Penny's men look to bounce back

Last updated : 27 September 2007 By Gary Moss
We talk about turning points a lot in football.

And last weeks games could prove a turning point for many sides in League Two.

Grimsby won their first game of the campaign.

Darlington lost for the first time.

Chesterfield suffered defeat too against struggling Barnet.

Bury picked up a point for the first time in five attempts.

And, Chester suffered a home loss for the first time since March.

Last weekend's games broke the mould.

Will these sides revert back to their old ways or continue in the same vain?

Game of the day: Darlington v Peterborough
Ferguson...Expectation


The Quakers slumped to their first defeat at MK Dons and now face still title favourites Peterborough.

Posh certainly have the talent but as of yet have not produced their best.

Ninth placed United have won only three times in seven league games.

Boss Darren Ferguson holds a weight of expectation at London Road after spending big this summer.

There would be no better way to kick-start a season than an away win at league leaders Darlington.

Darlo surrendered their unbeaten run conceding late on at Stadium:MK.

But so far look rather 'Walsall like' in the way they grind results and look like true winners.

Julian Joachim and Pawel Abbott have won all the plaudits up top but the
White...Ex Notts man, defensive rock
Quakers mean defence has been the big difference so far.

Ex-Notts man Alan White has been a rock for the North-East side as they've kept five clean sheets already this term.

He has been an instant hit at the 96.6 TFM Arena.

His solid displays in a tight back four could see the Quakers go all the way this time around.

Elsewhere...

Bouyant Hereford boss Graham Turner has revealed his future plans for the club this week. Turner hopes his re-vamped Bulls can follow in the footsteps of small town clubs like Southend and Colchester who climbed straight to the Championship from the fourth tier.

United sit second in the table and a flurry of summer signings to Edgar Street seems to be paying its rewards already.

They will be hoping to continue thier fine form as they travel to Grimsby at the weekend.

The Mariners will too be on a high after recording their first win of the season over local rivals Lincoln last week.
Dearden...Troubled by leaky defence


On the other hand, Mansfield's confidence is surely close to rock bottom.

Four straight defeats has seen them slip into the drop zone but will the visit of Dagenham and Redbridge provide a timely win, as it did for Notts.

Boss Billy Dearden has seen his side shed 15 goals already this season, greater than any other team in the division.

The Stag fans will have to get behind the under pressure manager, if results are to turn around.

Football can be a very unforgiving game at times and Morecambe know all about that.

Their Carling Cup dream came to an end on Tuesday as they crashed to a 5-0 defeat against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.

After taking the scalps of Preston and Wolves earlier in the competition, confidence was sky high at Christie Park.

And after a mid-week drubbing, things could get even worse for the Shrimps.

They entertain in form MK Dons having gone three games without a win themselves.

They've slid to fourteenth and will be desperate to stop the rot but have a mountain to climb in Ince's free-flowing side.

Full Fixture List:

Barnet v Rotherham

Bradford v Wycombe

Brentford v Stockport

Bury v Accrington Stanley

Darlington v Peterborough

Grimsby v Hereford

Macclesfield v Chester

Mansfield v Dagenham

Morecambe v MK Dons

Notts County v Chesterfield

Shrewsbury v Rochdale

Wrexham v Lincoln