CONFERENCE: WEEKEND ROUND-UP
Carlisle closed the gap on Nationwide Conference leaders Barnet on Saturday as they stretched their unbeaten away run with a 3-1 win at Gravesend, while The Bees were held to a 1-1 draw at Hereford.
Karl Hawley scored twice for The Cumbrians, either side of James Pinnock's first-half equaliser for Fleet and Peter Murphy's 41st-minute header, underlining Paul Simpson's side's promotion credentials as they look to make an immediate return to the Football League.
That victory enabled Carlisle to move to within four points of Barnet, who took an early but short-lived lead against Hereford and were forced to settle for a point. The division's top scorer Giuliano Grazioli fired the visitors ahead in the fifth minute but David Brown hit back for The Bulls just three minutes later, and the hosts were unlucky not to win it late on.
Although United remain 12 points behind the leaders, Brown told BBC Hereford after the match: "I don't think any one team is going to walk away with it. There's five or six teams that are in there with a chance. As long as we can stay up there, and pick up a few wins in the next few games, I'm sure we'll be up there, challenging with a few others."
Aldershot remain in third place in the table but they were disappointed to draw with Morecambe after the visitors staged an amazing comeback in the last half-hour of the match. The Shots took an early lead through Jon Challinor's header, and they were 2-0 up after Nick Crittenden's right-foot drive seven minutes after the restart. Adam Miller converted the penalty he had won two minutes later, seemingly wrapping up the three points for the home side.
However, Morecambe had not given up the ghost: they pulled one back just after the hour through Jim Bentley's neat finish; Danny Carlton then converted Wayne Curtis's cross, and Michael Twiss headed in the equalizer five minutes from the end to earn Morecambe a well-earned point and deny Aldershot victory.
Stevenage Borough moved up to fourth, leapfrogging their beaten opponents, with a 2-1 over Halifax. Anthony Elding hit the second-half winner for Boro, whose task was made easier by Denny Ingham's sending-off just before the half-hour mark. Ten-man town had managed to level the score following Brian Quailey's header against his former club, thanks to Ryan Sugden's equalizer, but Elding's strike sealed the points for the home side who collected their fifth successive victory in the Nationwide Conference.
Scarborough remain just a point behind Stevenage after their impressive 3-0 win at Dagenham & Redbridge. After their disappointing FA Cup exit at the hands of Lancaster last week, The Seadogs strengthened their promotion challenge in the Nationwide Conference as Chris Senior, Neil Redfearn and Colin Cryan were on target at the Glyn Hopkin Stadium.
Accrington Stanley and Exeter City failed to enhance their chances of promotion as they played out a goalless draw, while Burton Albion's meeting with Farnborough also ended 0-0, leaving both teams locked together on 17 points at the lower end of the table.
Crawley extended their unbeaten home run with a 2-1 win over in-form Woking. Allan Tait ended their four-game goal drought when he tapped in early on, and on-loan Millwall man Joe Dolan headed home a minute from time to give the hosts victory, after Amos Foyewa had fired in an equalizer in the 85th minute.
It was another tough day for York City as they were beaten 3-1 at home by Forest Green. Charlie Griffin netted a hat-trick for Rovers as they recorded only their second victory of the season, piling the pressure on the Minstermen and their player-manager Chris Brass, who was sacked by the club on Monday morning - click here for more info.
Northwich Victoria also won 3-1, at home to Canvey Island, moving them off the bottom of the table. The Vics are now level on six points with Leigh RMI - beaten by 3-2 by Tamworth - after their third victory of the campaign on Friday night, secured through goals from John Allan, Jamie Hughes and a Paul Brayson penalty.
Former Bolton and West Brom striker Bob Taylor was the hat-trick hero for Tamworth as they came from two goals down to beat Leigh and send the Railwaymen to the bottom of the table. The 37-year-old struck in the 67th, 70th and 77th minutes to give The Lambs a memorable victory, which moved them up to 15th in table.
