Walsall's saddle finally fell off their horse this weekend as they dropped their first points of the season at the eighth hurdle, the Saddlers only able to draw 0-0 at home to Wigan. That stalemate cost Walsall dear too as the three sides below them all won at home, Carlisle beating Accrington Stanley 3-1 at thanks to a brace of goals from Mark Beck and a single strike from Josh Todd, Burnley defeating Oldham 2-1 with an injury time winner and Preston thumping fifth placed Bury 5-0 on Friday afternoon.
As for the league table all that action means that it's now United, with 24 points from eight wins and three losses, who stand proudly at the top of the table on goal difference from Burnley, with Preston a further point back in third, although Walsall are still in the box seat really as they are only two points off the pace but they do have three games in hand on everyone above them.
Elsewhere in the division meanwhile there were plenty of goals as Morecambe, in bottom spot but now only a point behind Wigan, beat fellow strugglers Blackpool 3-1 at home, while Port Vale won 4-2 at Shrewsbury and Stockport hammered Macclesfield 5-2 at home. The only side joining Walsall in failing to score at home at the weekend being Tranmere, with the Wirral side being on the wrong end of 4-0 hammering against Wrexham.
For the next couple of weeks for most clubs it's cup action from now on for a short while, with Carlisle themselves facing Sheffield Wednesday at home on Tuesday night in the FA Youth Cup, Bradford City away in the League Cup on Saturday - Preston against Burnley being the standout tie in that competition, then on Saturday 12th November it's down to St Bees for a Cumberland Cup tie.
Result in the division on Friday 28th October
Preston North End 5-0 Bury (2pm)
Results in the division on Saturday 29th October
Burnley 2-1 Oldham Athletic
Carlisle United 3-1 Accrington Stanley (11am)
Morecambe 3-1 Blackpool
Shrewsbury Town 2-4 Port Vale
Stockport County 5-2 Macclesfield Town
Tranmere Rovers 0-4 Wrexham
Walsall 0-0 Wigan Athletic
Youth Alliance Cup - Northern Section Round One
Friday 4th November
Notts County v Wrexham (2pm)
Saturday 5th November
Preston North End v Burnley
Bradford City v Carlisle United (12noon)
Rotherham United v Accrington Stanley
Macclesfield Town v Hull City
Shrewsbury Town v Stockport County
Chesterfield v Oldham Athletic
Port Vale v Morecambe
Rochdale v Grimsby Town
Blackpool v Tranmere Rovers
Wigan Athletic v Scunthorpe United
Doncaster Rovers v Walsall
Darlington v Hartlepool United
Bury & Burton Albion both receive a bye through to Round Two
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