At the weekend, our game week’s begun as League’s One and Two got their 2025/26 season underway. Here we take a look at 5 of the standout results.
Blackpool 2-3 Stevenage
An absolute goal fest in an entertaining affair for both sides resulting in Stevenage gaining their first three points of the season, as well as their first win at Bloomfield Road.
The perfect start for the Tangerines as they find themselves 1-0 up thanks to a mistake at the back from Houghton giving the ball away as Honeyman slots it away to give them the perfect start to their season.
However, this didn’t last long as just 11 minutes later a poor back pass and lack of communication from new signings Horsfall and Birmingham City loanee Peacock Farrell led the ball to land at Jamie Reids’ feet as he runs round the goalkeeper and slots it in the empty net to equalise for the travelling side.
On the stroke of half time, a handball was awarded by the referee resulting in a penalty for Stevenage as Reid was the one to engrave his name on the spot, and despite a strong hand from the new Blackpool goalkeeper, he couldn’t prevent Stevenage taking the lead just before half time.
Things got worse just after the second half started as Kemp doubled the travelling sides lead due to another mistake from Peacock Farrell giving the ball away as Stevenage make sure to capitalise on it as the ball lands to Kemp who latches onto the ball and bundles in off the crossbar.
In the 79th minute, Ennis runs onto a lobbed ball and is given plenty of time and space due to the Stevenage defenders sleeping at the back as he slots it away on his first permanent season back to get them back into the game, however this wasn’t enough as Stevenage see the game through and Blackpool get off to quite a shocking start at home.
Plymouth 1-3 Barnsley
A horror start for Plymouth in their first season back in League One, as they suffer defeat at home to 10-men Barnsley.
The perfect start for the newly relegated side as Amaechi lays it off to Watts who gave them the lead at home, however the referee thought otherwise as he disallowed the goal due to a foul in the buildup. Barnsley play the ball into the box as it lands to new Plymouth signing Wiredu who fails to get the ball under control and lands it in his own net to get off to a horrid start for his new club to hand the opposition a 0-1 lead.
This was shortly doubled in the 30th minute as a calamity at the back from the Plymouth back line ends up giving the ball to Barnsley midfielder Phillips who rifles one in the Plymouth net on the volley making it 0-2 with a superb strike.
After the second half started, the home side started well and their reward was given as a ball came into the box and was taken down by Watts who controlled it brilliantly and slotted it home to get them back into the game in their hopes of turning the game around, as hopes were shortly increased due to the referee handing Jack Shephard a second yellow card due to a handball outside the area, as Barnsley go down to 10 men with 30 minutes to go.
However, Plymouth weren’t able to capitalise and in the dying moments of the game, the Plymouth back line are unable to deal with a bouncing ball over the top as Keillor-Dunn runs through with the ball and gifts Barnsley an excellent start to the season after making it 1-3.
An excellent start for the away side and for their manager Conor Hourihane, however more misery for the newly relegated side Plymouth Argyle as they fail to bounce back in their first game of the season.
Walsall 2-1 Swindon Town
The game got off to the perfect start for the home side as a goal of the week contender from Weir gives the Saddlers the lead from an absolute rocket of a free kick in the 8th minute. However, things went upside down as the Walsall defence failed to get the ball clear as Comley decided to bring down Swindon Town forward Drinan who looked to be through on goal as the referee decided there was no other choice but to hand them a red card in the 21st minute.
Doing well to hold on, they eventually make things a nightmare as an excellent ball from Oldaker looks for Smith as he is deemed to be brought down as the referee agrees and hands Swindon an excellent chance to equalise from the spot. Will Wright is handed the ball, as he makes no mistake placing the ball into the bottom corner and giving them huge hope of nicking the three points.
Swindon chasing the game in the last 10 minutes fail to capitalise on Walsall’s ten men as they go down the other end with Barrett making a lovely one-two and running into tons of space in the Swindon back line as he slots it away in additional time to hand 10 men Walsall the 3 points. The perfect start for Walsall and their redemption, however misery for Swindon as they fail to come out with anything despite playing against 10 men for more than three quarters of the game.
Salford 1-3 Crewe
Three points at the beginning for the Railway men as they run riot in Salford, heavily credited to Conor Thomas.
At the beginning of the game, a Salford corner ends up in a penalty due to the referee witnessing Olowu being brought down by experienced defender Demetriou as Salford have the perfect chance to be given the lead, however are denied due to an excellent stop from new Crewe goalkeeper Booth who got a strong hand to the ball to deny Woodburn from the spot in the 4th minute.
Shortly after, in the 8th minute Crewe manage to punish them and take the lead as the ball is bundled around in the Salford area as it eventually ends up in the back off the net due to Harris failing to clear the ball and ricocheting it in his own net giving the away side a 0-1 lead.
The perfect response from Salford, however as a great curling effort from Harris gives his team the perfect reply and makes up for his mistake earlier in the game to make amends. However, just before half time excellent play from Josh March ends up playing a splendid cross over to Conor Thomas who is unmarked and retakes the lead for Crewe Alexandra.
Shortly after, just before the stroke of half time, Crewe go looking for another goal which would give them a two goal cushion and they get their reward thanks to Conor Thomas punishing Salford goalkeeper Matty Young who fails to catch a cross into the box and ends up picking the ball out of his empty net making things 10 times more difficult for Salford. Crewe eventually manage to see the game out in the second half with their two goal cushion to give them an excellent start to their 2025/26 season with three points.
Huddersfield 3-0 Leyton Orient
Terriers gain three points and three goals in a perfect start to their campaign.
As the game started, chances fell to both sides as Connolly struck the post for the away side with an early scare, this was replied with the Terriers managing a threat of their own as they also managed to strike the post at the other end giving the game a very high tempo to kick off with.
However, in the 7th minute a pitch perfect cross into the box finds Low who puts Huddersfield 1-0 up in the early part of the match with a great header. They followed up piling the pressure onto the away side and this was very nearly rewarded, however with brilliant defending from Leyton Orient including a clearance off the line and a tight back line including a great stop from loanee Tommy Simkin denying Wiles.
Despite managing to see off the home side, they no longer managed to have control of that as a silly challenge from the Leyton Orient defender drew contact with Wiles as the referee awarded a penalty which was given to new signing Alfie May, as he made no mistake from the spot as he got his first goal for his new club and ensured they looked destined for three points.
In the last minute of the game, great build up play from the Terriers starting from Sorenson with a spectacular back heel to keep things alive, finding Charles who linked up with Taylor who found Rooshen unmarked at the back post as he made it 3-0 and ended the game in superb fashion for the home side.
An excellent start for the Terriers, however a horrendous start for Leyton Orient with a 3-0 thrashing away from home.
What will Game Week 2 give us? let us know your thoughts and predictions in the comments.
