Gillingham maintained their 100 per cent start to the Sky Bet League Two season with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Sutton.

Ashley Nadesan scored the only goal of the game with a superbly taken 10th-minute finish at Gander Green Lane.

Tom Nichols robbed home defender Omar Sowunmi and provided a low cross for Nadesan to strike first time.

Sowunmi came close to atoning for his early error when his hooked shot was cleared off the line by Scott Malone.

Jake Turner smothered Lee Angol’s effort, whilst George Lapslie fired wide on the angle.

Sutton substitute Scott Kashket was denied a goal against his former club by the linesman’s flag early in the second half.

Later in the second period, the former Wycombe man saw a fine volley kept out by Turner as Sutton piled on the pressure for an equaliser.

But Gillingham ensured they were the only side in the division to have won their first three games as they saw out a third successive 1-0 win.

Swindon produced a fine second-half comeback to beat Forest Green 2-1 in an enthralling local derby in League Two.

A stoppage-time strike from Frazer Blake-Tracy coupled with Dan Kemp’s tap-in saw Town get their first win of the campaign.

Matty Stevens opened the scoring for Rovers but Harvey Bunker’s second-half red card changed the course of the game.

Stevens opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a fine finish that nestled into the far corner after Town’s defence gave him half a yard of space inside the area.

George McEachran almost levelled with a fizzing strike from distance that cannoned off the crossbar.

Experienced forward Charlie Austin was denied a superb solo goal after a fine chest and volley that was diverted over the crossbar by a one-handed Luke Daniels save.

Austin’s headed effort was denied spectacularly by Daniels again but Kemp was on hand to tap home a leveller.

Bunker picked up a second yellow card following a mistimed tackle in midfield on the hour mark.

Defender Blake-Tracy fired home a left-footed effort from 25 yards to spark scenes of jubilation in the away end.

Substitute Emile Acquah’s late goal preserved Barrow’s unbeaten league record but they had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Accrington.

The Bluebirds had won both their opening league encounters and looked to be heading for defeat after Sean McConville’s first-half goal until the late leveller.

The last time these two sides faced each other in the Football League was in 1961-62 season – then Division Four – the campaign in which Stanley resigned from the league.

There was not a shot on target until the Reds took the lead in the 36th minute. Tommy Leigh’s ball in was headed down by Jay Rich-Baghuelou, it deflected off David Worrall and McConville was there to tap the ball over the line.

Barrow pressed thereafter with their best chance of the first half Gerard Garner’s long-range effort which was narrowly over the bar.

The game livened up after the break but chances were still at a premium until Barrow equalised with their first shot on target in the 87th minute. Junior Tiensia fed the ball into fellow substitute Acquah and he fired the ball into the far corner of the net.

Grimsby picked up their first League Two win of the season with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Salford at Blundell Park.

Abo Eisa was at the double for Grimsby – scoring in each half – as Salford midfielder Ossama Ashley saw red upon the restart for two bookable offences.

Chances were few and far between in the opening stages, but Grimsby managed to break the deadlock after 20 minutes when Eisa struck first-time and saw a 25-yarder fly past goalkeeper Alex Cairns via a deflection.

Adrian Mariappa and Curtis Tilt both took aim in reply, but a routine save from Jake Eastwood and last-ditch block from Luke Waterfall thwarted them as Conor McAleny dragged wide the best chance for a Salford equaliser.

Ashley was shown two yellow cards – one either side of the break – and his dismissal left Salford with a mountain to climb.

Grimsby pushed and probed for a second and it came with 25 minutes left to play as winger Eisa cut inside and slotted neatly into the far corner.

James Tilley scored twice as AFC Wimbledon recorded their first league victory of the season with a 2-0 win at Colchester.

The Dons started well and Colchester goalkeeper Owen Goodman made a fine save to deny Omar Bugiel.

But Colchester almost went ahead in the 19th minute through John Akinde, who was foiled from close range by goalkeeper Alex Bass.

The game ebbed and flowed and Goodman got down low at his near post to save Tilley’s effort while Armani Little’s low strike flashed wide soon after.

Colchester then spurned a great chance when Joe Taylor fired a low shot past the post from the edge of the area.

