League Two Tips: Back Barton to add to Exeter draw misery

Exeter 2.447/5 v Bristol Rovers 3.412/5; the draw 3.55/2

It's all very well for Exeter boss Matt Taylor to say the team's "heart and endeavour" at Barrow show they won't be bullied, but where are the goals?

If the Grecians were playing Port Vale this weekend, we could all pile on to a goalless draw at something like 10.09/1 and be booking next summer's holidays with the proceeds by 5.30pm.

Injuries and Covid left Exeter naming only six substitutes on Tuesday. Padraig Amond made his debut. Jake Caprice played in an unfamiliar role, left-back.

One only hopes, for Taylor's sake, that he can get consistency out of Jevani Brown up front, or that Tim Dieng can spark them into life from midfield. Absences aside, Exeter were patient with 10-year servant Paul Tisdale when he had bad starts to seasons - overall, at home or away - and Taylor has been there six. Surely the board won't tolerate them being fifth from bottom for too long? But they need someone to fire the goals. Joel Randell's summer exit also robs them of creativity that must be quickly replaced.

Yet to score this season even in the League Cup, they are nonetheless decent favourites - essentially, too short a price - to win despite Bristol Rovers taking a victory over Oldham on Tuesday. It was a first win, with a second goal of the season.

Joey Barton said the hard work starts now to maximise the Gasheads' potential and Sam Finley ran the show to earn them the victory. The back three received strong reviews. Whether they have fully reversed the penchant for conceding two goals a game before that is the question. Mansfield away on the opening day was always going to be a baptism of fire. Stevenage were in form last Saturday when they took victory. Both sides would be happy with another draw - but particularly if they can both score. Winless in 16 away, say Opta, a fourth draw in that run might well suit the visitors in particular.

Fresh faces Sutton can earn first win

Scunthorpe United 3.211/5 v Sutton United 2.68/5; the draw 3.412/5

Football League new boys Sutton must have a strong chance of gaining a first victory when they travel to Glanford Park, especially after a rest in midweek.

Only a last minute goal denied them a draw on the opening day at Forest Green. And, as they continue to have to play away after their income-generating artificial pitch at Gander Green Lane is ripped up and replaced, they earned a point at title favourites Salford City, with a goalless draw. Skipper Craig Eastmond could have won it in the final minute, but was denied by the keeper after breaking through.

Matt Gray's side clearly have no fear. The manager has them playing well. They might have only scored that solitary goal in the league, Omar Bugiel equalising at Forest Green, but they took the lead against a decent Cardiff City side before losing 3-2.

Striker Donovan Wilson, signed from Bath in the summer after a loan last season, is clearly relishing a proper crack at League Two, having been a bit part player on loan in the past. He struck seven times in 16 games on loan last year. He is mentioned prominently in reports. The only real advantage to starting the season with a string of away games is if you can gain momentum by acquiring a good haul of points.

Scunthorpe look a little ripe to be left flat footed by enthusiastic newcomers. They only snatched a point late at Walsall on Tuesday, Alfie Beestin notching the strike. That gave them a second draw in a row, after a home defeat to Swindon to start the season.

Neil Cox's side lost two if not more key players from last season, when they struggled. Kevin van Veen and Abo Eisa were both snapped up by teams with better prospects.

Local headlines say Cox hasn't "given up" on signing a striker before the transfer deadline after several knock backs. Layers sense that the visitors have a strong chance, because teams who are winless in their first EFL season will rarely be as short as 2.77/4 to take a victory.

While Opta state that Sutton, who as non-league champions are used to winning, have the lowest average possession (37%) this season and lowest passing accuracy (55%) its early days after two games for such statistics! The killer stat for me is that Scunthorpe are winless in 13 league games. Their price has already gone out from a starting point of 2.68/5. Take the hint.

Stevenage can pick off under par Port Vale

Stevenage 2.6413/8 v Port Vale 3.39/4; the draw 3.211/5

In contrast to the stingy price on Sutton, Stevenage seem large to beat Port Vale. Yes, the Valiants have conceded just one goal this season, but that's one more than they have scored.

The overall result is back to back goalless games, both at home. Defensively, they do seem solid, whether long thrower Dan Jones has to play at right back in a three or left back in a four. He did both as Darrell Clarke switched tactics against Carlisle. The manager will surely be concerned at his side's lack of goals. He complains of fine margins, hitting the bar and the post like in the game against Tranmere.

Devante Rodney and Jamie Proctor - or James Wilson, recruited from Salford in the summer - ought to do well. But if they don't start scoring soon fans will wonder if Tom Pope could have given them one more season. Newport's Kevin Ellison always seems to have another in him - and he's 42 not 35!

Stevenage will be looking to put an expected (by me) defeat at Bradford behind them. A 4-1 thrashing I did not expect, after Boro's fine start of two wins. But as much as Elliot Osborne might want to temper his view that Alex Revell's men could push for promotion, that's probably where the team are at: they can beat plenty of teams but might struggle against the really good ones.

Here is a chance to reset, for Luke Norris to show his scoring prowess once more: for midfielder Chris Lines, who scored his first Stevenage goal against his old club Bristol Rovers, to continue to show his worth at 35; for Elliott List to challenge him and say "hey, it's me who is going to score the goals from midfield".

This is the home team's chance to lay the marker for their season. They need to find their verve again, that took them to four wins and clean sheets out of their last five games, as Opta point out.

Rovers and Newport still feeling their way

Tranmere Rovers 2.68/5 v Newport 3.412/5; the draw 3.412/5

Five draws - from just nine League Two games in midweek - make 11 out of 32 matches played this season. Yet the draw will always be priced at the 25% chance rate rather than a third. A whole industry was once built on the draws chances: it was called the Pools.

It makes sense to seek out others, the, and Tranmere seem just as prime candidates as Exeter against Bristol Rovers. Micky Mellon's side have scored just once this season, at home in the opening day win over Walsall, before drawing away twice.

Progress at the Prenton Park club seems slow - dare we say going backwards - after their controversial relegation at the end of the 2019-20 season. Mark Palios' club were smarting, we were told, and wanted to bounce back quickly.

In the league at least, Sam Foley, Elliott Nevitt and Emmanuel Dieseruvwe haven't got going yet. At the age of 27, striker Dieseruvwe doesn't seem to have had a lot of game time. He will be hoping to find his feet quickly and settle in to a run of games.

Newport seem equally not at ease. They have only played twice - on top of beating Ipswich in the League Cup. And Mansfield last Saturday would have been a tough assignment as Michael Flynn builds another side, hoping that this year the league can turn out to be the glory, rather than the cup. It took a late, late goal from evergreen Kevin Ellison to snatch victory at a so far uninspiring Oldham on the opening day though. And breaking down Tranmere seems a hard task.