Ok, that’s the conclusion of our lower league live action. Better than IFollow? Very possibly not, but the old ways are the best. Join us later for a round-up for League One and Two.
Updated
At the top of League One, Peterborough stay top on 19 points, two points clear of Portsmouth on 17. Barnsley and Sunderland are on 15 points behind them.
Lincoln City have lost 1-0 to Crawley, meaning that Newport are joint-top of League Two, behind Lincoln on goal difference.
Stevenage have beaten Macclesfield 1-0, which means that the quartet of winless teams in League One and Two have all kept their barren runs going. That’s Macc and Notts County, Shrewbury, who drew 1-1 with Portsmouth, and poor old Plymouth who drew 0-0 with Bristol Rovers in the earlier game.
Full-time: Sunderland 1-1 Fleetwood
The story there will be the missed penalty that Paddy Madden and Ched Evans fought over. Madden’s spot-kick was saved.
High-flying Newport have just won 1-0 at Oldham.
Blackpool’s 3-2 win against Bradford is a full-time score. They had been two goals down with five minutes to play.
Harry Kewell, banished to the St James’ Park dressing room, will have just heard the sound of Exeter’s fifth goal from Aaron Martin. Exeter had not scored in seven hours before thet faced Notts County. Doom doom doom. It’s full-time there now. The agony is over for now.
Updated
Barnsley could not keep their lead. Walsall’s Andy Cook has equalised, and with Peterborough winning 3-2 at Southend, Posh stay top of the league and have even opened up a further gap at the top. Portsmouth are still being held by Shrewsbury.
And Blackpool are leading 3-2 against Bradford! Curtis Tilt in the 90th minute complete the comeback.
Jay Spearing, remember him? Well, he has just scored twice for Blackpool to peg back Bradford. It’s 2-2 when the Bantams were cruising.
Sunderland pushing hard for a winner against Fleetwood, Jerome Sinclair and Baldwin going close.
A penalty for Portsmouth, which they convert through Brett Pitman, and Shrewsbury’s first win has gone west. 1-1.
Accrington have equalised at last against Burton through a Billy Kee penalty.
Peterborough 3-2 up at Southend!
They had been pushing hard for it, with Ivan Toney to the fore after coming on as a sub. And his goal puts Posh top of the league as it stands.
Accrington are still losing 1-0 at home to Burton. Their first home win of the season seems a distant prospect.
Barnsley are clinging on to their lead against Walsall in a rain-drenched game at Oakwell.
Peterborough go close to a winner at Southend. Marcus Maddison’s shot is deflected off the crossbar.
Harry Kewell sent off!
He’s had a horrible first matchday as Notts County boss and eventually he lost his temper. The ref showed him a red card. To make matters worse, old club Crawley are winning at League One leaders Lincoln.
Updated
Charlton have taken the lead against Wycombe with Lyle Taylor making it 2-1.
It’s 4-1 to Exeter City. Jayden Stockley got it after some wizardry from Nicky Law. Oh dear, Harry Kewell.
Drama at Roots Hall as Southend equalise, through Stephen McLaughlin. It’s 2-2. That’s the least that Southend deserve. Can Portsmouth capitalise? No, Shrewsbury have scored and are on course for their first win, after Greg Docherty’s goal. Barnsley could be leading League One by the end of the day if it stays this way.
Another handball by Notts County hands Exeter a penalty, but this time they miss it. Pierce Sweeney went the other side.
Cambridge United were leading. Now they are losing 2-1 at the Abbey Stadium to Carlisle.
Tranmere’s lead against Colchester has been cancelled out by a Harry Pell equaliser. Barnsley, still unbeaten, continue to lead Walsall 1-0 after Victor Adeboyejo’s goal. Bradford, under the new management of David “Jaws” Hopkin, are now leading 2-0 at Blackpool. Bury cruising into a 3-0 lead against Grimsby.
Crusaders’ comeback against Queen of the South is at an end. It ended 4-3. Elsewhere in the *Scottish* Challenge Cup, Bohemians of Ireland lead Peterhead 1-0.
Updated
Southend have got one back against Peterborough, leaders of League One. Lincoln City, top of League Two, are losing and a man down to Crawley, Harry Kewell’s old team, with Lee Frecklington sent off for a studs-up tackle.
Bad news for Notts County, and Oxlade-Chamberlain Minor is the guilty party in punching the ball in his own area. Pierce Sweeney steps up to score the penalty to make it 3-1 to Exeter.
That away end at Gillingham is rocking precariously; AFC Wimbledon have scored through Joe Pigott and lead 1-0.