Wimbledon went ahead in the 54th minute through Tilley, who converted from close range after Josh Neufville had escaped down the left and crossed.

Tilley then doubled the Dons’ lead in the 85th minute when he finished clinically after being found by Neufville in the area.

Neufville’s strike rattled the underside of the bar in stoppage time as Wimbledon claimed victory.

Morecambe and Notts County settled for a point each after a battling 0-0 draw at the Mazuma Stadium.

In a game of few chances it was the Magpies who went closest to taking the maximum points when Jodi Jones hit the crossbar from eight yards out after getting onto the end of Aaron Nemane’s cross on 49 minutes.

The Shrimps’ best effort came from young on-loan Burnley striker Michael Mellon who turned sharply in the box before fizzing an effort inches wide of the left hand post with 18 minutes to go.

The first half saw the Magpies produce the better chances with the experienced David McGoldrick twice going close to giving his side the lead.

The striker turned a Nemene right-wing cross wide at full stretch and fired inches wide from distance after linking up well with Dan Crowley.

Macauley Langstaff forced Shrimps’ keeper Stuart Moore into a smart save from a close-range header and Jones fired over from the edge of box after cutting in from the left-hand side.

Morecambe went close on 26 minutes when Eli King curled an effort just wide from the left-hand side of the area.

Tranmere recorded their first League Two win of the season at the third attempt with a 3-0 victory over Harrogate at Prenton Park.

In a lively opening, the home side looked the more threatening, coming close through Kristian Dennis and Kieron Morris.

And Rovers’ pressure eventually told in the 24th minute when an unchallenged Luke Norris headed home a Connor Jennings cross at the far post.

Just two minutes later and the home side doubled their lead when Sam Taylor raced clear to slot the ball under Harrogate goalkeeper Mark Oxley.

After the restart, Town looked the more dangerous with chances falling to Liam Gibson, Abraham Odoh and Luke Armstrong, while Matty Foulds’ free-kick rattled the Tranmere crossbar.

But the game was put beyond doubt in the 89th minute when Morris fired home to ensure Ian Dawes’ side picked-up their first three-points of the new campaign as well as inflicting a second straight defeat on Simon Weaver’s Harrogate.

Wrexham secured their first win since returning to the EFL as they beat Walsall 4-2.

The hosts deservedly opened the scoring after Will Boyle headed home a floating cross at the back post eight minutes in.

Wrexham soon got another through Ollie Palmer’s skilful 20th-minute volley over the top of Walsall keeper Owen Evans who was caught off his line.

Walsall got one back before the break through a corner flicked on to Chris Hussey who beat Ben Foster at the near post.

After the restart, the visitors nearly equalised, with Foster stood still in his net as a Ryan Stark shot from distance clattered the post.

However, The Dragons proved more clinical and scored a third with a low cross finding Jack Bickerstaff who set himself before finishing through Evans’ legs (56)

Elliot Lee made it four with his second in as many games as the clock ticked down to the delight of the 9,042 home support.

Walsall threatened little in the second half but were gifted a consolation in stoppage time through an Anthony Forde own goal.

Stockport got their first point of the season with a late equaliser from Isaac Olaofe earning a 1-1 draw against Bradford.

Alex Pattison’s third goal in as many games had put the Bantams in front but substitute Olaofe’s reply was the least the home side deserved.

Bradford goalkeeper Harry Lewis pulled off a good save to smother Will Collar’s downward header from Macauley Southam-Hales’ cross as Stockport made a fast start.

Louie Barry sent a dangerous ball through the six-yard box before the visitors began to get into their stride.

Bradford’s best chance of the half came on 40 minutes when Andy Cook glanced wide from Ciaran Kelly’s cross.

But the Bantams took the lead two minutes into the second half as Richard Smallwood played Cook wide and his low cross was fired home by Pattison.

Lewis reacted well to deny Paddy Madden from another Southam-Hales cross but Stockport levelled on 80 minutes when substitute Olaofe scored from a corner.

Bradford then won a penalty as Ibou Touray brought down Pattison but Ben Hinchliffe saved Cook’s spot-kick.

Graham Alexander hailed MK Dons captain Alex Gilbey after watching his side make it two wins from two in League Two by beating visitors Tranmere 1-0.

