Boxing Day Round-Up: Vanarama National League

Tom Denton headed the Shaymen in-front - his 9th goal of the season – in the 10th minute before Danny Whitehead’s deflected goal just before half-time pulled the Silkmen back on level terms.

Tyrone Marsh then settled the match with a 78th minute header.

Sutton United moved back to second spot after a comprehensive 4-0 win at Meadow Park against Boreham Wood.

The U`s broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark when they are awarded a penalty after Tom Bolarinwa`s legs are take away from him in the box and Jamie Collins sent Grant Smith the wrong way from the spot.

And then 5 minutes into first half injury-time came the turning point in the game when Craig Eastmond ran half the length of the pitch and was eventually taken out from behind by Kieran Murtagh.

The U`s were awarded a second penalty, Murtagh was shown a straight red card and Nicky Bailey this time converted the resulting spot-kick.

It was 3-0 after 66 minutes when Bolarinwa slipped ball into Eastmond to sprint clear and coolly slot under Smith.

And the visitors added a fifth after 73 minutes when another through ball sees Eastmond collide with Smith, but the Sutton player was first to the loose ball to roll into empty net from six yards out.

Aldershot Town are third after a 3-1 derby win at the EBB Stadium against Woking.

And for the second time in four days, Shamir Fenelon proved to be the Shots' hero with two goals to earn local bragging rights.

The Shots led after 12 minutes when Bobby-Joe Taylor`s low cross was half-cleared at the near-post, but Fenelon spun and fired in past Nathan Baxter.

But just 3 minutes later, Woking levelled as Inih Effiong got on the end of a Joe Ward cross and stabbed a half-volley across Shots` keeper Lewis Ward into the bottom corner.

On 28 minutes, the Shots re-took the lead when a deft pass from Scott Rendell sent Fenelon streaking into the box and his finish past Baxter into the far corner was composed.

It was game over on 64 minutes when Taylor's deep cross was nodded back from an acute angle by Bernard Mensah and Manny Oyeleke lashed it in.

Wrexham dropped to fourth after sharing a 1-1 draw at the Furness Building Society Stadium against fifth-bottom Barrow AFC.

A goal for both teams in the first half saw the teams switch round level at the break and that was how it stayed until the final whistle.

The home side took the lead with just 2 minutes gone on the clock, as a cleared throw in was returned in back into the Wrexham box by Dan Jones.

It looked a speculative effort, but the ball bounce kindly for Moussa Diarra, who from 10-yads out had the space to fire his shot into the net off the underside of Chris Dunn’s crossbar.

But on 25 minutes Wrexham levelled, courtesy of a towering header from skipper Shaun Pearson, who got on the end of a Paul Rutherford corner to finish from about five yards as he rose highest in the Barrow box.

Despite pressure from both sides, the second half saw no more goals.

Dover Athletic dropped to fifth, despite fighting back from two goals down as the Kent derby against Maidstone ended in a draw at Crabble.

The opening goal came in the 36th minute with Femi Ilesanmi missing his header from Zavon Hines’ cross-field ball and allowing Seth Twumasi to get in a cross which was finished by Joe Pigott.

And Maidstone doubled their lead in the 41st minute when a quick free-kick by Joe Anderson set up a simple header for Pigott at the far post.

That sparked Dover into life and they were back in the game in the 58th minute when Nortei Nortey’s header from Josh Passley’s cross went into the bottom corner.

Maidstone conceded the equaliser in the 80th minute when keeper Lee Worgan couldn’t hold sub Kadell Daniel’s shot and striker Ryan Bird pounced to tuck away the rebound.

Tranmere Rovers are now sixth after a fourth successive win, this time at Prenton Park against sixth-bottom AFC Fylde.

In front of a crowd of 6,669, Rovers broke the deadlock in the 37th minute when a flicked header by James Norwood was deflected to Ritchie Sutton who fires home on the volley.

Five minutes later, the home side doubled their advantage when Norburn`s shot was parried by Jay Lynch, but Sutton was on hand to bundle in the rebound.