A swift exchange of goals between Scunthorpe and Rochdale; Rochdale got one back through Oliver Rathbone, to get to within 2-1, and then Charlie Goode made it 3-1 to Scunny.
Queen of the South versus Crusaders is turning into a *Scottish* Challenge Cup classic. Crusaders were 4-0 down and now it’s 4-3. An amazing comeback is on the cards.
Updated
Peterborough, under pressure through the first half, have now stormed into a 2-0 lead at Southend. Matt Godden has scored again and goes top of the goalscoring charts in League One.
Penalty saved! Sunderland 1-1 Fleetwood.
A dispute over who would take it, between Fleetwood goalscorer Paddy Madden and Ched Evans, who initially had the ball in his hands. Madden took it from it, and his kick was saved by Jon McLaughlin.
Updated
Harry Kewell has made a half-time change for Notts County in throwing on veteran striker Jon Stead, who is now 35. That makes some of us feel old.
That away end at Gillingham is quite a sight, and feels more dangerous than it probably is.
Playing towards our great fans in the second-half at Gillingham. Come on lads, give us a goal! Pic by @MikeT_RadioWDON #AFCW pic.twitter.com/D9PasVd7Ke
— AFC Wimbledon (@AFCWimbledon) September 8, 2018
In that Scottish Challenge Cup, two actual Scottish teams are playing. Or, more properly, one of them is playing: Ross County lead Raith Rovers 5-0 at half-time. Bad news for Gordon Brown.
It’s all over at Windsor Park.
JR in Illinois emails in: “Hey John, for reasons I have yet to determine they are showing the Blackpool v Bradford City game here in the U.S. There are exactly seven people sat in the stands that are visible from the tv camera view.”
They can’t complain about people streaming in the States, can they?
A shock scoreline as Crawley lead 1-0 at League Two leaders Lincoln. Tranmere Rovers’ James Norwood, League Two player of the month for August, has just scored again, against Colchester this time.
Updated
First goal for the Kewell regime. Notts County have scored, and Enzio Boldewun has got it at Exeter. Alongside them at the bottom of League Two are Macclesfield, who are now leading thanks to a goal from Danny Newton of Stevenage. It has been a miserable season so far for Macc. A reminder that they led at Swindon on opening day in the 96th minute and somehow managed to lose 3-2. Since then, nothing has gone their way, save for penalty shoot-outs in cup competitions.
Updated
Peterborough are under a bit of pressure at Southend. Goalkeeper Aaron Chapman has needed to be on his mettle.
Goal! Sunderland 1-1 Fleetwood (Maja, 38)
Sunderland are level, and it’s in-form Josh Maja who gets the goal after fine work from captain George Honeyman.
This photo suggests perhaps why Accrington owner Andy Holt was worried about the attendance he might expect at the Wham Stadium after the gates were opened on live-streaming.
🤝| The teams are out here at the Wham Stadium, and the rain has eased off. Not long to go now... pic.twitter.com/D0k41yed9G
— Accrington Stanley (@ASFCofficial) September 8, 2018
At what looks a harrowingly empty Valley, Charlton have equalised against Wycombe after an own-goal from Sido Jombati. 1-1.
Bad news for Phil “Orange” Brown, as Swindon have had Kyle Knowle sent off at Morecambe for a wild tackle. His team lead 1-0.
Bury lead Grimsby 2-0 after a goal from Will Aimson.
Steve Evans table-topping Peterborough are 1-0 up at Southend. Matt Godden got it, whipping the ball off the toes of team-mates Jason Cummings. Godden, on five, is just a goal behind League One-leading scorer Cummings.
Updated
Fleetwood are yet to concede a goal away from home this season, and are looking comfortable at Sunderland as they still lead 1-0. Could Joey Barton actually be making a decent fist of this football management business?
Phil Brown is topping up his tan at sunshine capital Morecambe, and his Swindon team are winning 1-0 up there after a goal from Elijah Adebayo.
That ‘derby’ match between Bristol Rovers and Plymouth finishes 0-0, and that will mean Plymouth end the day at the bottom of the League One table; it was only their third point of the season.
Cambridge United, 17th in League Two, are into the lead against Carlisle, with a goal from Jeavani Brown.
In the Nations League, Northern Ireland are now losing 2-0 to Bosnia.
Scunthorpe now 2-0 up on Rochdale after a strike from Ryan Colclough.
Sutton keeping the English end up in the *Scottish* Challenge Cup, as they are leading 1-0 at Airdrieonians. Just the 845 mile trip for them and their fans today.
Oh Harry, it’s 2-0 to Exeter versus Notts County, after Jayden Stockley scored.
