The unpopular Checkatrade Trophy set several new unwanted records as supporters continued to boycott the revamped Football League Trophy, though there was some amusement at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea Under-23s defeated Oxford United in a 34-attempt penalty shootout. The game had finished 1-1 after 90 minutes but Chelsea’s 19-year-old goalkeeper Bradley Collins scored his second attempt before then saving Oxford’s next attempt to send the hosts through 13-12.

At least 16 of the 24 games drew attendances of fewer than 1,000, with a couple of clubs setting records for their lowest attendances. Middlesbrough’s game against Shrewsbury attracted just 308 to the Riverside, while Barnet’s game against Peterborough also failed to attract more than 400. Only two games broke attendances of 1,500: Chelsea’s win and Luton’s game against Millwall, which attracted 2,251 to Kenilworth Road.

Elsewhere, Northampton lost to West Ham in a penalty shootout in front of their worst ever home crowd of 762. Both sides were already knocked out of Group D.

Portsmouth also set their worst post-war home attendance but they at least reached four figures, with 1,200 turning up at Fratton Park to see their opponents Bristol Rovers bring off their first-choice goalkeeper Kelle Roos after two minutes to circumvent the competition’s selection rules that bring a £5,000 fine if broken. His replacement, Will Puddy, conceded a penalty with his first act of the game only to save it. However, Portsmouth still won 1-0 thanks to an 88th-minute winner from Kal Naismith, with Puddy making an error. Rovers did not seem overly fussed by the result.