Eight minutes into the second half, Tranmere virtually put the game to bed when Connor Jennings beat Lynch from 20 yards.

But just before the hour-mark, the Coasters pulled a goal back when sub Jack Muldoon laid the ball off to Jonny Smith, who curled the ball past Scott Davies from 15 yards.

Tranmere made it 4-1 though on 69 minutes and it was another sweet Jennings strike a similar distance.

Three minutes later, Fylde`s prolific marksman almost pulled a second back, but his rocket of an effort bounced back off the crossbar.

Leyton Orient continued their resurgence with a 2-0 home victory over high-flying Dagenham & Redbridge at the Matchroom Stadium.

Orient`s fourth successive win in all competitions - having previously gone 15 league games without a victory – began when, after a goalless first half, Josh Coulson broke the deadlock in the 49th minute when he headed home James Dayton's cross.

Dayton almost added a second from a free-kick soon after before turning provider again to set up Macauley Bonne to make it 2-0 in the 59th minute, with the striker netting at the second attempt.

Ebbsfleet United climbed to within two points of the play-off places with 2-1 victory over local rivals Bromley at Stonebridge Road.

Jack Powell gave Fleet a 15th minute lead.

Bromley levelled 4 minutes later, courtesy of a Louis Dennis strike.

But Danny Kedwell restored the home side`s lead on the half-hour mark which eventually earned Fleet a fifth straight home win and lifted them above the Ravens in the race for promotion.

Maidenhead United are eleventh in the table after beating bottom-markers Solihull Moors 1-0 at York Road.

The Magpies` third straight victory was hard-fought, and indeed the visitors probably just about edged the opening half without managing to trouble the scorers.

But the second half saw the home side dominate and came close to breaking the deadlock when Christian Smith`s effort was cleared off the line by Jamey Osborne.

However, on 61 minutes, Smith wasn`t to be denied and it was he who opned the scoring when he headed home Harry Pritchard`s corner.

Maidenhead had a let off 5 minutes from time though when Osborne fired an effort which looks destined for the corner of the net before Carl Pentney produced a fine save.

The north-east derby at the International Stadium between Gateshead and Hartlepool United finished honours` even at 2-2.

Pools took a 17th minute lead from the spot, converted by Liam Donnelly.

But they were dealt a hammer blow when they lost Blair Adams to two yellow card offences after 41 minutes.

And just 4 minutes later, a long-range Scott Barrow effort pulled The Heed back on level terms.

Six minutes after the restart, a similar Barrow effort put the home side in front.

But a cracking drive from Michael Woods after 72 minutes ensured ten-man Hartlepool left with a share of the spoils.

Second-bottom Torquay United earned a decent point on the road in a rain-soaked encounter against Eastleigh at the Silverlake Stadium.

After a goalless first half, Torquay were quick out of the blocks in the second half and George Dowling showed quick thinking to take a free-kick and Eastleigh were caught out, and Jamie Reid found Ruairi Keating who was clipped inside the box. Reid stepped up and confidently put United in front from the spot.

Dowling had picked up a booking in the 56th minute and he picked up a second in the 64th, leaving the Gulls with ten-men.

And Eastleigh equalised in the 72nd minute. A ball into the box was punched out by Torquay `keeper Vincent Dorel, but it went straight to Cavanagh Miley, who took a touch and fired through a sea of legs to get the Spitfires back on level terms.

Chester sunk to third-bottom after losing 2-0 at home against fellow strugglers Guiseley AFC. Who moved above them to twenty-first place as a consequence.

The home side seemed to be suffering from a handover from their 4-0 battering at FC Halifax just three days earlier.

And they fell behind as early as the 4th minute to a strike from Callum McFazdean.

The impressive James Roberts doubled the Lions` lead 11 minutes later.

And to compound the home side`s misery, Lathaniel Rowe-Turner was sent-off on 26 minutes for a two-footed lunge on Roberts.

Chester actually improved with ten-men in the second half, but the damage was already done.