League Two

League Two in Numbers: Barnet have 72% possession and 11 shots on target — and still lose 1–3

Barnet had 72% possession and 11 shots on target, yet lost 3–1 to Swindon Town. Tranmere managed one shot on target at Northampton and won 1–0. Those results capture a League Two evening when the biggest numbers did not always bring the points.

Across all 12 matches on Tuesday 20 October, Grimsby led the shots table, Walsall turned 22 attempts into a 3–0 win, and three clubs shared the highest shot accuracy. Here is how all 24 teams compared.

League Two: most shots

Grimsby finished with 24 attempts in their 2–2 draw at Rochdale, the highest total of the night. Walsall and Barnet were next on 22 apiece, but those matching numbers came with very different results: Walsall beat Oldham 3–0, while Barnet lost 3–1 to Swindon Town. There is a useful warning against judging the evening by the shots column alone.

Northampton supplied another contrast. Their 21 attempts brought no goals in a 1–0 home defeat to Tranmere, who recorded eight shots. Chesterfield had 19 against Colchester’s six, yet that game ended 1–1. The full ranking below puts those figures alongside the final scores, rather than treating the busiest attack as the best performance.

Shots

1. Grimsby	24 Rochdale 2–2 Grimsby
2. Barnet	22 Barnet 1–3 Swindon Town
2. Walsall	22 Walsall 3–0 Oldham

Click to reveal the rest of the table (21 more clubs)

4. Northampton	21 Northampton 0–1 Tranmere
5. Chesterfield	19 Chesterfield 1–1 Colchester
6. Crewe	16 Exeter City 2–0 Crewe
6. Rochdale	16 Rochdale 2–2 Grimsby
6. Shrewsbury	16 Crawley Town 2–3 Shrewsbury
6. York	16 York 1–1 Accrington ST
10. Exeter City	15 Exeter City 2–0 Crewe
10. Oldham	15 Walsall 3–0 Oldham
12. Bristol Rovers	14 Bristol Rovers 1–2 Salford City
13. Fleetwood Town	13 Cheltenham 4–2 Fleetwood Town
14. Accrington ST	12 York 1–1 Accrington ST
14. Crawley Town	12 Crawley Town 2–3 Shrewsbury
14. Newport County	12 Rotherham 2–2 Newport County
14. Rotherham	12 Rotherham 2–2 Newport County
14. Salford City	12 Bristol Rovers 1–2 Salford City
19. Port Vale	11 Gillingham 1–1 Port Vale
19. Swindon Town	11 Barnet 1–3 Swindon Town
21. Cheltenham	10 Cheltenham 4–2 Fleetwood Town
22. Gillingham	9 Gillingham 1–1 Port Vale
23. Tranmere	8 Northampton 0–1 Tranmere
24. Colchester	6 Chesterfield 1–1 Colchester

One match per club · selected completed fixtures · 24/24 clubs ranked. Equal values share rank.

League Two: most shots on target

Barnet put 11 shots on target against Swindon, more than any other club in the round, and still finished on the losing side. Swindon had five on target and won 3–1. That does not tell us everything about the quality of the chances, but it makes Barnet’s defeat one of the evening’s most striking statistical contrasts.

Tranmere offered the opposite story: one shot on target, one goal and a 1–0 win at Northampton. Their hosts recorded four on target without scoring. Elsewhere, Grimsby and Shrewsbury each reached seven; Grimsby drew 2–2, while Shrewsbury won 3–2 at Crawley Town. Similar attacking figures did not guarantee similar returns.

Shots on target

1. Barnet	11 Barnet 1–3 Swindon Town
2. Grimsby	7 Rochdale 2–2 Grimsby
2. Shrewsbury	7 Crawley Town 2–3 Shrewsbury

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4. Bristol Rovers	6 Bristol Rovers 1–2 Salford City
4. Crawley Town	6 Crawley Town 2–3 Shrewsbury
4. Rochdale	6 Rochdale 2–2 Grimsby
4. York	6 York 1–1 Accrington ST
8. Cheltenham	5 Cheltenham 4–2 Fleetwood Town
8. Exeter City	5 Exeter City 2–0 Crewe
8. Oldham	5 Walsall 3–0 Oldham
8. Rotherham	5 Rotherham 2–2 Newport County
8. Salford City	5 Bristol Rovers 1–2 Salford City
8. Swindon Town	5 Barnet 1–3 Swindon Town
8. Walsall	5 Walsall 3–0 Oldham
15. Accrington ST	4 York 1–1 Accrington ST
15. Crewe	4 Exeter City 2–0 Crewe
15. Fleetwood Town	4 Cheltenham 4–2 Fleetwood Town
15. Newport County	4 Rotherham 2–2 Newport County
15. Northampton	4 Northampton 0–1 Tranmere
20. Chesterfield	3 Chesterfield 1–1 Colchester
20. Gillingham	3 Gillingham 1–1 Port Vale
20. Port Vale	3 Gillingham 1–1 Port Vale
23. Colchester	1 Chesterfield 1–1 Colchester
23. Tranmere	1 Northampton 0–1 Tranmere

One match per club · selected completed fixtures · 24/24 clubs ranked. Equal values share rank.

