League One round-up: High-flying Blackpool lacked spark... excitement at Coventry ahead of midweek Portsmouth trip

Simon Grayson admitted his Blackpool side lacked spark despite beating Oxford United to maintain their 100-per-cent start to the season.
Blackpool boss Simon GraysonBlackpool boss Simon Grayson
Blackpool boss Simon Grayson

First-half goals from Ryan Edwards and Armand Gnanduillet helped the Tangerines to a 2-1 win against the U’s at Bloomfield Road.

It means they have maximum points from their three League One games played, with only leaders on goal difference, Lincoln – 4-0 winners against Southend – matching them.

Pompey travel to Blackpool on Saturday, August 31.

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And it appears Grayson still sees room for improvement from his side despite their already lofty league position.

Speaking to the Blackpool Gazette after the win against Oxford, the Seasiders boss said: ‘We’ve won a game, which I’m delighted about.

‘I think when I analyse the game I think it’s fair to say we were second best in all departments. Hopefully that’s an honest assessment of it all.

‘We were three or four yards off the pace, but they’re a good team.

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‘They passed it around and tired us, and if they do that they can hurt teams. But we didn’t seem to have any spark about us and the retention of the ball was poor.

‘I’m sure Karl will be disappointed not to get something out of the game because I think they deserved to get something.’

Coventry maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 2-0 victory against Bristol Rovers.

And as they prepare to travel to Fratton Park on Tuesday night, manager Mark Robins admitted the brand of football his Sky Blues are producing is something that excites everyone associated with the club.

He told Coventry Live: ‘I thought we were really good.

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‘We’re starting to look more dangerous and we’re taking more of our chances.

‘Early on I thought it was a bit frustrating, but it was good.

‘There was some good build-up, we were controlling the play and they (Bristol Rovers) might have caused us problems with us just being either sloppy or misplacing passes.

‘But I’m not going to criticise anybody for it because they’re brave. They’re playing a really attractive brand of football and they’re enjoying doing it.

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‘They look like they’re excelling at it as well and they’re getting better and better all the time.

‘There was some breath-taking stuff, some really good football and it’s good – I’m enjoying it!

‘I think the supporters are enjoying it.’

Former Blues defender Nathan Thompson wasn’t involved in Peterborough’s 2-2 draw with Ipswich.

The stalemate secured Posh their first point of the season – but manager Darren Ferguson believed it should have been three, after the Tractor Boys scored their equaliser four minutes into injury-time.

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He told the Peterborough Telegraph: ‘Given the performance we gave, we deserved to win the match.

‘But as I've said to the players, every game we've lost a set-piece goal, apart from against Oxford last Saturday. We're conceding far too many goals from set-pieces.

‘We know the problem and we have to stop it. It's as simple as that.

‘An individual has lost his man, not that I'm going to blame the individual because it's a team game, but it's too easy.

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‘They put the ball in the box, it was a free header and a goal from an individual mistake.’

Other results: Wimbledon 1-1 Accrington; Burton 0-1 Rotherham; Doncaster Rovers 3-2 Fleetwood; Shrewsbury 0-0 Rochdale; Tranmere 5-0 Bolton; Wycombe 3-2 MK Dons.

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