Mark Heath takes a look at the biggest games and talking points around League One this weekend....

Matches of the day

There are a few tasty ties around the third tier this afternoon, as well as the tussle between Town and MK Dons at Portman Road.

The pick of the bunch is probably at Pride Park, where two of last season's relegated sides do battle as Derby County host Barnsley.

Liam Rosenior's Rams have split their opening two games in the third tier, beating Oxford 1-0 in front of 31,000 fans on opening day before losing 1-0 at Charlton last weekend.

The Tykes have done the same, just the other way around - losing at Plymouth 1-0 on opening day before beating Cheltenham 1-0 last week.

East Anglian Daily Times: Too good for League One, according to Clinton Morrison, Derby's David McGoldrickToo good for League One, according to Clinton Morrison, Derby's David McGoldrick (Image: Derby FC)

Both sides have plenty of Town links too, of course - ex-Blues David McGoldrick and Conor Hourihane are now at the Rams, while controversial former striker James Norwood is now at Barnsley.

On paper, it's a cracking match.

In the best of the rest, Plymouth host early table-toppers Peterborough - who've bagged six goals in their first two games - while Sheffield Wednesday entertain Charlton.

East Anglian Daily Times: Ellis Harrison celebrates with team-mate Gwion Edwards after scoring against Sheffield United - his one competitive goal for Ipswich Town. Photo: Steve WallerEllis Harrison celebrates with team-mate Gwion Edwards after scoring against Sheffield United - his one competitive goal for Ipswich Town. Photo: Steve Waller (Image: � Copyright Stephen Waller)

Old face, new place

Another former Town striker was on the move again this week, switching between League One rivals.

Ellis Harrison has joined Port Vale - just eight months after signing for fellow third tier side Fleetwood.

Harrison, who spent the 2018-19 season in Suffolk, scoring just once in 17 games, left the Blues for Portsmouth, where he bagged 20 strikes in 84 games, before signing for Fleetwood in January.

He scored six in 20 games there - and only agreed a new deal in May - before departing for newly-promoted Port Vale for an undisclosed fee.

The move sees him reunited with boss Darrell Clarke, for whom he played at Bristol Rovers for four years,.

Clarke said: “I know a lot about Ellis because I made him, no disrespect to him, but Ellis would tell you that himself.

“He’s a physical presence, he can run, and he has a lot of excellent elements to his game, especially once we have the hunger back into his game and he’ll be a very good talent for us.

“When I had him at Bristol Rovers, we ended up selling him for a large fee to Ipswich, so I know very well about all his strengths, his character, how he is around the dressing room and that he is a winner."

East Anglian Daily Times: Matt Taylor's Exeter City have been dealt a triple injury blow this weekMatt Taylor's Exeter City have been dealt a triple injury blow this week (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Desperate Grecians

Exeter City, one of the sides promoted from League Two last season, have enjoyed a surprisingly good start to their third tier campaign.

Matt Taylor's men are still unbeaten in all competitions, having started with a 1-1 draw at Lincoln City before following that up with a 4-0 thumping of Port Vale and crushing Cheltenham Town 7-0 away in the Carabao Cup in midweek.

But Taylor's only managed to add two players to his side so far in this window, and says he's desperate to recruit further.

"We've got to get players in," Taylor told BBC Sport. "We're trying our hardest in relation to that, we've not come off it just because we've got a couple of good results and a positive start to the season.

"We are desperate and still not able to bring players in, in terms of the market we're competing in."

Taylor said that his club simply can't compete financially with others in the division, explaining: "You've only got to look at the moves elsewhere in and around our level to say that finances are everything and money trumps the opportunity.

"It's not just down to the players, it's down to the parent clubs in relation to loans. It's fair enough, they want to obtain a certain amount of a contribution in terms of finances.

"Other clubs elsewhere at our level, and below, can pay more than we can, so the sensible thing for these parent clubs would be to loan them elsewhere because they get a better financial return.

"But in terms of player opportunity and coaching and development, we might see ourselves as a better fit."

Advice needed

The boss on the wrong end of that 7-0 Exeter beating, Cheltenham's Wade Elliott, says he's asked other managers for advice in the wake of what was his club's biggest home defeat in more than 30 years.

"I don't think that Tuesday represents us and represents what we're about," Elliott said.

"I spoke to loads of people, loads of coaches on Wednesday. Better coaches and managers than I'll ever be and they all turned around and said, 'we've all been there'.

"I spoke to good managers who have been on the end of some hideous results and I think what's really important is that it doesn't define us."

Cheltenham host Portsmouth today, with Elliott looking for a reaction from his squad.

"You can have an outlier, you can have a blip, focus on what we've been about up to this point and on Saturday you've got the opportunity to prove that it was just that, an outlier," he said.

"We've all taken responsibility. You obviously go away and analyse it. Obviously it plays on your mind so I've gone back over the prep, the team, and thought about what I would do differently again.

"The players have done the same, but there does come a point where you have to look forward. Of course you have to take lessons from it and it has to fire you up but there does come a point where you have to focus on Portsmouth."

Top scorer

Aaron Collins of newly-promoted Bristol Rovers is the league's early leading marksman, having netted three strikes in his opening two games, including a brace in their 4-0 away thumping of Burton last time out.

He'll be looking to keep that run going as Rovers host Oxford United in the early kick off at 12.30pm.

Full fixtures (3pm unless stated)

Bristol Rovers v Oxford United (12.30pm), Accrington Stanley v Burton Albion, Cambridge United v Exeter City, Cheltenham Town v Portsmouth, Derby County v Barnsley, Ipswich Town v MK Dons, Lincoln City v Forest Green Rovers, Morecambe v Fleetwood Town, Plymouth Argyle v Peterborough, Port Vale v Bolton Wanderers, Sheffield Wednesday v Charlton Athletic, Wycombe Wanderers v Shrewsbury Town