The 2017-18 Season Review: Looking Back On October

National League:

Macclesfield begun to rise - but it was still Dover Athletic everyone was talking about.

An unbeaten month for the Whites saw them cling on to top spot, but the Silkmen were enjoying what was proving itself to be a hard-to-call division and they were making early season strides.

Richard Money returned to the league, given the Solihull Moors job after Liam McDonald’s departure. He won’t last long.

Paul Cox threw in the towel at Barrow and his successor Ady Pennock got off to a great start, a 3-1 win over Aldershot gave great hope - but incredibly it would be their final home win until the season’s final month.

The Manager of the Month, though, came from a club recovering from a poor start. Hartlepool United manager Craig Harrison got the October gong after they jumped six places.

Wrexham ended the month just one win from first place and it looked like this could be the year the Dragons make movement in the battle to regain Football League status.

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National League North:

The first day of the month saw Darlington’s Martin Gray becoming the Minstermen’s boss. A few weeks later and it was Nuneaton Town who saw Tommy Wright leave to take over the Quakers.

This really was the time for alterations as FC United of Manchester made a big change with their first ever boss Karl Marginson leaving the club, striker Tommy Greaves was put in caretaker charge and after some positive results would get the role permanently.

Another side who made a managerial appointment were Southport who were now looking down rather than up after a loss in form, ex England international Kevin Davies was handed his first chance of management.

Now back to what happened on the pitch, as October started with Leamington picking up a surprise win at Salford City, this would be the start of an unbeaten month for the Brakes and in the end would prove crucial in their survival from the drop zone.

An unbeaten October for Harrogate Town again showed that the race for promotion would certainly have two teams competing for it.

While sides including Kidderminster Harriers and Stockport County were outside the play-off places, but by only a few points with plenty of time for them to catch up to take a top seven finish.

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National League South:

The month began with `Non-League Day` being enjoyed throughout the league, with a variety of special offers to get extra fans in the grounds.

New Whitehawk boss Steve King made plenty of changes in order to try and get the Sussex side off the foot of the table.

Poole Town end an eight-game winless run with a 3-2 success at Oxford City.

Braintree continued to head the table on goal difference with Chelmsford second and St Albans third.

Whitehawk remained rooted to the bottom after going down to a 3-1 defeat at the Enclosed Ground to Hampton & Richmond.

Dartford, who would go on to spend the majority of the campaign in the top two or three, go joint top after a 2-1 win against Bath.