If Tuesday night's EFL Trophy group phase told us anything, it is that League One sides are in no mood to be charitable hosts to Premier League development squads. Both Leicester City and Stevenage came away with emphatic wins, though by rather different routes.

Leicester turn on the style

Russell Martin named a strong Leicester side, and they made their quality count early and emphatically. Bosnian striker Admir Bristric, one of the summer arrivals at the club, had a hat-trick inside 34 minutes to put the contest beyond any realistic doubt. Tommy Watson, whose performances have already attracted a good deal of attention this season, added two more before the interval to leave Fulham's under-21s staring at a 5-0 half-time deficit.

The second half brought a Fulham consolation before Bobby De Cordova-Reid, netting against his former club, rounded off a 6-1 scoreline. Watson, who had provided three assists in the first half, came within inches of the match ball himself when he struck the post late on. It was, by any measure, a performance full of intent from a Leicester side that Martin has spoken about wanting to play a particular way. On this evidence, the message is getting through.

The result also confirms Leicester's progress in Southern Group B, though the Trophy remains a secondary consideration for any club with serious League One ambitions. What matters more is that players are sharp, combinations are clicking, and confidence is building. A 6-1 win, however routine the opposition, does no harm on any of those counts.

Stevenage six of the best

Down the same Southern Group B, Stevenage were equally ruthless away at Walsall, winning 6-1 to mirror their group companions almost exactly. Michael Mellon was the standout, claiming a hat-trick on the night in what will be a pleasing return for the striker and a handy boost for a squad looking to maintain momentum.

It is worth keeping a sense of proportion about cup competition results. Stevenage faced a Football League side rather than an under-21 team, but Walsall are not in League One, and Tuesday's fixture is outside the third-tier competition this site ordinarily tracks in detail. Still, a 6-1 away win is a 6-1 away win. It is the sort of result that does the squad's goal difference no harm and, perhaps more importantly, keeps fringe players in rhythm and match-fit. For a manager building squad depth over a long season, that is not nothing.

What Tuesday tells us

Across the full round of fixtures, 93 goals were scored in 23 ties, which is the kind of number that makes a Tuesday night in September feel rather more eventful than usual. League One and League Two clubs largely had the better of Premier League development sides, which is broadly the expected pattern but was delivered with unusual frequency and margin on this occasion.

For Leicester and Stevenage supporters, the takeaway is straightforward enough. Both clubs look capable of scoring goals, and both had players stepping up in a competitive environment. The cup is not what either club was promoted or relegated to fight over, but form and fitness matter across the whole squad, and Tuesday provided a decent measure of both.

The League One season is where reputations are made or lost, and neither of these results changes the table. But given that Watson, Bristric and Mellon all contributed in the sort of fashion that builds confidence, the clubs' managers will not be entirely indifferent to what their players produced on a busy night in the third tier's satellite competition.

Frequently asked

What was Leicester City's EFL Trophy result on Tuesday?
Leicester beat Fulham Under-21s 6-1, with Admir Bristric scoring a hat-trick and Tommy Watson adding two goals in a dominant first-half display.
How did Stevenage get on in the EFL Trophy?
Stevenage won 6-1 away at Walsall, with Michael Mellon netting a hat-trick in Southern Group B.
Does the EFL Trophy count towards the League One table?
No, the EFL Trophy is a separate cup competition. Results have no effect on the League One standings, though they do keep squad players in match practice.