CONFERENCE: Weekend Round-Up
Hereford United kept themselves in the hunt for promotion with an excellent away win at Nationwide Conference leaders Barnet on Saturday, inflicting the first league defeat of 2005 on the Bees.
The Bulls won 2-0 with goals from Daniel Carey Bertram and substitute Adam Stansfield, who wrapped up the victory in the last minute, to put them level on points with four other teams in play-off contention.
One of those teams is Carlisle, who had to settle for a point on their return to Brunton Park as Gravesend & Northfleet came back from two goals down in the second half to give new manager Liam Daish something to celebrate from his first game in charge.
Tom Cowan and Danny Livesey put the Cumbrians in control with a goal each just before half time, but the visiting Fleet hit back through Matt Lovell's 20-yard drive in the 66th minute, and Jay Saunders scored the equalizer nine minutes later, to Daish's delight.
The new boss said: "I told them to keep doing what they were doing, as I couldn't believe we were 2-0 down. I said the next goal would have a huge impact. We were undone by two set plays, but until then we'd controlled the game.
"The lads have been superb. They worked tirelessly for each other, tackled, ran hard and scored great goals."
Halifax are also in the bunch of teams now just a point behind second-placed Aldershot following their 2-1 win over Stevenage at The Shay. Craig Midgley's first-half penalty and Dean Howell's strike early in the second half left Boro chasing the game, and though they pulled one back through Dino Maamria they could not find an equalizer.
In-form Woking kept up their push for promotion with a win over play-off rivals Crawley Town, who were reduced to nine men early in the second half allowing the home side a comfortable victory. Sasha Opinel and Sean Hankin both saw red in the 49th minute - Opinel for serious foul play and Hankin for his second bookable offence - and The Cards took advantage as former Arsenal player Ian Selley scored from the penalty spot in the 55th minute and Stephan Evans cracked in a superb left-footer from the edge of the box three minutes later.
Crawley boss Francis Vines was arrested and charged with using threatening language following a post-match incident, but was cautioned and released after questioning by Surrey Police.
Accrington boosted their play-off hopes at the expense of rivals Exeter thanks to two goals from Lee McEvilly. One in each half from the former Rochdale forward - either side of Jake Edwards' equalizer - ensured the Lancashire side kept pace with the top six, leaving the Grecians four points adrift.
Exeter boss Alex Inglethorpe stated afterwards: "There's still a lot of the season left - it's not all over. So it's just a case of carrying on. If we play like that, we'll win more often than not. We dominated the first half and I don't think we deserved to lose. We created a host of chances. But then there was another defensive lapse and they scored again."
Inglethorpe also accused the visiting side of time-wasting in the second half, which led the referee to add seven minutes of injury time.
"We have a responsibility to entertain the paying public, and it's a shame when that sentiment isn't shared by both teams," the Grecians' manager explained.
Two first-half goals from Colin Cryan earned Scarborough three points against Dagenham & Redbridge, to move them level with their defeated opponents, and Exeter and Stevenage, on the fringe of the play-offs.
Cryan headed his first in the 11th minute after Tony Hackworth's shot rebounded off keeper Tony Roberts into his path and he nodded in his and The Seadogs' second on the stroke of half time, to end his side's four-game winless run.
Burton Albion continued their excellent recent form with a 3-1 win at relegation-threatened Farnborough, with a goal from Sam Shilton - son of former England goalie Peter - and two from the Brewers' top scorer Jon Shaw.
Shilton gave the visitors an early lead with an amazing 30-yard strike and Shaw made it 2-0 after half an hour with a long-range volley. Michael Charles gave Boro hope of snatching a point with his 82nd-minute effort, but Shaw secured victory for Nigel Clough's side less than two minutes later, leaving the home side just a point outside the relegation zone.
Northwich Victoria's survival hopes suffered a severe blow as they threw away a two-goal lead to come away from Canvey Island with only a point. Jon Allan put the Vics in front in the sixth minute and Michael Carr doubled their lead seven minutes later. But Chris Duffy pulled one back for the home side from long range before the break, and Lee Boylan fired in a 25-yard free-kick in the last minute to make it 2-2. Boylan could even have grabbed a winner for Canvey in the eighth minute of stoppage time, but he headed wide.
Northwich, who were deducted ten points this season for going into administration, remain four points behind third-from-bottom Forest Green and a further point adrift of Farnborough and potential safety.