League Two: highest possession

Barnet also led the possession table with 72%, leaving Swindon with 28%. The score remained Barnet 1, Swindon 3. Northampton had the next-highest share at 64% but lost to Tranmere, whose 36% was enough to accompany a winning result. Neither of the top two clubs for possession took a point.

Chesterfield and Rotherham each recorded 62% and drew their games, against Colchester and Newport County respectively. Walsall’s 54% came with a 3–0 win over Oldham. Possession describes how the ball was shared; the results beside these figures show why it should not be mistaken for a verdict on who deserved to win.

Possession

1. Barnet	72% Barnet 1–3 Swindon Town
2. Northampton	64% Northampton 0–1 Tranmere
3. Chesterfield	62% Chesterfield 1–1 Colchester

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3. Rotherham	62% Rotherham 2–2 Newport County
5. York	61% York 1–1 Accrington ST
6. Port Vale	59% Gillingham 1–1 Port Vale
7. Crawley Town	58% Crawley Town 2–3 Shrewsbury
8. Fleetwood Town	57% Cheltenham 4–2 Fleetwood Town
9. Crewe	54% Exeter City 2–0 Crewe
9. Walsall	54% Walsall 3–0 Oldham
11. Rochdale	53% Rochdale 2–2 Grimsby
12. Salford City	51% Bristol Rovers 1–2 Salford City
13. Bristol Rovers	49% Bristol Rovers 1–2 Salford City
14. Grimsby	47% Rochdale 2–2 Grimsby
15. Exeter City	46% Exeter City 2–0 Crewe
15. Oldham	46% Walsall 3–0 Oldham
17. Cheltenham	43% Cheltenham 4–2 Fleetwood Town
18. Shrewsbury	42% Crawley Town 2–3 Shrewsbury
19. Gillingham	41% Gillingham 1–1 Port Vale
20. Accrington ST	39% York 1–1 Accrington ST
21. Colchester	38% Chesterfield 1–1 Colchester
21. Newport County	38% Rotherham 2–2 Newport County
23. Tranmere	36% Northampton 0–1 Tranmere
24. Swindon Town	28% Barnet 1–3 Swindon Town

One match per club · selected completed fixtures · 24/24 clubs ranked. Equal values share rank.

League Two: highest share of shots on target

Barnet, Cheltenham and Crawley Town shared the highest shot accuracy at 50%. Here that means shots on target divided by total attempts: 11 from 22 for Barnet, five from ten for Cheltenham and six from 12 for Crawley. It is a measure of getting attempts on target, rather than the percentage of shots that became goals.

The three clubs again had contrasting evenings. Cheltenham beat Fleetwood Town 4–2, Barnet lost 3–1 to Swindon, and Crawley lost 3–2 to Shrewsbury. Swindon put five of their 11 attempts on target, a rounded 45.5%. The same accuracy percentage can sit beside a win or a defeat; the score remains the essential context.

Shot accuracy

1. Barnet	50% Barnet 1–3 Swindon Town
1. Cheltenham	50% Cheltenham 4–2 Fleetwood Town
1. Crawley Town	50% Crawley Town 2–3 Shrewsbury

Click to reveal the rest of the table (21 more clubs)

4. Swindon Town	45.5% Barnet 1–3 Swindon Town
5. Shrewsbury	43.8% Crawley Town 2–3 Shrewsbury
6. Bristol Rovers	42.9% Bristol Rovers 1–2 Salford City
7. Rotherham	41.7% Rotherham 2–2 Newport County
7. Salford City	41.7% Bristol Rovers 1–2 Salford City
9. Rochdale	37.5% Rochdale 2–2 Grimsby
9. York	37.5% York 1–1 Accrington ST
11. Accrington ST	33.3% York 1–1 Accrington ST
11. Exeter City	33.3% Exeter City 2–0 Crewe
11. Gillingham	33.3% Gillingham 1–1 Port Vale
11. Newport County	33.3% Rotherham 2–2 Newport County
11. Oldham	33.3% Walsall 3–0 Oldham
16. Fleetwood Town	30.8% Cheltenham 4–2 Fleetwood Town
17. Grimsby	29.2% Rochdale 2–2 Grimsby
18. Port Vale	27.3% Gillingham 1–1 Port Vale
19. Crewe	25% Exeter City 2–0 Crewe
20. Walsall	22.7% Walsall 3–0 Oldham
21. Northampton	19% Northampton 0–1 Tranmere
22. Colchester	16.7% Chesterfield 1–1 Colchester
23. Chesterfield	15.8% Chesterfield 1–1 Colchester
24. Tranmere	12.5% Northampton 0–1 Tranmere