Burton Albion, who were denied promotion after featuring in the play-offs last season, are setting the pace again in Sky Bet League Two.
They displaced Morecambe at the top of the table thanks to a 2-1 win away to Mansfield Town with goals from Alex MacDonald and Callum McFadzean, despite having Robbie Weir sent off for a headbutt with two minutes left.
Ian Sharps, the Burton captain, said: “We definitely don’t want to rest on our laurels. Maybe the games have caught up on us in the last few weeks at a high intensity, but we’ve only used 18 or 19 players so far in seven games. We’re happy that we’re unbeaten, but I think there’s even more to come from us.”
Cheltenham Town moved up to second, thanks to a goal in stoppage time that earned a 1-0 home win over struggling Hartlepool United, who have won only once in five games.
The winner was the third goal this season from Koby Arthur, a substitute, after another substitute, John Marquis, also made an impact on his debut after moving on loan from Millwall.
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Shaun North, the Cheltenham coach, said: “Koby managed to time his run to perfection and score with a great header. I was pleased with the performance.”
Morecambe, meanwhile, are down to third after dropping points for the first time this season, losing 2-1 away to Tranmere Rovers.
It leaves Burton, Cheltenham, Shrewsbury Town and York City as the only unbeaten teams in the division. Shrewsbury’s reward is fourth place in the wake of a 2-0 home win over Luton Town.
Both goals came from Jordan Clark, who had never scored in the Football League. He said: “Those have been coming. I’ve been working hard and it’s a proud day for me and my family.”