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EFL Weekend Roundup: Blades End Winless Run, Imps Continue to Impress, and Mariners Score Seven

Three leagues, 72 teams, 36 games, and 94 goals. September's final weekend of EFL action is over, and it did not disappoint one bit. From the Championship to League Two, there were some big away victories, five red cards, and plenty of movement in each table.

Here’s a brief recap of the standout fixtures and top performers, as well as an overview of who is battling at the top of the tables, and struggling at the bottom…

Charlton Dismantle Blackburn in SE7

The Addicks were relegation favourites before a ball was kicked, but seven points in their last three games have seen them soar up the table. Statement wins over Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers, both teams who were tipped to finish a lot higher than Charlton, have left the club in 7th place and just a point outside of the top six.

The South London outfit dominated Rovers all afternoon and ended up having 16 shots. The strike of the bunch came from Sonny Carey, who has had a stellar start to life as a Charlton player. After scoring the equaliser in the South East London derby a few weeks back, Carey hit home the Addicks’ second of the afternoon with an effort that accumulated more pace than the cars on the nearby M25.

It's a belter from Sonny Carey 💪

Back-to-back wins for @CAFCofficial! pic.twitter.com/koBkdTXyDw
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) September 27, 2025

Blackburn came within two points of the playoffs in 2024/25, but the momentum built under Valerien Ismael during the final six games of last campaign looks to have completely disbanded. Their trip to Charlton was an all-time low of this season in what has been a turbulent week at the club, after a public falling out with local paper, the Lancashire Telegraph, has caused headlines, too. Leaving the 1,567 who travelled down from the North utterly disappointed.

Blades Fix their Form

Keep calm everyone... Sheffield United have won a game of football! What would’ve normally been an overlooked, low-scoring game of Championship football turned out to be a monumental moment for the Blades away at the Kassam Stadium.

Chris Wilder’s first victory coaching the Blades (for the third time) was far from a walk in the park, highlighting the masses of work still required to steady the ship at last year's playoff finalists. Przemyslaw Placheta, Brian De Keersmaecker, and Cameron Brannagan all tested the Sheffield United backline in what was an equally weighted contest. The match could’ve easily succumbed to a goalless draw if it wasn’t for Callum O’Hare’s 65th-minute strike, the product of a rapid break on the right wing from Chiedozie Ogbene.

⚔️ Sheffield United's record when Callum O'Hare has scored for the club:

🏟️ Played: 5️⃣
⚽️ Goals: 5️⃣
✅ Wins: 4️⃣
🤝 Draws: 1️⃣
❌ Defeats: 0️⃣

𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒎! 🙌#TwitterBlades pic.twitter.com/RPmRoVVPYE
— The Championship Chat Podcast (@Champchatpod24) September 28, 2025

The captivating nature of the Championship means that Sheffield United still have plenty of time to work their way up the table, and come the end of the season, this game could be cited as a turning point for the Blades. Oxford United, on the other hand, remain in the drop zone with Saturday’s opponents. Gary Rowett’s side had finally started to click after their impressive unbeaten run of three saw them pick up points against Leicester, Coventry, and Bristol City, hardly a weak bunch.

Championship Overview

After matchday seven, Middlesbrough (17pts) continue to lead the way, sitting four points clear of Coventry City (13pts) in second, and six points inside the playoffs. The top two remain the only unbeaten sides in the league and appear to be early favourites to finish in the top spots.

Ipswich Town (9pts) have begun to climb the standings, and if they are to win their game in hand (a harsh replay of their postponed game with Blackburn) will reach the top seven. The likes of Watford (8pts), Derby County (6pts), Portsmouth (8pts), and Hull City (8pts) will all be nervously looking over their shoulders, as a single loss could see them drop closer to the bottom three.

Sheffield Wednesday (5pts) accompany their city rivals (3pts) and Oxford (5pts) in the relegation zone. The Owls were always in for a tough time this year, amongst all the issues surrounding the club's ownership, and have so far done well to compete with those around them.

📈 @Boro remain on top of the #SkyBetChampionship table#EFL pic.twitter.com/Lbh1NLwZ3d
— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) September 27, 2025

Imps Continue to Play in Style

Lincoln City have been one of the stories of League One since the season began in August, and are currently on an unbeaten run of eight in the league. Their closely contested encounter with Chelsea in the League Cup earlier this week highlights how strong the Imps have become under Michael Skubala in 2024/25, and are seemingly ready to take the next step.

Adam Reach needed no introduction upon his arrival in Lincolnshire this summer, but announced himself to the Imps’ travelling fanbase by scoring his first goal for the club in the shape of a sublime free-kick. The former Sheffield Wednesday man would then go on to provide a pinpoint cross for Lincoln’s second, piling misery on the Posh fans around London Road.

Adam Reach with a superb free kick for @LincolnCity_FC 🎯

His first goal since May 2022! pic.twitter.com/tifnMUKNcP
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) September 27, 2025

Skubala’s Lincoln has finished in the top half of the table for two straight seasons now and has scored three goals in their last two games, putting them in third place. After reaching the playoffs five years ago, the Imps have not managed to replicate the feat since. Fixtures against Bradford and Stevenage are closely approaching, in what could be early-season defining fixtures.

Peterborough, on the other hand, endured a winless run of 14 in the league between April and September, before two recent victories over Wycombe and Plymouth. Darren Ferguson’s men have conceded the joint-most goals in League One this campaign and could be fast-tracking their way to League Two for the first time since 2008 if nothing changes at the club.