Bad start for Harry Kewell and Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain at Notts County as Exeter take the lead through Pierce Sweeney.
Updated
Second-bottom of League Two are Macclesfield, winless this season. Second-bottom of League One are Shrewsbury, winless this season. Manager John Askey left Macc for Shropshire having been with the Silkmen since 1984. The grass may already be looking greener at the Moss Rose, where he is certainly missed.
Accrington, they of the live-streaming anger, are losing 1-0 to Burton after a Scott Fraser goal.
Lee Bowyer was this week given the Charlton job on a permanent basis, but his team are losing to Wycombe after a Randell Williams goal.
Goal! Sunderland 0-1 Fleetwood (Madden, 9)
Fleetwood score from a set piece, with Paddy Madden nodding home.
Updated
Doncaster Rovers take the lead against Luton through Matty Blair’s run and smasher of a finish.
Updated
That Plymouth account continues in its millennial banter ladz style.
Joel's having a worldy. Skips inside his man and delivers a cross to the far post which Rovers clear.#pafc
— Plymouth Argyle FC (@Only1Argyle) September 8, 2018
The first goal of the day in England comes from Lee Novak of Scunthorpe, who notches to make it 1-0 against Rochdale.
Queen of the South, just north of the border, are crushing Crusaders of Northern Ireland in the *Scottish* Challenge Cup. They have scored four goals in the first 31 minutes, with Stephen Dobbie scoring twice. Meanwhile, in the *Scottish* Challenge Cup, Hertfordshire’s Boreham Wood have exited on penalties to Dunfermline. Scottish clubs doing their nation proud.
The 3pm kickoffs are go go go!
What magic awaits over the 90 minutes of football?
For Notts County, there is a debut for Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain, brother of, yes, you guessed it. Young Christian, also a midfielder, 20, joined in the summer from Portsmouth.
Updated
Meanwhile, the Plymouth Argyle Twitter account is the least formal in football. It’s still 0-0 with Bristol Rovers, we think.
Found the right pass, there. Sarce makes ground on the right, G drops off to get the ball and sends in a curly one which was probably intended as a delivery to the danger area, but which had Bristol keeper Bonham scrambling to keep the ball out.#pafc
— Plymouth Argyle FC (@Only1Argyle) September 8, 2018
Sweet. G finds Sarce, doing a Friio and breaking from deep. Controls the ball on his chest but cannot bring it under control.#pafc
— Plymouth Argyle FC (@Only1Argyle) September 8, 2018
Updated
That Nations League lark is on today, too and Barry Glendenning is on hand to cover Northern Ireland v Bosnia.
There is an earlier game in League One, the local-ish derby between Bristol Rovers and Plymouth (there are 117 miles between them), and it’s still 0-0.
Here’s the Sunderland v Fleetwood teams.
Denver Hume rewarded with a start, Loovens back to partner Baldwin, while McGeouch starts in the middle. Wyke and Sinclair are strong options on the bench. #safc v #ftfc pic.twitter.com/bQXaNkmWkI
— Paul Fraser (@paulfraserecho) September 8, 2018
On the subject of the new broom at Notts County, Paul Doyle spoke to Harry Kewell.
Forget the Nations League, this is real football etc etc. Though UEFA’s new-fangled folly, and a loophole in the statutes, has meant that fans not willing to travel the highways and by-ways of England can, for a small fee, watch their team’s fortunes through streaming on a laptop. Streaming technology, familiar to those naughty types who used IRAQGoals, XMBC/Kodi and the like about half a decade ago, is now being pushed by official channels. Home taping is no longer killing music.
Or is it? Some clubs are not very happy about this, including Accrington Stanley, suggesting this will lose them vital revenue through the gates and in the pie and pint stands. But do fans really want to watch football through a juddering, buffering, dusty, scratched screen or enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of watching the game in early autumn? This might be the day when all that changes. Or very probably not. Attendance watch is one of the orders of the day, though.
To the red-hot soccer action itself and top billing today goes to Sunderland, shorn of suspended Max Power, and Fleetwood, the bad boys of Barton, with League One leaders Peterborough travelling to Southend. Technophobic Accrington welcome Burton, while second-placed Portsmouth play second-bottom Plymouth.
League Two sees leaders Lincoln welcome Crawley, under new manager Gabriele Cioffi, one of Gianfranco Zola’s assistants at Birmingham, which may well no sort of recommendation. Second-placed Newport travel up to Oldham. Harry Kewell takes charge of his first game at Notts County with a long trip to Exeter, looking for that first, elusive win of the season, and the same goes for Macclesfield, who are playing at Stevenage today.
Updated