Skipper Gilbey’s curling eighth-minute free-kick was glanced in by team-mate Mo Eisa, leaving Tranmere goalkeeper Luke McGee with no chance.

The win sees Alexander’s side move top of the league and he was happy with his side’s performance.

The Dons boss said: “I’m delighted with everyone who went on that pitch today because they all contributed to winning a game of football.

“Gilbs is a great character, a great personality and an excellent footballer. He takes on the tactical instruction and what we need to do in games really well.

“Gilbs has got the armband for a reason. There’s not one day where he hasn’t maxed out his output.

“He gees up the rest of his players and even in training, he loves winning a five-a-side. He is celebrating, he is punching the air. I love that spirit and that will to win daily.

“It’s a daily habit that you need to have and we’re trying to instil that in every one of our professionals.”

Alexander was pleased to with how his squad was working together but admitted there was a long way to go this season.

“There are relationships that are growing on the pitch throughout the team,” he added.

“All these things come into the equation, but they don’t happen overnight. We’re still only three games into a long season and there’s new players scattered throughout that team.”

Meanwhile the result sees Tranmere drop to 23rd in the table and boss Ian Dawes was left disappointed with the result, despite his side having the better of the chances.

He said: “It’s a really tough one to take because I’m not going to stand here in front of the fans and lie, I’m not a liar, I’ll be honest and in the first half, we weren’t happy with it.

“We changed it, I wouldn’t say they (MK Dons) were great in the first half, we just weren’t happy with us and then second half, much better.

“Stats don’t lie, I think we had 16 shots to their seven and we had some unbelievable chances.

“I think I’d have been disappointed standing here with a draw and to get beat today, it’s a hurting one.”

The Rovers boss conceded his side should have been more switched on at the free-kick which led to the goal but believes once the first win comes, his side could go on a winning run.

“I’ve worked with teams before and when the performance is there, it’s not like we’re not creating chances and when we get a result, we’ll go on a run because the quality is there,” said Dawes.

“Win, lose or draw, we try and stay level. We’re gutted obviously inside, but we’ve got another game to prepare for Tuesday.”

Bradford boss Mark Hughes was delighted to see his side fight back from a goal down to claim all three points – something he admits might not have been the case last season.

Goals from Clarke Oduor and Alex Pattison sealed a 2-1 victory at Valley Parade after a mistake by keeper Harry Lewis had gifted Colchester a ninth-minute lead through Joe Taylor.

Lewis was caught dawdling on the ball from a back pass as the Colchester striker cashed in for his second goal in successive games.

But the Bantams battled back to level before half-time as Oduor converted the rebound after Owen Goodman palmed away Tyler Smith’s shot.

Oduor then turned provider in the second half with the through ball for former Harrogate midfielder Pattison to score the winner.

Bradford boss Mark Hughes said: “I think we certainly deserved the victory.

“We started really strongly and then had the setback with the mistake at the back and got caught out.

“But the most pleasing thing for me was the reaction. Possibly in the past it’s affected us more adversely when we’ve had similar situations.

“We didn’t have the ability to come back when we had setbacks. I don’t think there were too many occasions last year where we had the capacity to get back into games, certainly at home.

“That wasn’t the case today. We dusted ourselves down and kept doing what we knew was going to get us back in the game.

“That’s a good trait that we are displaying to be able to come back when we’ve conceded first.

“We scored two great goals and had any number of chances as well.

“There were big performances from almost everybody. Overall, it was a pleasing day in the office.”

It was Colchester’s first League Two action of the season after their opening game against Swindon was called off half an hour before kick-off due to a waterlogged pitch.

Manager Ben Garner, who admitted it had been a “surreal” first week, said: “We had a good energy considering we played Wednesday night and had 20 hours on the coach this week.

“It’s crazy really. We’re playing two games of football in the space of three days and both went well over 100 minutes.

“We’ve got to adapt to that unless it changes.

“We weren’t far off today against a strong Bradford team that finished in the play-offs last season.

“We made too many errors and I thought they were better on second balls than us. That gave them a lot of impetus in the game and a lot of counter-attack opportunities.

