It's a windy day at Priestfield and Gillingham skipper Bradley Dack has opted for a change of ends.

The hosts lump it forward straight away to try and make the most of the conditions but it's straight through to Barnet keeper Cieran Slicker.

That didn't take long ... Ruari Paton has an audacious pop from at least 35 yards out for the home side, his fizzing effort looping a foot or so over the bar of the backpedalling Plymouth keeper Conor Hazard.

Away we go… it’s been 364 minutes since Port Vale scored a goal, Devante Cole popping in a late equaliser at AFC Wimbledon way back on 11 October. Does the drought end today?

Plymouth’s last point was even longer ago, a 1-1 draw with Wigan on 4 October.

Worst attack v worst defence on a really filthy day in Burslem.

Something’s got to give…

Plenty of bobble hats and scarves on the terraces this lunchtime. It's that time of year again, folks.

But what it does mean is plenty of football to enjoy.

We're off and running in our three early kick-offs across League One and League Two.

66 players, six coaches and three refs are out of the tunnel... plus we have tens of thousands of fans in the stands... we're all set.

Kick-off in our lunchtime feast of football is moments away...

Image source, Opta

Darren Moore has made one change from the Vale XI which drew 0-0 with Wycombe last Saturday.

Wing-back Jaheim Headley returns in place of Marvin Johnson, who limped off in the first half against the Chairboys and misses out entirely.

Tom Cleverley has made two changes from the Argyle side which went down 3-1 to Huddersfield last time out on 8 November.

Alex Mitchell and Bali Mumba are back with Bradley Ibrahim missing out with a serious ankle injury and Owen Oseni dropping to the bench, where Joe Ralls makes his first appearance.

Image source, Opta

Image source, Opta

There are three changes for Harrogate as the hosts pick Jacob Slater, Jack Evans and Shawn McCoulsky in place of Ben Fox, Ellis Taylor and Reece Smith.

Walsall make four alterations from their defeat to Colchester with Priestley Farquarson, Jamille Matt, Jid Okeke and Lewis Warrington coming in to replace Rico Browne, Connor Barrett, Courtney Clarke and Aaron Pressley.

Saddlers fans may have their eyebrows raised at the absence of star-man Pressley from the squad with Jamille Matt making a rare start for the promotion challengers.

Image source, Opta

Image source, Opta

Gillingham boss Gareth Ainsworth makes three changes from the 2-2 draw with Crawley last weekend.

Forward Seb Palmer-Houlden returns to the side, Jonny Williams comes into the midfield and Aaron Rowe also starts.

Nelson Khumbeni and Josh Andrews drop to the bench but defender Andy Smith is not in the squad.

Meanwhile, midfielder Armani Little isn’t available after being suspended for two matches after admitting using using offensive, insulting or abusive language in the FA Cup loss at Newport.

Dean Brennan makes just one alteration for Barnet from their goalless draw at Cambridge as Kane Smith comes in for Ben Winterburn, who is among the subs.

Image source, Opta

Image source, Shutterstock

We have a huge game at the foot of the third tier to kick us off this lunchtime as basement-boys Plymouth head to Port Vale, one point and one place ahead of them.

Vale are winless in six and have the worst home record in the division, taking only six points from eight games at Vale Park, while the goalless draw at home to Wycombe last Saturday was a fourth straight game without a goal – their worst run in more than two years.

Darren Moore knows it's a massive game, and wants the Vale fans to play their part.

What's gone wrong at Plymouth, is a question people have been asking for months now.

The Greens have lost their past four – their worst run in the third tier in more than four years – and the omens aren’t great for under-fire boss Tom Cleverley ahead of this crunch clash.

Vale have a fine recent record against the Pilgrims, winning six of the past seven encounters and keeping five clean sheets in that run.

Argyle have lost on eight of their past 11 visits to Vale Park, failing to keep a single clean sheet and conceding more than two goals per game on average.

Image source, Shutterstock

Walsall travel to Harrogate hoping to bounce back from last weekend's defeat to Colchester and potentially reclaim their spot at the top of League Two.

