Chesterfield slip up but still ride high

Last season Chesterfield escaped relegation by one point, but Roy McFarland's side clearly intend to conduct this season's business at the opposite end of the table. A 2-2 draw with the Milton Keynes Dons kept them second in the Coca-Cola League One.

Last season Chesterfield escaped relegation by one point, but Roy McFarland's side clearly intend to conduct this season's business at the opposite end of the table. A 2-2 draw with the Milton Keynes Dons kept them second in the Coca-Cola League One.

Just after the half-hour, Tcham N'Toya's fifth goal of the season put the Spireites ahead and three minutes after the re-start Aaron Downes doubled the lead. But Izale McLeod pulled a goal back, and two minutes from the end Wade Small equalised.

At this early stage of the season, a win can do wonders for a club's League standing. Witness yesterday's victories for Port Vale and Swindon Town.

Vale's 2-0 win at Bradford City, goals courtesy of Billy Paynter and Jeff Smith, lifted them to third in the table while Swindon's fine 1-0 win at Colchester United thanks to Sam Parkin's fourth goal of the season, moved them up from 11th to sixth.

Two of the sides to miss out in the play-offs last season, Bristol City and Hartlepool United, are stuttering into life. Bristol followed last Monday's defeat of Brentford with a 1-0 win at Peterborough United, Leroy Lita scoring the game's only goal, while Pool were trailing 1-0 at home to Barnsley when the Tykes had Tony Vaughan sent off. Adam Boyd made them pay the price with a 77th-minute leveller, his fourth goal this season. At Griffin Park, Brentford beat Bournemouth 2-1 to move into the top half of the table and Doncaster eased past Walsall 3-1.

At the bottom, promoted Torquay United earned their first League win of the season, Martin Gritton scoring both goals in the 2-0 victory at Stockport County.

In League Two the top two, Scunthorpe United and Bristol Rovers, both drew and remain separated only by goal difference, but Yeovil Town's late 1-0 win over Swansea City lifted them to fourth. Leyton Orient's 2-1 win at Kidderminster took them up to sixth.

Lincoln City reached the play-offs last season and started slowly this term, but a 1-0 win at Bury, Matt Bloomer scoring on the stroke of half-time, was a promise of better things as they moved out of the bottom two. Southend are improving too, a thumping 4-1 win at Rushden making nonsense of their poor start.