League Two is dominated this weekend by the first managerial casualties of the season.
Both Chesterfield and Port Vale dispensed of the services of Gary Caldwell and Michael Brown after Saturday’s results left the two clubs still in the relegation zone after poor starts to the season.
Caldwell and Brown oversaw relegation last season, but neither has made an impression at the right end of the table and Saturday was P45 day.
Given that Frank De Boer only lasted 4 games at Crystal Palace, both these managers had double time to save their jobs!
The top sides continue to dominate
Not that Paul Tisdale is expecting a call to discuss his contract any time soon, the longest serving manager behind Arsene Wenger in the top 4 divisions is leading the promotion charge to League One.
A largely untroubled 3-0 win over Crewe kept Exeter’s unbeaten record intact and a 3 point gap to Kevin Nolan’s Notts County who recorded a narrow 1-0 win at Crawley.
Accrington complete the top three as you were from midweek, their 2-1 victory at Chesterfield being the final straw of Caldwell’s tenure.
Back to back wins have propelled Luton Town to tuck in nicely behind the top 3, a fine win at Adams Park halting a 4 game unbeaten run for Wycombe.
Coming alive
Mansfield are finally coming alive.
1 defeat in their 8 games and converting draws into wins has seen them make their way into the play off places after a slow start.
Cambridge with 3 wins from the last 4 games have seen themselves move up a few places into the top 7, edging in front of a still indifferent Swindon Town.
Away from the top there, there is just 3 points separating 4th down to 11th, showing this division is still extremely tight to call, and but for an 85th minute equaliser for Carlisle, Barnet would be sitting in those play off places.
Both Wycombe and Stevenage haven’t won in 3 games, but the closeness of those above them hasn’t caused much damage at all as 3 points could catapult either side way up the table.
Who is in danger?
Despite Carlisle rescuing a point, it’s no wins from the last 5 games and with the League Two sack race already underway, Keith Curle knows he must produce a win imminently or his time could be up sooner rather than later at Brunton Park.
Also in danger is Darren Way at Yeovil, 4 games without a win and The Glovers find themselves just keeping above water, more due to the inabilities of the sides below them.
A second win of the season for Cheltenham, the only side in the bottom 8 to do so, keeps them out of the drop zone with Forest Green Rovers the buffer in-between.
A point for Rovers was enough to keep them above Chesterfield on goal difference and it’s difficult to know whether Rovers chairman Dale Vince will give his manager Mark Cooper time to get a run going or show him the door.
What to look forward to
A couple of fixtures stick out from the coming weekend’s games, notably managerless Port Vale’s trip to fellow strugglers Yeovil. With neither side on a good run, it has ‘draw’ written all over it despite the fact both sides are desperate for the 3 points.
At the other end of the table the unbeaten Grecians will face a stern test at the Ricoh Arena, a Coventry side starting to adapt better to life in League Two and two sides in a bit of form, Mansfield and Cambridge clash at Field Mill, although with goal difference a factor, difficult for either side to break into the top three this time around.
Written by Trevor Knell
Follow Trevor on Twitter @trevk37
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