15th October 2000
15th October 2000 Swindon couldn't find a scent of goal until the 22nd minute when O'Halloran fired just wide. And they suffered the first of three injury set-backs when midfielder Matt Hewlett was forced off. He was later followed by Adam Willis and Gary Alexander. Swindon's best chance fell to Martin Williams after 36 minutes when he ran on to Alexander's flick, but sent his shot an inch past the post. Oldham also thought they had taken the lead within a minute, only for Dudley's header to be disallowed for offside. Oldham emerged brightly after the break and Tony Carss, along with David Eyres, one of two impressive debutantes in their midfield, was denied a goal by Bart Griemink's athletic save. The keeper denied Carss again after 49 minutes, while on-loan Paul Smith curled a good opening wide from the edge of the box.
Oldham made the breakthrough after 71 minutes as Dudley notched his first goal of the season. A 30-yard shot from Carss was intercepted by the youngster. He controlled it well and turned sharply 12 yards out before hitting a powerful right-foot strike past Griemink. The live-wire Dudley also went close with a curling shot from just outside the box. But he turned villain as the clock ticked down when referee Steve Baines showed him his second yellow for a clumsy challenge
| HOME | AWAY | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| 1 | Walsall | 12 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | +13 | 27 |
| 2 | Reading | 12 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | +15 | 23 |
| 3 | Bury | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 7 | +2 | 23 |
| 4 | Millwall | 10 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 5 | +15 | 22 |
| 5 | Wycombe | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | +5 | 21 |
| 6 | Cambridge | 10 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +10 | 20 |
| 7 | Wigan | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 7 | +5 | 20 |
| 8 | Rotherham | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 20 |
| 9 | Northampton | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 4 | +4 | 17 |
| 10 | Stoke | 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 7 | +7 | 16 |
| 11 | Bristol Rovers | 10 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 6 | +6 | 14 |
| 12 | Wrexham | 10 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 14 |
| 13 | Swansea | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -1 | 14 |
| 14 | Peterborough | 12 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 8 | -5 | 14 |
| 15 | Brentford | 10 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | -5 | 14 |
| 16 | Notts County | 12 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 9 | -7 | 12 |
| 17 | Colchester | 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 7 | -4 | 11 |
| 18 | Port Vale | 11 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 13 | -5 | 11 |
| 19 | Swindon | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 11 | -9 | 11 |
| 20 | Bristol City | 10 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | -1 | 10 |
| 21 | Bournemouth | 12 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 12 | -3 | 9 |
| 22 | Oldham | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 16 | -13 | 9 |
| 23 | Luton | 12 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 | -10 | 7 |
| 24 | Oxford | 12 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 20 | -19 | 4 |
Reading jumped into second place after beating Thames Valley rivals Wycombe 2-0. Martin Butler bagged his ninth of the season and Adrian Viveash his first for the club. Wanderers three-match winning run was as good as over when Steve Brown was sent off for violent conduct in the 64th minute.
Millwall are fourth after whacking highflying Bury 4-0 at the New Den, Neil Harris netting twice to make it nine for the season, David Livermore and Lucas Neill the other scorers as the Shakers lost for only the second time in eight starts.
Notts County are still without a home win after a 2-2 draw with Wigan and to make matters worse they had Andy Hughes and leading striker Mark Stallard sent off for violent conduct.
Sean Farrell gave them a lead cancelled out by Neil Roberts and County feared the worst when Neil Redfearn put Wigan in front from the penalty spot. Hughes rescued a point in the last minute and then received his marching orders in injury time.
Oldham ended a run of eight games without a win when Craig Dudley's goal gave them a 1-0 success over Swindon but the hero turned villain when he was sent off for a second bookable offence after 89 minutes.
Port Vale also ended a bad run, their 3-1 win over Colchester their first in eight games. Two from Tony Naylor and one from Allen Tankard did the trick. Keith Scott's reply proved no consolation as the East Anglians lost for the third time on the trot.
Giovanni Savarese flew in from Caracas to join Swansea City and celebrated with two golden goals in the 2-1 win over Stoke, the Potters losing for the first time in seven and Kyle Lightbourne's 88th-minute strike came too late.
Bristol Rovers are still without a home win after Jamie Forrester's 76th-minute strike gave Northampton a 1-0 win at the Memorial Ground, his sixth of the season.
Rotherham pulled off a fourth away win, Kevin Watson giving them a 1-0 win at Bournemouth, and Brentford won at home for the second time, Andy Scott's 80th-minute goal bringing a 1-0 win over Peterborough.