“We’re a young side and we need to learn very quickly.

“There were a lot of positives. We scored a good goal and created a lot of other good opportunities – but there’s a lot we need to improve.”

Notts County boss Luke Williams said he had “got my team back” after claiming their first victory of the League Two campaign over Grimsby.

The Magpies came from behind twice to win 3-2 at Meadow Lane, with John Bostock, a Luke Waterfall own goal, and Dan Crowley securing their first three points of the season.

“We did not want to go behind once, we definitely did not want to go behind twice,” said Williams.

“The game was ugly and there was too much chaos.”

Following their opening-day defeat to Sutton, Williams labelled his sides display “pathetic” as their return to the Football League ended in a 5-1 thumping.

But the County boss felt that their latest performance was similar to the level that got them promoted from the National League last season.

“For sure, I got my team back today,” said Williams following the full-time whistle.

“That was really nice because I saw the tough guys on the pitch, but I want them to play more beautiful football as well, but to never sacrifice that toughness.

“The way they ran and pressed the ball and the way they competed for the second ball, make contact with people and putting your head low and getting kicked – all of those things that every team has to do in every league around the world and today we did that, I am just so happy to have got my team back.”

Grimsby had led through Danny Rose and Harry Clifton.

Mariners boss Paul Hurst insisted that his side did not deserve to leave empty handed from the encounter.

“My own view was that we didn’t deserve to lose,” said Hurst.

“We know they are a good side and overall, what I would say is that it was a very good League Two game with a lot of excitement and goals.

“But, fundamentally, and important to ourselves is that we have come up short in terms of the result and we must accept a defeat.

“It was a proper game, and I have said in my own view that they (County) will be right up there, but there are a lot of good teams in this league.

“But for ourselves, it doesn’t really get any easier for us in terms of fixtures.

“Teams from divisions above have spoken about the strength of the league and we must try and step up to that and I thought today that we were unfortunate to not get something from the game.

“The longer it went, I felt we were the stronger side.”

Seething Stockport boss Dave Challinor criticised both the officials and his side’s defending in their 2-1 defeat at Walsall.

Referee Jacob Miles waved away loud penalty claims for an apparent trip by Saddlers goalkeeper Owen Evans on Nick Powell when the game was goalless.

Ethan Pye’s error then led to Danny Johnson slotting Walsall ahead and more poor defending allowed Aramide Oteh to add a second before Ryan Rydel pulled one back deep into stoppage time.

“The fourth official has the same view as us and says the keeper clearly touches it. Well, I will challenge that, I’ve seen it back and he doesn’t get any touch on it,” Challinor said.

“But we’ll get one of two things – either an apology to say they got it wrong or we get a lie that backs up the referee, because, based on what the evidence shows, there’s no touch there.

“It’s a decision made when the game is 0-0 and when we are in good control. That’s disappointing, but it doesn’t lose us the game, although it would have given us a better chance of winning it.

“Without it being a knee-jerk reaction, it’s very similar to how we started last season in terms of really poor goals and mistakes costing us goals.

“They are horrific goals, no one has cut us open. Mistakes cost you games. What we got better at last year was avoiding them and we have to do that again.”

County created the better chances throughout as Louie Barry and Paddy Madden both had goals ruled out and sent other opportunities off target, while Will Collar side-footed a great opening wide.

Walsall boss Mat Sadler praised his side’s desire to get off the mark for the season after a backs-to-the-wall display.

“There were some real standout performances, but collectively as a team I thought we were fantastic today. I thought we were a proper team,” he said.

“Stockport are a good team, they are going to create openings and when those key, magic moments came I think we stood up to them, took our chances and prevented theirs.

“It was an incredible team performance. My team are growing, they are learning, they are developing and they are doing that while giving me everything so they deserved all they got today.

“They are resilient and absolutely desperate to win football matches. That heart and desire and willingness to throw bodies on the line, we’ll need all of that continuously every single game.

“We needed to be ‘League Two’ in the game today, which I thought we did at times. There were loads of things we need to be better at but loads of things I thought were fantastic.”

Forest Green boss David Horseman admitted the club’s first League Two away win for more than a year represented a “massive day” for the club.

