Round-Up: Vanarama National League South

And perhaps like Brackley Town, St Albans City wouldn`t have featured in many of the pundits pre-season list of candidates for the title.

However, a 1-0 win at Tatnam against Poole Town made if five wins from five games for Ian Allinson`s side.

The only goal of the game came 5 minutes before the break when Rhys Murrell-Williamson got on the end of Zane Banton`s pass and found the far corner of the net.

East Thurrock United, Dartford and newly-promoted Bognor Regis Town are the other sides yet to taste defeat after Saturday`s round of matches.

The Rocks shared a 2-2 draw at Hardenhuish Park against new boys Chippenham Town.

Lewis Smith scored twice in 5 minutes at the start of the second half to complete a comeback for the visitors, who were 2-0 down at the break.

David Pratt had given the Bluebirds a 9th minute lead that Will Richards doubled 10 minutes before the interval.

The hosts almost nicked it late on but keeper Lucas Lidakevicius was equal to the shots that came his way, as the Rocks continued their unbeaten start to term.

Dartford emphatically earned a second win to go with their three draws after a 7-1 demolition of Oxford City at Princes Park.

The Darts were already 4-0 to the good with goals from Richard Sho-Silva after 9 minutes, Lyle Della-Verde 6 minutes later, Alfie Pavey on 24 minutes and Lee Noble on the half-hour mark when City had Freddie Grant dismissed for a bad challenge on Ryan Hayes.

Five minutes after the break, Warren Mfula made it a nap hand and, after Matt Patterson had netted a consolation for the visitors 2 minutes later, completed his hat-trick in the 61st and 90th minutes as City played out the final few minutes with nine-men after they'd used all of their subs and had a player injured.

Bognor will be disappointed to have only earned a point from a 1-1 Nyewood Lane draw with a Wetson-super-Mare side who played for an hour with ten-men.

Weston started strongly, taking the lead in the 11th minute when Danny Greenslade's low set-piece was dummied by Tristan Plummer and Dayle Grubb squeezed a shot underneath Bognor keeper Dan Lincoln.

On the half-hour mark, Aden Baldwin received a straight red for denying a goalscoring opportunity and, despite their protestations, the Seagulls found themselves down to ten-men.

Bognor came out fighting, and eventually levelled on 57 minutes when a cross was floated in from the right and captain Dan Beck rose to power a header beyond Luke Purnell.

But the Rocks were unable to find a winner against the ten-men – indeed Grubb almost won it for the Seagulls near the end when he went on a lung-busting run through the heart of the Bognor side, beating several players but dragged an eventual shot into Lincoln's outstretched dive.

Welling United and Gloucester City both achieved first wins of 2017/18.

The Wings edged out Hungerford Town by the odd goal in five at Park View Road.

The home side`s player boss Jamie Coyle once again showed how it`s done with the opening goal after just 4 minutes.

Bradley Goldberg doubled Welling`s lead 11 minutes later and then Tom Bradbrook made it 3-0 with only 19 minutes gone on the clock.

However, the hosts made their supporters sweat as, after Louis Soares had reduced the deficit on the half-hour mark, he netted a second in stoppage time at the end of the game to make for a nervy finale.

And at Evesham United’s Spiers & Hartwell Jubilee Stadium, Gloucester edged out Hemel Hempstead Town.

The Tudors were 5 minutes away from grabbing a point from a goalless draw when the Tigers pounced.

Substitute Karnell Chambers flicked on a cross into the path of Joe Hanks, who couldn’t miss at the back post to register City’s first win of the season.

Whitehawk are rooted to the bottom of the table after a fifth successive defeat.

The Hawks were undone on Canvey Island as Concord Rangers recorded their second success.

Jordan Cox`s goal 2 minutes before the break eventually sealed the Beachboys win.

Two second-half goals condemned newly-promoted Havant & Waterlooville to their first defeat of the season as Bath City won 2-1 at Westleigh Park for their second success.

The home side led at the break through a 35th minute Jason Prior goal but the visitors hit back with two strikes soon after the restart.

Marvin Morgan equalised on 47 minutes and Bristol City loanee Connor Lemonheigh-Williamson added a second on 56 minutes.

Goals from Chris Dickson and Lee Barnard secured a perfect bounce-back for Chelmsford City following last Monday night's loss to St Albans.

Dickson’s goal midway through the first half set Chelmsford on their way to a 2-0 win at Wealdstone.

The City striker reeled onto a Michael West through ball and unleashed a fizzing shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Lee Barnard doubled City’s advantage on 67 minutes as he weaved his way into the box, being fouled on his way, and the Clarets striker executed another penalty to get his third goal of the season.

Jamie Howell`s Eastbourne Borough side earned their first win of the 2017/18 campaign in a 1-0 success at Treyew Road against Truro City.

The only goal came right at the end of the match with an angled drive from Ryan Worrall.

Relegated Braintree Town made it three wins from five after a 2-1 win against ten-man Hampton & Richmond Borough at Cressing Road.

Despite a late Charlie Wassmer goal, the Beavers went down to defeat in front of the BT Sport cameras.

Phil Roberts scored just before half-time for the hosts before Billy Crook converted a spot-kick on 54 minutes following Max Kretzschmar's foul in the box.

Ten minutes later, Jack Cook was dismissed for denying the goalscoring opportunity, pulling back the Braintree player on the edge of the box.
In added time, Wassmer managed to head home a loose ball after the home keeper came out and made a hash of an attempted clearance, but in the end it was only a consolation.