GOALS GALORE IN BANK HOLIDAY BONANZA

A staggering 65 goals were scored in the Nationwide Conference over the Bank Holiday weekend, as the games averaged over three per match.

No doubt Farnborough Town would prefer not to be reminded of the seven goals they conceded at Carlisle, though they did bounce back with a 2-1 win over Exeter on Monday. Gravesened & Northfleet meanwhile hit nine in two games to see off York and Forest Green, who let in nine goals in their two matches having already been beaten 4-0 by Tamworth and remain without a point at the bottom of the table.

Leaders Barnet were also 4-0 winners on Saturday, and they maintained their position at the top of the table with a much narrower 1-0 win at Canvey Island on Bank Holiday Monday.

Aldershot scored five goals in their two games to keep themselves up with the early pace as they beat Burton Albion and Woking, while Accrington Stanley also continued their impressive start to the season with a 4-0 win over Crawley Town, which they followed up with a single goal victory at York.

NATIONWIDE NORTH

Ashton hang on in game of two halves
There weren't quite so many goals in the Nationwide North over the extended weekend, but Ashton United and Runcorn FC Halton were certainly doing their best to make up the deficit.

The two teams, who are now level in the table on six points apiece, played out an unusual nine-goal thriller, which saw the home side, Ashton, race into a 5-0 lead at half time. While Runcorn must have thought they were playing for little more than pride in the second 45 minutes, they put up a fight that their manager will no doubt have been proud of as they ended up losing by a single goal.

The early leaders in the Nationwide North had a fairly successful weekend as top team Alfreton Town recorded 3-1 and 3-2 wins over Vauxhall Motors and Stalybridge respectively, while Nuneaton drew with Barrow and went on to beat Gainsborough.

After a goalless draw with Bradford on Saturday, Altrincham slipped to another defeat, this time to the in-form Hinckley United, who have moved up to third in the table, level with Kettering and a point ahead of Lancaster.

NATIONWIDE SOUTH

Basingstoke still the team to beat
Basingstoke continued their impressive start to the Nationwide South campaign as they recorded 3-1 and 4-0 wins over the weekend to keep themselves on top of the table.

Bishop's Stortford and Welling United were Stoke's latest victims as they recorded comfortable victories at home, but Grays Athletic remain hot on their heels after a draw with Weymouth and a 2-1 success at Stortford on Tuesday night.

Perhaps the most entertaining game of the Bank Holiday weekend in the division came at Maidenhead, where the home side managed to hang on to clinch the points in a seven-goal thriller with Redbridge.

Other performances worth mentioning include Dorchester's 4-1 win at Welling, Hayes' 4-0 triumph over Cambridge, Sutton's 4-2 win at Newport and Lewes' 3-2 success at St Albans.