Last weekend was one focussed on the lower end of the Football League, as the top two flights took a hiatus and set off around the world for the second international break of the season.

Sky Bet League Two exploded into life with a total of 31 goals scored across the 11 matches played. Port Vale’s hosting of Tranmere Rovers emerged as a highlight as the two midtable sides wrestled to a stunning 3-4 victory for Tranmere.

Vale led 2-0 at halftime but were reduced to ten men just seven minutes later when midfielder Luke Joyce was shown a red card. The visitors brought the score level-pegging within 20 minutes of the dismissal before Devante Rodney put the Valiants ahead again only four minutes later. Vale hearts were broken by two goals in stoppage time which stole all three points for the Super White Army.

Carlisle United netted their 13th home goal of the season – the joint-second most across England’s top four tiers – as they surrendered their 100 per cent home record to a 2-1 loss at the hands of Cheltenham Town. Cheltenham, whose two first-half strikes were enough to see off the Cumbrians, leapfrogged three clubs and put themselves in the automatic promotion spots with what was only their second win in 14 visits to Brunton Park.

Nigel Clough chalked up his first league win as manager of Mansfield Town on Saturday with a 1-2 defeat of Forest Green Rovers. The Nottingham Forest legend left his post at Burton Albion in May and had been without a job until he replaced Graham Coughlan at the beginning of November.

Although the win lifted the Stags further from the relegation zone in terms of position, it did little to create a gap from the drop as both of its occupants, Scunthorpe United and Southend United, both ran out as victors on the road at Oldham Athletic and Walsall respectively.

Colchester United’s Jevani Brown continued his glistening scoring form with two either side of halftime in a 2-1 win over Leyton Orient. The Jamaican has found the net five times in three matches, boosting him to third in the top scorers standings.

Paul Mullin leads the way in the charts for most goals so far this term. The 26-year-old, who was named League Two Player of the Month for October, has bagged 11 goals in 12 appearances and sits four goals clear of Harrogate Town’s Jack Muldoon, whose late equaliser against Crawley Town increased his tally to seven for the season.

Newport County boss Michael Flynn swooped the honours of October’s Manager of the Month after leading the Exiles to six wins from seven league matches throughout the month.