Stevenage Revel in Glory

Stevenage reminded Leyton Orient of who the new underdogs in town are by beating the East London-based side 3-2 on their own turf this weekend. Harvey White was the star of the show in the Boro’s midfield, playing a part in all three of the goals, including his own brilliant, bouncing effort to equalise the game in the first half.

That's 5⃣ goal contributions in the last 3⃣ for Harvey White 🔥#EFL | @StevenageFC pic.twitter.com/urXfCVPFwJ
— Sky Bet League One (@SkyBetLeagueOne) September 27, 2025

Stevenage might be a surprise package this year, but are no strangers to defying the odds. Their shock 2023/24 playoff push back when the club were debuting in the third tier for the first time in a decade was a notable achievement for the club. Alex Revell has got Boro fans dreaming once again as they find themselves in a top-two spot, battling it out with fellow overachievers, Bradford City.

Leyton Orient were tipped to have yet another strong season, but have looked lost at times without their loan stars of last year. The likes of Aaron Connolly and Josh Koroma have found no issues performing going forward, yet it's Orient’s defence which has cost them thus far. Joining Peterborough United and Plymouth Argyle, with 18 goals conceded in 10 games.

League One Overview

As mentioned prior, Bradford City (23pts) and Stevenage (22pts) currently take up the two promotion spots in League One, but Stevenage crucially have a game in hand. Lincoln City (21pts) are not far behind, nor are Cardiff (20pts), Huddersfield (19pts), or Wimbledon (18pts), making up the top six.

After their early triumphs, Doncaster (16pts) have begun to show their weaknesses with three straight losses. Northampton Town (13pts) sit in 13th, having surged up the table this month by winning four of their last five, earning the Cobblers almost the entirety of their point haul for the season in that time.

Clubs like Port Vale, Plymouth Argyle, and Reading are all also beginning to pick up points. This leaves a bottom four of Rotherham (7pts), Blackpool (7pts), Peterborough (7pts), and Burton (5pts), all clubs who have played in the Championship more recently than they have League Two. Burton Albion look completely hopeless in front of goal, failing to convert in any of their last four.

Here's how the #SkyBetLeagueOne table is looking... 👇#EFL pic.twitter.com/UL0dCmInWu
— Sky Bet League One (@SkyBetLeagueOne) September 27, 2025

Goals Galore in Grimsby

A third of the Mariners' league goals this season arrived in their 7-1 thrashing of Cheltenham Town. The Robins led the match (somehow) up until the 39th minute, but from that point onwards, the game, like the travelling Cheltenham supporters post-match, went west. No doubt due to the away side, who already sat bottom of the league, dropping down to 10 men.

For the neutral, this game was absolutely box office, with eight goals, two red cards, and one of the most dominant second halves of football seen. Statistically speaking, Grimsby had 77% possession, 26 shots, and over five times the number of passes compared to Cheltenham. Jamie Walker scored two unbelievable goals to mark a special first two goals for Grimsby, and Jaze Kabia continued his strong start to the season up top for the club.

Jamie Walker scores a worldie for @officialgtfc...

and just two minutes later he does it AGAIN! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/IYjvbULhHC
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) September 27, 2025

Cheltenham’s woeful display was just another chapter in a novel of poor performances from the Robins, who are currently without a permanent head coach. Fortunately, they still have time to turn things around, as a single win would lift them from the bottom and out of the relegation zone, but action will have to be taken quickly.

Gills’ Record Unbeaten Run Ends

Gareth Ainsworth’s Gillingham had begun the season with 21 points from their opening nine, and had not lost in the league since early March. That’s right, early March. This weekend’s opponents were Harrogate Town, who had won three of their opening nine League Two games and sat firmly in the lower half of the table. This match was only ever going one way, right?

Of course not! Gillingham fell at the hands of the mighty Harrogate. A single electric strike from Stephen Duke-McKenna ended up separating the sides in front of a crowd that surpassed 7,000 spectators at Priestfield.

Stephen Duke-McKenna cuts inside and drives it in for @HarrogateTown 👊

The Sulphurites put an end to Gillingham's club record 21 league game unbeaten run pic.twitter.com/fUA2AlecLH
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) September 28, 2025

It's been four years since the Gills ended their run of nine seasons in the third tier, and despite a strong start in both of their last two campaigns, a promotion push has never materialised. A first defeat of the season was going to happen eventually; what’s important now is that Gillingham bounce back and avoid falling into previous habits.

For Harrogate, this victory hands them their first back-to-back wins since January and their best performance of the season so far.

League Two Overview

Walsall (22pts) will be very cautious at the top of the table, after their bizarre title and promotion bottling 2024/25 season. The Saddlers are joined by Swindon (21pts) and Gillingham (21pts) in the automatic spots.

If results had gone their way, Salford City (19pts) could’ve gone top this weekend with a win; however, they were defeated by Bristol Rovers (17pts), who broke into the playoff picture after picking up 16 points in their last six matches. Chesterfield's (18pts) and Grimsby’s (18pts) convincing victories meant they also end the weekend in the top seven.

Preseason title favourites, MK Dons (15pts), ended their winless streak of four in the league by defeating Shrewsbury, leaving them in 9th. Newport County (5pts), Shrewsbury (5pts), and Cheltenham (4pts) all have a single win to their name, and combined have the same amount of points as newly promoted Barnet. All three lost once again this weekend, Newport remains outside of the relegation zone on goal difference.