The League One campaign is reaching a crunch period where almost every match has something riding on it.

Fans will, naturally, be looking to their star men to pull them through this key time and help the team to escape relegation, clinch a play-off place or reach the automatic promotion spots.

D3D4 Football Podcast Ep79 – The Wizard of Posh

Yet it is not always the stand out performers that will make the most telling contribution to the success a side may or may not have. In the background there is always a few guys that, despite being excellent week-in-week-out, get overlooked.

These are the players that can truly make the difference come May.

So, with that in mind, D3D4 Football took to Twitter to ask which players the fans of clubs in League One thought were the most underrated so far this season.

Here are, along with our own picks, are the top 10 most underrated players in the third tier this season, backed up by data from the excellent InStat Football.

Read on to see who is bossing it on the quiet:

Andrew Shinne – Luton Town

Position: CM

League One minutes: 2,646

Shinnie joined Luton on loan from Birmingham last season and helped the Hatters win promotion to League One.

This season he is back at Kenilworth Road after completing a permanent transfer in the summer and has been excellent yet is not a name that immediately springs to mind when you think of the success this team’s had this season.

He may not be the most creative player in the team although he has created 16 chances this campaign, or the biggest goal threat from midfield but he does everything well and in a side that relies on dominating the central areas this is a good trait to have.

Should be getting more praise for the work he does and, hopefully, now he will.

Key stat: Andrew Shinnie has put in at least nine more tackles (131) than any other Luton Town player this season.

Mouhamado-Naby Sarr – Charlton Athletic

Position: CD

League One minutes: 2,199

Charlton have, rightly, been given massive credit for the position they find themselves in this season and the likes of Karlan Grant and Lyle Taylor are often the names associated with this even though the former left in January.

Jason Pearce is a great defender too but Naby Sarr has stepped up massively this season and will be no stranger to those who keep an eye on the D3D4, InStat Football Team of the Weeks. He has been the Charlton man that frequents them more than any other player.

His strength and solidity have helped the Addicks cement a place in the top six for almost the entire campaign and his consistency is, arguably, his biggest asset.

The defender rarely puts a foot wrong and will likely be a star man for Charlton over the next few seasons.

Key stat: No Charlton defender has directly contributed to more goals in League One this season than Mouhamado-Naby Sarr (3, two goals and one assist)

Dominic Hyam – Coventry City

Position: CD

League One minutes: 2,720

It may be well documented that Coventry have had their problems taking the chances they create this season but at the back they have been pretty solid.

Players like Dujon Sterling have been taking the praise as has star man Jordan Willis but in Dominic Hyam they have a player that is very underrated.

The 23-year-old has become one of the first names on the team sheet this season and is clearly developing into a talented prospect; another one Reading allowed to leave too early.

Key stat: Dominic Hyam has won at least 71 more defensive challenges (383) than any other Coventry City player in League One this season.

Ben Whiteman – Doncaster Rovers

Position: DMC

League One minutes: 3,186

Doncaster’s superb season has been attributed to the high pressing, quick passing and attacking flair that they have shown under Grant McCann but there is more to them than meets the eye.

In front of the defence they have the talents of Mr Ben Whiteman. The former Sheffield United man has been excellent. He wins tackle after tackle and also nets a fair few goals.

When you have players like James Coppinger and Mallik Wilks in front of you it is important to have a player that can pick them out and Doncaster have that in Whiteman. The 23-year-old has seven assists and three goals too showing he is effective in both attack and defence.

Key stat: Only Alex Mowatt (1,810) has completed more accurate passes from midfield than Ben Whiteman (1,499) in League One this season.

Luke O’Nien – Sunderland

Position: CM/RB

League One minutes:

When Luke O’Nien joined Sunderland this summer it was clear that they had made a good signing. The young midfielder had been excellent in helping Wycombe Wanderers get promoted from League Two in 2017/18.

He struggled to start with but has now nailed down a first team place at right-back no less.

Considering the 24-year-old has never lived away from home before he has done well to settle so quickly. In fact his displays at full-back have been so impressive that Adam Matthews, one of Sunderland’s best performers this season, has struggled to get back in the side.

He has also bagged some crucial goals for the Black Cats and, for that reason, just edges out George Honeyman in the underrated stakes.

Key stat: Of the current squad only Aiden McGeady (10) and Chris Maguire (6) have scored more goals in League One than Luke O’Nien (5) this season.

Adam Davies – Barnsley

Position: GK

League One minutes: 3,128

When you think of Barnsley you immediately look to the front line and midfield where they have talent in abundance.

Their central defenders also get a lot of praise for the work they do but one man that is neglected in the gushing accolades department is ‘keeper Adam Davies.

His performances this season have been crucial to the Tykes success and his ability to make key saves at important times, often when being on the periphery for much of the game, can’t be understated.

If Barnsley are to win the race for automatic promotion against the likes of Sunderland and Portsmouth then this guy is going to play a big part for sure.

Key stat: Only James Shea (16) has kept more clean-sheets in League One than Adam Davies this season (15).

Luke Waterfall – Shrewsbury Town

Position: CD

League One minutes: 3,218

Luke Waterfall joined Shrewsbury after being a key player at Lincoln City in League Two. It is fair to say that he didn’t exactly hit the ground running.

Following a series of sub-par displays under John Askey the centre-back slowly begun to make his mark and perform like the player that was so popular at Sincil Bank last season.

He has his limitations but what he does well is win the physical battles and get his head on practically anything that comes into the box, both his own and the opponents.

He has scored an impressive four goals in the league, not to mention a certain header in a cup game that will live long in the memory. Worthy of selection here.

Key stat: No player not currently in a top-four side has won more challenges than Luke Waterfall this season (513).

Ollie Hawkins – Portsmouth

Position: SC

League One minutes: 2,005

Ollie Hawkins may not have the swagger of a Brett Pitman but his sheer presence can have a dramatic effect on Portsmouth’s attacking success.

He is able to bring others into play by winning the vast majority of his aerial duels and when you have the likes of Gareth Evans, Ronan Curtis and Jamal Lowe in support good things usually happen.

Hawkins has bagged himself five assists and created 23 chances for his team-mates this season so it is about time he got some recognition.

Key stat: Ollie Hawkins (346) has won at least 18 more aerial challenges than any other striker in League One.

Joe Ward – Peterborough United

Position: RM

League One minutes: 2,765

Joe Ward is not a name that gets a huge amount of credit when people talk about Posh. Ivan Toney, for his goals, or Marcus Maddison, for his assists, tend to be the players that get the most accolades yet the 23-year-old midfielder should not be overlooked.

He plays with a tireless energy that allows him to contribute both defensively and going forward. He has created 13 chances this season while bagging three goals and three assists.

The other thing with Joe Ward is that you can see there is plenty of untapped potential still to be harnessed.

Key stat: No Peterborough player with multiple assists (3) has made more interceptions (146) than Joe Ward this season.

Curtis Tilt – Blackpool

Position: CD

League One minutes: 2,539

Three goals, three assists and 13 chances created in League One from centre back make Curtis Tilt one of the most underrated players in the third tier.

He joined from non-league Wrexham and has established himself as a key player in the side. There was talk of him leaving over the summer but the Tangerines were able to keep hold of him and he has been excellent for Terry McPhillips this season.

He has won 405 defensive challenges, more than any of his team mates, while contributing to the offence as well.

Should be getting more praise and will definitely have a bright future at a higher level.

Key stat: No central defender has been directly involved in more goals in League One than Curtis Tilt this season (6 – three goals, three assists)

words James Richards, D3D4 Football