In fairness, they’ve only faced four shots on target in Paul Warne’s five league games so far.
⛓️💥 Salford not So Solid v Crewe — A worrying defensive performance for Salford as unfancied Crewe put in a shot-hungry display, racking up 3.45xG — the highest in the EFL this weekend and their highest total in at least three years — and scoring three first-half away goals for the first time in the league since January 2021.
👑 Opening day kings — Beating Blackpool on Saturday, Stevenage have now won their opening day fixture in each of the last five league campaigns, which is the joint-longest ongoing winning run in England's top four tiers (level with Watford).
Sky Bet League One
Blackpool 2–3 Stevenage
Bradford City 2–1 Wycombe Wanderers
Burton Albion 2–1 Mansfield Town
Cardiff City 2–1 Peterborough United
Doncaster Rovers 1–0 Exeter City
Huddersfield Town 3–0 Leyton Orient
Lincoln City 2–0 Reading
Luton Town 1–0 AFC Wimbledon
Plymouth Argyle 1–3 Barnsley
Rotherham United 2–1 Port Vale
Stockport County 2-0 Bolton Wanderers
Wigan Athletic 3–1 Northampton Town
Sky Bet League Two
Accrington Stanley 1–1 Gillingham
Barnet 0–2 Fleetwood Town
Bristol Rovers 0–1 Harrogate Town
Cambridge United 1–0 Cheltenham Town
Chesterfield 1–0 Barrow
Colchester United 1–1 Tranmere Rovers
Grimsby Town 3–0 Crawley Town
Milton Keynes Dons 0–0 Oldham Athletic
Newport County 1–1 Notts County
Salford City 1–3 Crewe Alexandra
Shrewsbury Town 0–0 Bromley
Walsall 2–1 Swindon Town
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Top 5 Scorers GW1
Charlie Webster (MID) - Burton - 20pts
Fraser Murray (MID) - Wigan - 18pts
Conor Thomas (MID) - Crewe - 18pts
Joe Low (DEF) - Huddersfield - 16pts
Ruben Roosken (DEF) - Huddersfield - 15pts
Top of the NTT20 League:
1️⃣ Bo_s3eed_87 — 85pts
2️⃣ And Now You're Gonna Believe Us — 83pts
3️⃣ Boltys Boys / Wolf Green Rovers — 81pts
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Bizarre first game to watch as an Argyle fan. Hoping for just as exciting but a lot more Ws on the board.
"Walsall win a home game — 10-man Walsall earned their first home win in seven attempts, having ended the 2024/25 campaign on a six-game winless run at the Bescot (D2 L4)."
They beat Chesterfield in the playoffs at home in the semi final home leg 2.1?