From promotion hopefuls establishing themselves early, to the clubs fighting to steady themselves after slow starts, the opening months have revealed the competitiveness and unpredictability that make League Two so compelling.
Here are the eleven players us at the Lower Tiers chose as a part of the season so far for League Two.
Oldham’s return to EFL action after a three-season layoff, hasn’t exactly set the world alight.
However Oldham’s main catalyst behind picking up vital points throughout the campaign is their clean-sheet record, keeping ten in twenty-five games, the highest in the division.
Alongside this impressive statistic, FotMob states that Hudson’s save percentage is a whopping 77% (four percent higher than second place), outperforming his xG faced too with 3.3 goals prevented, clearly Oldham’s star performer thus far.
An honourable mention must go to Cambridge United’s Jake Eastwood, another impressive goalkeeping display in the first half of the season, however we’ve gone for Hudson, as the defence in front of Eastwood is arguably stronger!
There’s no denying it; Bromley are absolutely flying this season.
Andy Woodman has worked his magic with one of the smallest budgets in the League becoming a clear title candidate, and centre-back Omar Sowunmi’s shifts at both ends of the pitch have accelerated these hopes.
Lower Tiers’ Bromley Correspondent Oliver Whiteman stated “It’s not always the case that your tallest player is the biggest set piece threat, but at Bromley it certainly is.
“Sowunmi has registered more goals than any other defender in the top five tiers of English football whilst also contributing to Bromley’s ten clean sheets.”
Bagging six goals this campaign, putting him as Bromley’s third top scorer, Sowunmi’s efforts in front of goal mirror the quality displays at the back, making an average of nine clearances per game as well as just under one block per game.
Jack Sanders’ opening campaign of EFL football saw him flourish in MK’s promotion chasing side, after joining from Scottish Premiership side St. Johnstone.
According to Fotmob, Sanders possessed the highest average match rating based off statistics, collecting an average 7.81.
Defensively, Sanders has excelled across all the fundamental necessities for a centre-back with two-hundred-and twenty-five duels won, forty-two tackles made, alongside nineteen interceptions made in his eighteen appearances in League Two.
Hoping to find themselves battling it out for automatics for the second season in a row, Mat Sadler’s Saddlers once again are sat in the automatic promotion spots with the second lowest goals conceded in the League.
Although fellow central defender in their 3-5-2 system Aden Flint certainly deserve credit, we’ve gone with Weir, due to not being as notorious amongst EFL supporters.
Weir’s heroics impacted both ends of the pitch, chipping in three goals alongside three assists, becoming quite the set-piece specialist amongst the Walsall ranks, creating a plethora of chances from the centre-back position.
Honourable mentions for the centre-back spots must go to Accrington’s Benn Ward, Colchester’s Jack Tucker and Chesterfield’s Kyle McFadzean who narrowly missed out.
Munroe grabbed the attention of the entire EFL with his performances from the advanced left-wing back position in Ian Holloway’s system.
One supporter described his performances as being “a joy to watch, all action, committed, and a wand of a left foot, further alluding to potential higher in the EFL.”
Clearly Middlesbrough took note, as they’ve now snapped Munroe up on a permanent deal, immediately showing his capabilities with two goals for their Under-21 side in a recent fixture against Ipswich Town U21s.
Statistics wise, Munroe collected six assists during his tenure at the Robins, the joint-fourth highest in the League, however by far the highest total for a defensive-minded player.
Braybrooke was the shining light in an overall campaign of misery for Newport County, performing well thanks to his technical and high work-rate week-in-week-out for League Two’s basement boys, making the switch to Derbyshire in the January Transfer Window.
Many Leicester supporters were shocked that a League One loan wasn’t on the cards for Braybrooke, feeling like this is a sideways step for his development.
However Spireites supporters certainly won’t be complaining, as Braybrooke possesses League Two’s joint seventh highest average match rating, aided by an 88.2% pass success rate, alongside 53 tackles won.
The second Sanders in the team of the season so far, although on paper, his goal contributions don’t quite mirror stereotypical “TOTS” form, Sandes’ consistency in the middle, repeatedly displaying solid performances from box-to-box.
Additionally, according to Fotmob, he’s completed the most passes in League Two, with 1,071 in twenty-five appearances.
A pass accuracy of 81%, alongside 121 successful long bals completed highlight his influence during build up play and additional creative spark.
Further stats so far of forty-three tackles won and one-hundred-and-fifty-six recoveries completed demonstrate his versatility in midfield, hence why he features in our list!
The second generation of the Lisbie family to feature for Colchester United, Colchester United’s youth sensation Kyreece Lisbie cemented his name on our team of the season so far, through his electrifying performances down the right-wing.
I’ve been fortunate enough to witness almost every single one of these League Two appearances and would say it’s the sheer pace and technical ability that’s propelled Colchester United’s performances to allow them to push for the play-off spots, with thirteen goal contributions mostly coming due to his skillset and pace.
Despite 25/26 being his first full campaign of men’s football, he’s already gotten clubs across the top two tiers to fight for his signature this January transfer window.
Unsurprisingly, given his prestige across the Championship and League One, former Scottish international Paterson has flourished in League Two under Paul Warne, collecting sixteen goal contributions, as MK aim to return to League One after three seasons away.
Although some of MK’s high-profile signings haven’t quite worked out as intended, Paterson’s consistency to deliver immense performances in front of goal week-in-week-out has pushed the Dons to fifth in League Two, and sights set on entering the automatic promotion places.
Once again, 24/25’s League Two player of the season Michael Cheek continues scoring at a rate of knots for The Ravens, a leading catalyst in their table topping season, embodying the classic number nine finisher every club desire despite being above the age you’d expect a player to reach their peak.
Our Bromley correspondent Oliver Whiteman said “Cheek has entered double digits in goals for the thirteenth season in a row – that certainly takes some doing.
The natural goalscorer initially flew under the radar due to Bromley’s set piece threat but now as joint top goalscorer in League Two this season, the striker simply can’t be ignored.”
It’s fair to say, not many expected Aaron Drinan to be League Two’s joint top scorer, in fact, I’d imagine if you told a Swindon Town fan back in August, he would be the League’s top scorer, they probably would have laughed in your face!
To further imply just how impressive Drinan has performed,
Bagging just three goals all season previously, Drinan matched that in two League Two fixtures, really stepping up his game under Ian Holloway’s management, performing as one of two strikers in their system, playing off one-another.
Honourable mentions to Walsall’s Daniel Kanu and Notts County’s duo of Matthew Dennis and Alassane Jatta, who likewise have impresses in the first half of the season.