A second-half Matt Stevens goal – his first since February – sealed a 1-0 triumph at Harrogate for the club that last won on the road on the opening day of last season at Bristol Rovers.

Forest Green ended that campaign comprehensively relegated from League One so new chief Horseman believes victory in North Yorkshire could prove a pivotal moment for the Gloucestershire outfit, who had lost their opening two fixtures to Salford and Portsmouth – the latter in the Carabao Cup.

The former Southampton B coach said: “It was a massive day for the club as a whole.

“When you’ve gone so long without an away win, it’s so important to get one any way you can and, while you want to play well and be convincing, in some ways hanging on at the end makes it feel even better.

“It’s a win that will bring the dressing room and new staff together and an important one for us going forward. Ironically, it was the worst we’ve played since I’ve been here, including in pre-season.

“We put in decent performances against Salford and Portsmouth without getting anything from them and I wasn’t best pleased at half-time in this game, so I had to raise my voice.

“But the boys responded by scoring really early and I think they are a group that we can be proud of now as a club.”

Stevens grabbed 27 goals as Rovers won promotion from League Two in 2021/22, but only netted once last term and spent the second half of the season at Walsall.

His new boss remains in no doubt about his goalscoring threat, though, adding: “When you get him in the box, he scores all types of goals and we know, if we get the ball to him in those good areas, that’s what he’ll do.

“We took our one chance and then defended our box really well for the rest of the game.”

Home boss Simon Weaver felt that the result hinged on one defensive lapse from his side.

He said: “It was a really tight game and after quite a flat start, we had to deal with a number of situations really well to ensure it was 0-0 at half-time.

“They then scored out of the blue, which was a bit of a shock to the system, but that can happen in games like this.

“It was one defensive slip and a bit of individual skill from their player (Tyrese Omotoye) to put in a cross that cost us a point at least.

“The players gave it their all for the rest of the game but I got that feeling during the last five minutes that it wasn’t going to be our day because we were lacking that killer end product in the final third.

“We were so high after winning our first two games and now it feels like rock bottom after a defeat but there’s a long way to go and we just have to go again at Tranmere on Tuesday now.”

Crewe manager Lee Bell branded his side’s first-half performance at Swindon “totally unacceptable” as they came from two goal down to draw 2-2.

Udoka Godwin-Malife put Swindon in front in the 21st minute and Jake Young made it two at the start of the second half.

Michael Williams got Crewe back in it before Rio Adebisi’s equaliser salvaged a late point at the County Ground.

Bell said: “Swindon could have been out of sight.

“The character of the group was never ever questioned, but the first-half performance is totally unacceptable.

“It was rigid, not brave. I’m just repeating what I’ve said to the players in a much calmer manner. It shouldn’t take two goals to go in for the shackles to come off you.

“The preparation for the game was excellent, absolutely excellent. I can’t fathom out why it happened.

“Maybe because that’s Swindon’s first game of the season, the energy, the atmosphere that comes with it.

“But you should be able to cope with that.

“It wasn’t young players doing that. It was people who’ve been around for a bit making mistakes, simple mistakes.”

Crewe goalkeeper Harvey Davies was at full stretch early on to keep out a Saidou Khan volley, but he was beaten by Godwin-Malife, who opened his account for Swindon when he managed to contort his body to flick home a diving header after Benn Ward had headed back into the middle.

Young took just two minutes to make his mark after coming on for his home debut at half-time as he cut inside and thundered the ball beyond Davies at his near post.

Williams’ rasping 61st-minute drive into the bottom corner from 25 yards gave Crewe hope and they levelled in the 85th minute as Ryan Cooney’s deep cross found an unmarked Adebisi at the back post and he headed beyond Murphy Mahoney.

Swindon boss Michael Flynn was left to rue his side’s failure to put the game to bed.

He said: “There were some unbelievable passages of play from us and some great performances, but we have conceded two poor goals.

“The only thing we didn’t do was kill the game off because we should have scored more goals with the chances we created.

“We got a little bit too open and it was like a basketball game when we needed to be slowing it down – and by that I don’t mean time-wasting.

“We were a little bit wasteful at times and trying to force things, too cute when you just need to put your foot through it, put your foot through it and come out the other side.”