Vanarama Make Their Team Of The Weekend Picks!

Elsewhere, Barnet were 3-0 winners at Southend United to remain second, but York City were beaten 2-1 by old boy Will Davies and Sutton United at the LNER.

Aldershot Town pulled off a shock win at Oldham Athletic and Gateshead could only draw at Yeovil Town on Friday night.

Each week, title sponsors Vanarama provide their Team of the Week for the three divisions and use this column to justify their selections...

Vanarama National League

It’s been a remarkable season for Hartlepool United keeper Adam Smith. Initially signed on a short-term deal to provide cover, he later became goalkeeping coach and is now Lennie Lawrence’s No.1 having signed a deal until summer 2026.

No goalkeeper made more saves on Saturday than Smith with five in Pools’ 1-1 draw at Wealdstone.

Braintree Town’s survival hopes got a shot in the arm as they beat Solihull Moors 1-0. Luton loanee Aidan Francis-Clarke completed 14 ball recoveries for the Iron – more than any right-back on Matchday 27.

More than 350 miles separate Gateshead and Yeovil Town but on Friday night there was nothing between them in a goalless draw. Robbie Tinkler successfully completed 100% of his defensive actions in Somerset and won all his defensive duels, too.

Barnet hadn’t won in five all-competition games before Saturday’s 3-0 triumph at Southend. Danny Collinge struck twice from centre-back for the Bees while winning seven of nine aerial duels and nine of 10 defensive duels.

Tamworth put last weekend’s FA Cup defeat to Tottenham Hotspur behind them with a big 3-0 win over Boston United. Tom McGlinchey bagged a double for the Lambs and no winger had more touches in the opposition’s box (6) than the 28-year-old, who completed 22/28 passes.

Altrincham made it three consecutive all-competition wins by beating Eastleigh 2-1 on the road. Tom Crawford was the Robins’ match winner, taking his tally to six for the season and three in as many games for Phil Parkinson’s upwardly mobile side.

Forest Green Rovers aren’t reliant on one player to score their goals and on Saturday it was Liam Sercombe’s turn to be the match winner. He struck 19 minutes from time to see off Rochdale at the New Lawn. No central midfielder recorded more than his seven interceptions while misplacing just four of 40 attempted passes for the leaders.

Signed on loan from Leyton Orient at the start of the New Year, George Moncur has quickly impressed at Ebbsfleet United. He attempted three shots in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Woking – more than any other midfielder on Saturday – and completed 21/25 passes for the Fleet.

With the DAZN cameras at York Road, Maidenhead United put on a show to dispatch AFC Fylde 4-1 and record their first National League win since Boxing Day. Tristan Abrahams struck twice to hit eight for the season and did so from a league-high five shots by a striker.

No-one else in his position recorded more progressive runs (3), had more penalty area touches (7) or received more passes (19).

It took Josh Barrett just seven minutes to dismantle Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park – sort of. The Aldershot Town hitman scored his first in the 44th minute, got a second in the third minute of first-half stoppage time and struck again six minutes in the second half to seal a memorable 3-1 win.

Will Davies also had a day to remember as he returned to old club York City with new side Sutton United. Inevitably, Davies scored both goals as the Us disrupted City’s promotion push by winning 2-1.

An expected goals (xG) value of 0.95 was second only to Team of the Week team-mate Abrahams (1.38) among all strikers on Saturday.

Vanarama National League North

Where else could we start but Spennymoor Town? It was seventh heaven for the Moors on Saturday as they thrashed Rushall Olympic 7-0 with Glen Taylor and Corey McKeown both bagging hat-tricks for Graeme Lee’s side.

We’ll start with the County Durham GOAT, Taylor, who had seven shots – more than any other striker in the North on Saturday – but only four touches in the penalty area. Those chances registered an xG value of 1.84, unsurprisingly the highest of any striker.

Winger McKeown only attempted three shots for the hosts but his six touches in the box were the most of any winger in National League North. He also completed six of 10 dribbles for the rampant Moors.

We can’t overlook Richie Bennett’s contribution to Scarborough Athletic’s 5-0 in at Farsley Celtic on Friday night, either.

That defeat followed the Celts’ appointment of former Leeds and Rotherham United boss Neil Redfearn as their new manager – though he did not lead the side. Bennett struck twice for the Seadogs, moving them 11 points clear of the drop zone.

Vanarama National League South

Crowned National League South December Player of the Month on Wednesday, Kwesi Appiah kept up his electric form with his 17th league goal of the season on Saturday.

Boreham Wood saw off Welling United 1-0 with Appiah completing 16/19 passes for Luke Garrard’s side who are now unbeaten in 10 league games.

Maidstone United’s 18-game unbeaten run is finally over thanks to Chesham United.

The Generals were 2-0 winners at The Meadow, thanks in no small part to impressive rearguard action. Taylor Foran, signed on a month’s loan from Bromley ahead of the weekend, impressed on debut.

The 21-year-old was successful in nine of 11 defensive actions, won six of nine aerial duels and seven of nine defensive duels overall.

Next to him in our team, we’ve got Weston-super-Mare's Emlyn Lewis. The Gulls were 3-1 winners at Dorking Wanders – a result that does their playoff aspirations the power of good with the Wanderers now just two points ahead.

Lewis was successful in 100% of his defensive actions, recording nine interceptions and committing just a single foul.

PHOTO BY IAN MORSMAN