League One & Two: Derby games and basement battles in store

Chesterfield are out for revenge after losing to Notts County on penalties in a dramatic National League Play-off final last year

Put the flags and facepaint away and stop humming that national anthem - the English Football League is taking over this weekend.

A second international break of the young season may have caused consternation for many, but we have a dozen reasons to look forward to a Saturday afternoon of EFL action, which we will of course bring you live, right here.

While postponements have wreaked havoc on the League One programme, two games do remain, while in League Two there are 10 games taking place, with the lunchtime kick-off an intriguing one.

Let's see what we have in store, shall we?

Chesterfield v Notts County (12:30 BST)

A derby in League Two with revenge the order of the day - is there a better way to start your EFL weekend?

Chesterfield and Notts County are just 28 miles apart but in 2023 both teams and 38,000 fans headed down the M1 motorway to Wembley for the National League Play-off final.

The Spireites twice took the lead only for the Magpies to peg them back and take the game to extra time.

County’s substitute goalkeeper Archie Mair, brought on to replace Sam Slocombe in the 120th minute, then saved spot-kicks from Darren Oldaker and Jeff King before Cedwyn Scott sealed a dramatic 4-3 shootout triumph.

Chesterfield did end their six-year exile in non-league 12 months later, however, cruising to the National League title.

The Spireites have made a steady start to this campaign, losing only two of their opening 10 games and know a win would take them within a point of County, who have also lost only twice.

They are unbeaten at home, drawing four of their five matches, while the Magpies are unbeaten on the road, with 11 points from their five away games making this their best start to a campaign on their travels in a decade.

The referee for this one is Matt Corlett, who also officiated on that sultry day last May, dishing out six bookings, three to either side.

League One

Rob Elliot, right, watched Crawley's last home match from the stands alongside chairman Preston Johnson

There are two matches to look forward to in the third tier, with plenty at stake in both.

Crawley host Shrewsbury, sitting one place and two points ahead of the Shrews in the relegation zone.

Rob Elliot takes charge of his first home match after his arrival from Gateshead, in the wake of Scott Lindsay's departure to MK Dons.

His first match ended in defeat at Wycombe last weekend - Crawley's fourth in a row - to make it a run of one point from seven games, while they have managed just five goals in nine league matches this season.

Shrewsbury's win over Leyton Orient in August was their only victory in 17 league games, though they have a good record against Crawley, taking nine points from their past five encounters.

Peterborough welcome Rotherham in the day's other game in the third tier - a match which many expected to be a promotion battle when the fixtures were released.

As it is, both have struggled and lie in the bottom half, though the Millers come into the game off the back of two wins, the first time they have done that in more than two and a half years.

Posh have yet to keep a clean sheet this season but have won their past two at home and would climb into the top six if they can make it three.

League Two

Crewe were celebrating on their last trip to Doncaster in May, but will they be doing so again on Saturday afternoon?

There are 10 games to look forward to, the pick of them seeing Doncaster and Crewe meet in a repeat of last year’s play-off semi-final.

Alex have a decent record against their hosts, taking 14 points from their past eight encounters, and overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit in the play-offs on their way to booking a Wembley place with a 4-3 win on penalties at Keepmoat Stadium.

Rovers have won 12 of their past 13 at home, while the Railwaymen come into the game having won five of their past six, though the other was a 2-1 defeat at Newport in their most recent away game.

Fourth-placed Doncaster can go three points clear at the top with a win, while victory for the eighth-placed visitors would take them level on points with Rovers.

Winless Morecambe will seek to end their longest ever streak without a victory in the EFL with a tough game on the road at Barrow, who have taken 13 points from five home games this season.

Morecambe have not won in 15, the joint-longest across the top four divisions with Cambridge United, and have taken only five points from that run.

They have however won three of the past four meetings between the sides, so maybe Saturday is the day for Derek Adams' team.