SOUTH: ROUND-UP - BASINGSTOKE BASKING IN GLORY

A second-half hat-trick from Basingstoke Town's Cristian Levis secured three points on Saturday against Redbridge, formerly Ford United, to send The Stokes to the top of the new Nationwide South table.

Levis's three-goal haul was the best individual scoring display in the whole of the Football Conference as the two new semi-national Nationwide Conference feeder divisions, Nationwide North and Nationwide South began a new era for non-league football.

There were also good away victories for Maidenhead (at Welling United), St Albans (at Sutton United, and Bognor Regis (at Margate), and Cambridge City, who pulled off a 2-1 win at Weymouth, famously managed by former Pompey and Leicester striker Steve Claridge, and run by journalist Ian Ridley.

The likes of Lewes, Bishops Stortford and Havant & Waterlooville got off to winning starts on home soil, to the delight of their supporters and to the chagrin of Dorchester, Eastbourne and Newport respectively.

Weston-super-Mare and Hornchurch shared the points after their goalless draw, Thurrock and Carshalton scored two goals each in the second half of their match to end with honours even, and Hayes and Gray's Athletic drew 1-1.

With Carhshalton hosting Margate tonight, and the rest of the teams playing again on Tuesday or Wednesday night (in the case of Newport and Weymouth), there is little respite as the new season really kicks-in, having just kicked-off!