Saturday’s Round Up: Vanarama National League

Craig Clay’s 78th minute strike ensured a deserved point for the O’s in E10.

Nortei Nortey fired the visitors into a first half lead, but Clay was on hand to equalise 12 minutes from time as the O’s dominated much of the second half.

Chris Holroyd scored twice for Wrexham, making it five games unbeaten, as they moved to second in the table – just a point behind Dover.

Holroyd gave the Dragons the advantage after 28 minutes.

Kevin Roberts’ cross from the by-line reached the striker whose mis-hit shot found the back of the net.

And Holroyd then doubled their lead with a 74th minute penalty after he was brought down in the area by Chris Bush and the striker converted the resulting penalty.

It’s now nine games without a win for FC Halifax Town after they were beaten 3-2 at Gander Green Lane by third-placed Sutton United.

The Shaymen never really got going against a vibrant Sutton side, who went two-up through Ross Lafayette in first half injury-time and then Craig Dundas just shy of the hour-mark before Tom Denton pulled a goal back on 64 minutes.

But Lafayette scored again on 73 minutes to put the home side 3-1 ahead.

Matty Brown missed a late penalty for the visitors who came to rue that as 5 minutes from time, Scott Garner pulled a second back from close range after Denton’s header was saved.

Boreham Wood played out a solid 0-0 draw with Macclesfield Town at Moss Rose, as they continued their unbeaten run in all competitions.

It was a match of half-chances, as the Wood nullified the SIlkmen’s threat, who had sat in second place in the National League prior to the fixture.

A goal in each half from Aldershot Town saw Hartlepool United lose out 2-0 on a disappointing afternoon at Victoria Park.

It was a tight first half, with few chances at either end, but it was the visitors who made the move that counted, grabbing a lead in the last few seconds of the first half.

A decent run forward by Jim Kellermann saw him pick out James Rowe who in turn crossed into the box where Bernard Mensah arrived to send a header into the back of the net to give the visitors a late lead.

While Pools probably saw more of the ball, they struggled to break into the final third as both sides cancelled out the threat of the other.

And then the sucker punch came on 86 minutes as Kellermann burst forward and showed a cool head to pick his spot and send the ball into the roof of the net to make it 2-0 to Aldershot.

Maidstone United are sixth, but will be disappointed to have been held to a 1-1 draw at the Gallagher Stadium by lowly Solihull Moors.

Especially after Joe Pigott scored for the Stones after just 42 seconds with his 10th goal of the season.

But Moors, who started the day bottom of the table and with former Cheltenham and Kidderminster Harriers boss Mark Yates in charge for the first time, levelled through Kwane Thomas in the 64th minute.

United pushed for a winner but might even have lost the game in the last 10 minutes.

Solihull moved off bottom spot as Torquay United were beaten 2-0 at Mill Farm by AFC Fylde.

The Coasters took a 34th minute lead when United failed to clear the ball, and in-form striker Danny Rowe’s movement created enough space for him to find the bottom corner from 20-yards.

And the prolific Rowe killed off any hopes the Gulls had of getting anything from the game when he made it 2-0 after 69 minutes after Torquay had failed to keep the ball out of their box and he headed home from 10 yards out.

Bromley are seventh, but were held to a 1-1 Hayes Lane draw by lowly Chester FC.

The cold and wet crowd of 1,129 saw both goals scored within a minute of each other.

The visitors took a 14th minute lead when Ross Hannah latched on to a good ball from Lucas Dawson to squeeze a shot past David Gregory.

But seconds later, Bromley equalised when Luke Wanadio`s effort was parried by Chester `keeper Alex Lynch, but the ball fell kindly for Louis Dennis to equalise.

Striker Hannah turned defender in the second half to keep his side on level terms when he cleared Dan Johnson`s header off the line.

Dagenham & Redbridge came back from 2-0 down to beat third-bottom Guiseley AFC at Victoria Road.

The Lions took a 19th minute lead when Lee Molyneux shot from distance and finds the back of the net past Mark Cousins.

And 5 minutes later, they shocked their hosts by doubling their advantage when Mike Fondop-Talom tapped in following a rebound.

The Daggers battled back and reduced the deficit on the half-hour mark when
Sam Ling made a brilliant run down the line and squared the ball perfectly for Morgan Ferrier to fire into the top corner past Jonny Maxted.

And then 3 minutes into first half injury-time, Dagenham wiped out Guiseley`s advantage when skipper Scott Doe tapped in a low corner from Cory Whitely.

Maxted made several decent saves to keep the visitors on level terms in the second half, but was finally beaten 10 minutes from time when Ferrier was played through, squared the ball for Whitely, whose shot rebounded into the path of Luke Howell, who finished to win it for the Daggers.

Woking were another side who missed the chance to move closer to the top six when they were also held to a home draw.

The Cards were held to a 1-1 draw by mid-table Maidenhead United at Kingfield.

Bouyed by their stunning Emirates FA Cup replay win at SkyBet League One Bury in midweek, Woking were stunned when the visitors took a 10th minute lead when Adrian Clifton fired a 20-yard strike into the bottom corner.

Woking levelled 6 minutes before the break when Chez Isaac`s corner was tapped home from close range by Charlie Carter.

But the hosts couldn`t find a winner and they found Magpies `keeper Carl Pentney in terrific form.

Gateshead moved up to eleventh in the table – and a fourth win in five matches – after beating underperforming Tranmere Rovers 1-0 at the International Stadium.

In contrast to Woking, Rovers could be forgiven for still suffering from shock after their FA Cup mauling by Peterborough United, but they battled hard.

It looked as though Micky Mellon`s side were going to hold out for a decent point – until the 3rd minute of stoppage time at the end of the game when Tranmere`s Ritchie Sutton diverted the ball past keeper Scott Davies in attempting to block Richard Peniket`s cross-shot.

Barrow AFC recorded their first away win of the season at the Silverlake Stadium to push Eastleigh down to eighteenth in the table.

After seven defeats away from the Furness Building Society Stadium, the Bluebirds took a 32nd minute lead when Byron Harrison kept his composure to put Ady Pennock’s side ahead after pouncing on an error by new Eastleigh signing Simon Heslop.

And then, 10 minutes into the second half, Jimmy Dunne’s curling effort beat Graham Stack to double the visitors lead.

It was Barrow’s first away victory since April.