Impressive Sheffield United gain support after 4-0 rout of Bury

Goals scored is now all that is keeping Sheffield United off the top of the League One table after an emphatic 4-0 victory over strong starters Bury enabled them to emerge as 4/1 joint favourites for the title.

All the pre-season doom and gloom inspired by a dismal relegation campaign, big-name summer departures and the surprise appointment of former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Wilson has dissipated after their heaviest win yet.

Chris Porter, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Matthew Lowton and Erik Tonne did the damage to a Shakers side that had only lost twice so far on their return to this level as the Blades, who were priced at 9/1 to finish first at one stage, signalled their intentions.

But it is the similarly unbeaten MK Dons who remain in front for the time being after a 3-1 success at Carlisle made it three travelling triumphs out of three, however Karl Robinson’s team are slightly less fancied to last the pace at 9/2.

Huddersfield, the initial picks of many, have drifted to 7/1 from a pre-season perch of 5/1 after being held to a fourth draw in six by rivals Oldham. They are still undefeated in regular season action in 2011 though, so don’t count them out.

Down in League Two, Football League newcomers Crawley are leading the way once again after a magnificent 4-1 thrashing of former League One club Bristol Rovers. The manner of the win saw them pushed in from 2/1 to 6/4 to be crowned champions.

The side that the Red Devils have replaced at the summit is Rotherham, who were thwarted in their first away tie since selling star striker Adam Le Fondre to Reading 3-2 by Paolo Di Canio’s Swindon, who in the process halted a four-game losing streak.

The result had a major impact on the title prices of both teams, with Rotherham out to 8/1 from 6/1 and Swindon in from 33/1 to 28/1, though that is a far cry from their summer peak of 7/1.