Tuesday`s Round Up: Vanarama National League

The Shots dropped their first points of the 2017/18 campaign after sharing a 1-1 draw at the Gallagher Stadium against a Maidstone United side who had only picked up one point from their previous three matches.

Although it was goalless at the break, both sides had opportunities, with arguably the visitors having the better ones, with Stones` keeper Lee Worgan pulling off a marvellous save to deny Matt McClure from heading Gary Waddock`s side in front.

And it came as little surprise when the Shots did make the breakthrough with 14 minutes remaining when Jake Gallagher produced some nifty footwork in the box before firing past Worgan.

That looked as though it was going to be enough to give the visitors a fourth successive maximum point haul, but, in the 5th minute of stoppage time, Josh Hare headed Maidstone`s equaliser.

There are four other teams yet to taste defeat this season after Gateshead suffered their first loss – 1-0 at Wrexham.

And it proved to be a terrific debut for Wrexham`s newest recruit, Alex Reid.

Dragons` boss Dean Keates brought in the striker on loan from SkyBet League One side Fleetwood Town and his signing was only announced a couple of hours before kick-off.

He came off the bench on the hour-mark and grabbed the only goal of the game 10 minutes later.

However, it took a magnificent save from Wrexham `keeper Chris Dunn from a Robbie Tinkler effort in stoppage time to eventually end Gateshead`s unbeaten start and hand the hosts their second three-point haul.

The remaining teams yet to taste defeat are Bromley, Dagenham & Redbridge, Ebbsfleet United and Chester FC.

Bromley achieved the stand-out result of the night – hammering relegated Leyton Orient 6-1 at Hayes Lane.

The Ravens would probably not have appeared on many pundits` list as a side to do well this season, but they have now won two and drawn two of their opening four fixtures.

But, having managed only 2 goals in their previous three games, Neil Smith`s side certainly found their shooting boots on Tuesday!

It was 1-0 after 11 minutes with a George Porter header and 6 minutes before the break, Jack Holland doubled the home side`s lead with another header from a Frankie Sutherland corner.

Ten minutes into the second period, Josh Rees made it 3-0 from close in, and 7 minutes later it was really game over as Adam Mekki fired past Charlie Grainger in the O`s goal to make it 4-0.

On 67 minutes, the visitors earned some ironic cheering from the home crowd when Macauley Bonne reduced the deficit, but a second for Holland on 75 minutes and made it a nap hand and sub Brett Williams rubbed more salt into the O`s wounds with a sixth with less than 2 minutes to go.

The Daggers and newly-promoted Ebbsfleet shared a 3-3 thriller at Victoria Road as both remained unbeaten.

However, it looked as though Fleet were heading for defeat as they trailed 2-0 at half-time to a 22nd minute Cory Whitely shot and a goal right on the whistle from loan signing Kevin Lokko – and it could have been worse for the visitors had goakeeper Nathan Ashmore not denied Whitely from bagging a second from the penalty spot.

But on the hour-mark, Jack Powell pulled one back for Fleet with a free-kick – 2 minutes after taking off his tracksuit top – only for the Daggers to restore their two-goal advantage less than 5 minutes later with a lovely curling effort from Morgan Ferrier.

The deficit was cut again just 3 minutes later through Luke Coulson and then 10 minutes from time, striker Danny Kedwell completed the comeback with a headed equaliser.

Chester are also yet to taste defeat, albeit from only three games played, but have also yet to win as they achieved a third successive draw, 1-1 at relegated Hartlepool United, for whom this was only their second point.

The visitors couldn`t have wished for a better start as they took the lead inside the opening minute when much-travelled striker Ross Hannah took advantage of a defensive slip to set up James Akintunde to beat Scott Loach from close range.

Pools struck the woodwork later on through Nicky Deverdics and home fans were wondering if it was going to be `one of those nights` when Carl Magnay`s teriffic volley from 20 yards also crashed back off the bar.

But in the 71st minute, they did find a way past Chester `keeper Conor Mitchell when Jake Cassidy rose highest to head in the leveller.

Woking held on for a second victory of the season to maintain a perfect home record after seeing off a strong Eastleigh side, thanks to an Inih Effiong strike and an own goal by Gavin Hoyte, while Nathan Baxter saved a penalty to secure the points for Anthony Limbrick’s team.

After riding out a dangerous start by Eastleigh, who hit the woodwork twice in the opening half-hour, a goal just before half-time from Effiong gave Woking a much-needed lead which was doubled early in the second half as Hoyte diverted an Effiong cross into his own net.