Harrogate are winless in the league since September but have brought back former captain Josh Falkingham and signed ex-Newport County defender Kyle Jameson.

Walsall are winless across their last three league games against sides from Yorkshire (D2 L1), after winning five of their prior seven (L2).

Harrogate have lost 16 points from winning positions in League Two so far this season, the most of any side in the competition, which includes a 1-1 draw with Notts County last weekend despite leading until the 93rd minute.

When it comes to head-to-head, Harrogate Town have won just one of their five home league games against Walsall in the EFL (D2 L2), losing each of their last two via 2-0 scorelines.

Image source, Shutterstock

Gillingham missed the chance to strengthen their promotion bid last weekend in their entertaining 2-2 draw with Crawley.

It means Gareth Ainsworth's side have now won just one of their previous seven games (D2 L4) in League Two and could really do with three points to get their quest to return to the third tier for the first time since 2022 back on track.

A win for the Gills will see them climb into the automatic promotion spots, even if only temporarily.

They face a Barnet side who have applied themselves excellently since winning promotion from the National League last season despite a four-match winless run (D3 L1) coming into this one.

Victory for the Bees would move them level on points with a cluster of teams battling for the play-offs and would be an excellent way to plant an orange flag in the ground to show they could well be here to stay.

Image source, Opta/Shutterstock

What a division this is shaping up to be.

The top half are separated by just six points and the relegation scrap is bubbling up nicely too, with Peterborough's stunning win over Stockport on Thursday night lifting them away from the foot of the table and also sending Lincoln top, as County's goal difference took a hit.

The Imps will seek to stay there, at least, as they head to Wycombe, who will be eyeing a return to the play-offs themselves, while 3rd and 4th face-off as Bradford head to Bolton.

Cardiff head to Northampton and Stevenage host Doncaster as they seek to keep up the pace with AFC Wimbledon hot on their heels ahead of the visit of Wigan while Luton head to Barnsley with a big three points at stake in the play-off race.

At the foot of the table the bottom two meet in our lunchtime kick-off while Blackpool head to Leyton Orient at 3pm seeking to overhaul Exeter, whose game at home to Burton has been postponed after a fire at the stadium and Reading will seek to pull away from trouble as they welcome Rotherham.

Image source, Rex Features

Walsall surrendered top spot in League Two to Swindon with defeat last weekend, but the Saddlers will have the chance to return to the summit in the early kick-off at Harrogate before the Robins host Grimsby later.

The other early game sees promotion hopefuls Gillingham looking to move into the top three as they host Barnet, who themselves could close in on the play-off spots with a victory.

Later on, a number sides with aspirations of going up meet each other as Crewe host Chesterfield, while Salford travel to Bromley.

• Gillingham v Barnet (12:30)
• Harrogate v Walsall (12:30)
• Barrow v Cambridge
• Bromley v Salford
• Cheltenham v Bristol Rovers
• Crawley v Accrington
• Crewe v Chesterfield
• Fleetwood v Shrewsbury
• Notts County v Colchester
• Oldham v Newport
• Swindon v Grimsby
• Tranmere v MK Dons

Here's what we have on the agenda in League One today.

A reminder that Exeter's clash with Burton has been postponed due to fire damage at St James Park.

• Exeter P-P Burton Albion
• Port Vale v Plymouth (12:30)
• AFC Wimbledon v Wigan
• Barnsley v Luton
• Bolton v Bradford
• Leyton Orient v Blackpool
• Mansfield v Huddersfield
• Northampton v Cardiff
• Reading v Rotherham
• Stevenage v Doncaster
• Wycombe v Lincoln

Image source, Shutterstock

Good afternoon!

Happy the international breaks are very much a thing of the past for a while?

Now it's full steam ahead for the foreseeable in the EFL - until the end of March to be exact.

We've got a blockbuster matchday ahead of us with some huge games in both League One and League Two.

Looking forward to it? We are. So, let's not waste another second in getting stuck into it then...