League One Standouts: Winners and Losers of the Weekend

League One Standouts: Winners and Losers of the Weekend

The EFL League One season is already unravelling to be another blockbuster season, as sides from all over England and Wales fight head-to-head in what is one of the most unpredictable, challenging, and relentless divisions in the world.

In the last few days, we have seen even more goals, upsets, thrashings, and the goalless bore draws (you can’t escape them!). To celebrate yet another thrilling match week, Football Park have handpicked the leading stories from the weekend, from Plymouth Argyle’s woeful start to Barnsley’s awesome comeback.

📈 A look at the #SkyBetLeagueOne table after two games! 👇#EFLisBack pic.twitter.com/pi54Raov3a

— Sky Bet League One (@SkyBetLeagueOne) August 9, 2025

Relegation Favourites Thrash the Tangerines

Exeter City hadn’t beaten Blackpool in the league since 2001, and were far from favourites in this match. Much to their surprise, the Grecians found themselves two goals up within 15 minutes, even more so when they added a third and fourth in the 60th and 90th minutes of the game.

Many bookies had Exeter as one of the favourites to face relegation, a case which wasn’t helped after losing to recently promoted Doncaster the week prior. This game proved that you don’t necessarily have to spend money for results, and for the Blackpool fans who had made the 550+ mile round trip, it was a disheartening day.

Saturday’s match means that Blackpool have conceded seven goals in their first two games against Exeter and Stevenage, both teams that a side aiming for the top half would expect to beat. A worrying start for Steve Bruce’s Seasiders.

Calm. Composed ✅

It just had to be @reececole28 didn't it 👊

Check out our first goal of 2️⃣5️⃣/2️⃣6️⃣#ECFC #SemperFidelis pic.twitter.com/SQuQ7ZewpX

— Exeter City FC (@OfficialECFC) August 10, 2025

Argyle Looking at a Long Campaign Ahead

From one side of Devon to another, not a single shot on target emphasises how poor Plymouth Argyle’s performance at Bolton was last weekend. The Devonshire side lacked a No.9 as they conceded goals from Eoin Toal and Mason Burstow.

A fresh squad needs time to gel, but how much time is the real question. The same goes for Tom Cleverley, who said the only positive to take from the match was the substitutes' performances. Argyle already have a mountain to climb after two games if they are to reach their targeted promotion, and with a thin squad, will be looking at the market to provide answers.

Not the ideal start to League One life for Tom Cleverley & Plymouth Argyle... 😬 pic.twitter.com/m2BFs56dmo

— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) August 11, 2025

Rovers Start the Season Two from Two

Last year's League Two champions have shown that the third tier is where they belong with their performances in the opening weeks. An uneventful first 45 soon turned into an exciting second half. Mansfield opened the scoring with a Stephen McLaughlin wonder strike from outside the box.

🏆 Last season's League Two champions
✅ Two wins from two in League One
💪 Unbeaten in their last 13 competitive games

Grant McCann's Doncaster Rovers. 👏#DRFC pic.twitter.com/3wohollIzC

— talkSPORT BET (@talksportbet) August 11, 2025

Last week, Luke Molyneux was the hero as his 88th-minute goal won the game against Exeter. This week, it was Owen Bailey, who scored a brace of close-range goals, including a 96th-minute winner, as Rovers won in dramatic fashion once again.

Doncaster have spent the majority of the last 20 years playing in either the Championship or League One, with just four of the last 21 seasons spent in League Two. A Trip to Huddersfield and a home tie with Wycombe in the next two gameweeks will be big tests for Doncaster, who are currently one of six clubs to start the season with a perfect record.

Burton Put Two Past the Tykes... and then Concede Three

Barnsley cannot escape enthralling end-to-end fixtures right now. A trend their fans will not be complaining about, especially as it has resulted in six points for the Tykes. An early Jake Beesley penalty and Fabio Tavares' strike into an open net saw the Brewers go into half-time two goals up.

Two goals within 20 minutes meant the game was tied before Burton knew it. Yet it was legendary EFL striker David McGoldrick, a former international teammate of Conor Hourihane, who tapped home a 93rd-minute winner to secure the victory. Davis Keillor-Dunn picked up his second goal of the season, already looking a strong candidate for the league’s golden boot.

Like a fine wine 🍷#EFL | @BarnsleyFC pic.twitter.com/FwsIzVzyaQ

— Sky Bet League One (@SkyBetLeagueOne) August 11, 2025

It’s only been four years since Barnsley reached the Championship Playoffs, but after successive failures to win the League One Playoffs, they now face a third straight season in the league. The Tykes have proven that they can regularly contend for the top six, but is this finally the year they make it out of the trenches of the third division? Third time's the charm as they say.

Huddersfield Make Bid to be Early Title Favourites

It has been a perfect start to life in West Yorkshire for Lee Grant, who stepped up to take on his first head coach role this summer after years assisting Kieran McKenna at Ipswich Town. Second-half goals from Jack Whatmough and Cameron Ashia saw the Terriers run out as 2-0 winners, meaning that they have won their opening two League One fixtures by an aggregate score of 5-0.

A dramatic collapse of eight losses in their final nine games of 2024/25 saw Huddersfield drop completely out of the playoff picture. Bouncing back from a disappointing campaign has not been a struggle for the Terriers, who are already making a case to be title favourites. However, competitions with the likes of Luton and Cardiff mean that it’ll take more than six points to convince the rest of the league that they have what it takes. Especially seeing as they won their opening three League One fixtures 12 months ago.

Huddersfield Town have already scored more goals in second half injury time (2) than they did in the whole of the last league season (1). pic.twitter.com/QEkkZh0t0E

— HTAFC STATTO (@HTAFC_STATTO) August 9, 2025

As for Reading, it has been a torrid start to their first season under new ownership. Two losses and not a goal to show for it have led the Royals to the foot of the table. They will host Wimbledon next, in what should be a true representation of Reading’s reality this year.

Matchweek Two Final Scores:

• Port Vale 0-0 Cardiff City
• Peterborough United 0-2 Luton Town
• Reading 0-2 Huddersfield Town
• AFC Wimbledon 2-0 Lincoln City
• Barnsley 3-2 Burton Albion
• Bolton Wanderers 2-0 Plymouth Argyle
• Exeter City 4-1 Blackpool
• Leyton Orient 2-0 Wigan Athletic
• Mansfield Town 1-2 Doncaster Rovers
• Northampton Town 0-0 Bradford City
• Stevenage 1-0 Rotherham United
• Wycombe Wanderers 1-2 Stockport County