But the Spitfires produced a fierce fight-back with two penalties in 2 minutes, the first one from Ben Williamson saved well by goalkeeper Baxter, but the Chelsea loanee was powerless to stop the second taken by Ayo Obileye.

Despite both teams hunting further goals, Woking saw out a late Eastleigh assault on Baxter’s goal to clinch a second victory from the opening four games of Anthony Limbrick’s Woking career.

As well as Eastleigh, Macclesfield Town and newly-promoted AFC Fylde suffered their first defeats of 2017/18.

The Silkmen got off to a great start at Gander Green Lane against Sutton United when Scott Wilson put them in front inside 2 minutes with a 25-yard effort.

And as the game wore on, that looked more and more likely to be a winning goal.

However, 5 minutes before the end of normal time, sub Moses Emmanuel equalised from close range, and then a minute later, Tommy Wright grabbed the U`s winner from 6 yards.

The Coasters came up against a striker in prime form in Maidenhead United`s Dave Tarpey.

Questions over whether he would be able to be as prolific at the top of the non-League Pyramid are already being answered in the positive and he grabbed all FOUR of the Magpies goals at Mill Farm to inflict a 4-1 defeat on the team who came up with them at the end of last season.

But the turning point in the match was the 23rd minute sending-off of Fylde`s Josh Langley for bringing down Tarpey in the box.

The marksman dusted himself off after a lengthy delay due to an injury to Langley before firing the resulting penalty past Rhys Taylor

Then on 37 minutes, Maidenhead were awarded a second spot-kick when Lewis Montrose was adjudged to have handled in the box and Tarpey again converted.

But Montrose gave the Coasters some hope when he pulled one back in first half injury-time.

However, Tarpey completed his hat-trick just shy of the hour-mark, rounding Taylor after a good through ball, and made it 4-1 with 12 minutes remaining direct from a free-kick.

Solihull Moors are off the dreaded `nil-point` mark after sharing a 3-3 draw at the Automated Technology Group Stadium against Barrow AFC.

However, it didn`t look good for Liam McDonald`s side as the Bluebirds raced into a 2-0 lead with goals from summer signing Dave Neiskens after 20 minutes and Dan Jones on the half-hour mark with an amazing free-kick from the half-way line after noticing Moors` keeper Connal Trueman was off his line.

But again, the turning point in this match was the 56th minute dismissal of Jimmy Dunne with a straight red card after a scuffle in the Barrow penalty area.

Five minutes later, Joel Kettle headed Moors back into the game and on 70 minutes, Dapo Afolayan equalised.

Former Forest Green Rovers and Birmingham favourite Darren Carter then put the home side in front after 73 minutes.

And that looked like completing a tremendous comeback – until, 5 minutes into stoppage time, Barrow were awarded a penalty for a foul on Moussa Diarra and sub Harry Panayiotou kept his cool to send Trueman the wrong way for a dramatic leveller.

Dover Athletic made the midweek trek to Yorkshire fully worthwhile as they returned from The Shay will all three points from a 2-1 win against promoted FC Halifax Town.

But quite a number of the 1,486 crowd had started to make their way out of the ground when all the action occurred!

Mitch Brundle broke the deadlock to surely win it for the Whites with less than 3 minutes to go.

But big striker Tom Denton headed the equaliser in the first minute of stoppage time.

And 4 further minutes on, sub Tobi Sho-Silva won it for Dover.

The natives are beginning to get restless at Torquay United as Kevin Nicholson`s side suffered a third defeat in four, leaving them propping up the fledgling table with just a single point.

An impressive performance by visitors Boreham Wood saw them break the deadlock 5 minutes after half-time with a goal from Angelo Balanta.

Seven minutes later, Bruno Andrade doubled the visitors` lead, although less than a minute later, Ruairi Keating reduced the deficit.

Gulls` keeper Ryan Clarke prevented Wood from going two goals clear when he saved Balanta`s penalty and Keating made Luke Garrard`s side suffer more for the miss by equalising in the 72nd minute.

But almost straight from the restart, Shaun Jeffers restored Wood`s lead and then Bradley Sach added a fourth as the game entered stoppage time, 5 minutes after coming off the bench.

The evening`s other game saw Guiseley AFC pick up only their second point of the campaign to date after a goalless draw at Nethermoor with Tranmere Rovers.

The Lions` hero on the night was goalkeeper Joe Green, a summer signing from Scarborough Athletic, who pulled off several decent saves on his debut.