Conference Round-up: Oct 23

The win was the Bees fourth in succession in a run that has seen them smash in 15 goals with just one against. They were set on their way to victory by Nick Bailey who struck the first goal in the sixteenth minute. Duane Lee made it 2-0 with a long-range effort after 36 minutes. There was no way back for York as Ismail Yakubu and Dean Sinclair made it safe with second half goals. The result meant the North Londoners remain six points clear at the top with an impressive goal difference of +30.

However boss Paul Fairclough admitted the game wasn't as one-sided as the result might indicate.

"We've had better performances than that. 4-0 was quite flattering," he said. "I thought in the first half we got a bit sloppy, a bit complacent. But we ended up doing a very professional job."

Carlisle remain hot on Barnet's heels after slaying Hereford 3-1 at Brunton Park in front of a day's best 6,772 attendance.

Paul Simpson's men made a poor start and were trailing to an Adam Stansfield goal until just four minutes from the interval. Then teenage Brazilian striker Magno Vieira turned the game on its head with two goals inside a minute. United made it safe a minute into the second half when Peter Murphy fired home from close range with his left foot.

Although the Cumbrians were not at their best, Simpson was satisfied after a tough week in which his team have been hit by a flu bug and players coming back into contention after injury.

"Today, Hereford proved to be a good side and they will be up there at the end of the season. I'm not going to have a go at the players, because we've got the right result. It's been a messy week for us training-wise, with players out because of a bug going round a couple of injuries. But it's pleasing to get a few more people back to fitnes- and we're starting to look as if we're a stronger squad."

Third-placed Aldershot failed to stay up with the pace-setting duo ahead of them after slipping to a 3-1 defeat at Exeter City. The Grecians paraded their new boss Alex Inglethorpe and the new boy made a winning start to end City's four-game slump. Sean Devine, Andy Taylor and Santos Gaia put the home team three goals in front before the Shots raised their game and Tony Sills pulled one back.

The game was marred in the last 10 minutes by the sending off of Aldershot's Aaron McLean and a broken leg suffered by City subsitute Barry McConnell.

Accrington Stanley's slide continues as they crashed 4-0 at Scarborough. Tony Hackworth struck after just 3 minutes and six minutes later 39-year-old veteran Neil Redfearn bagged his eighth goal of the campaign from a firm free kick to double the lead. After 15 minutes Hackworth laid on a third for Kevin Nicholson, leaving Stanley in tatters. The away side came close to pulling themselves back into it during an improved second half display but they were unable to break through and the final nail came when Chris Senior converted Ashley Lyth's cross.

The result means the Seadogs are one of just two unbeaten home teams in the league, alongside Crawley Town.

In the basement battle at The Lawn, improving Northwich Victoria were too strong for Alan Lewer's Forest Green. The damage was all done in the first half when the bottom club grabbed three priceless goals, through Mark Quayle, Mark Foran and Greg Young. Lewer's half-time assault on his players ear-drums produced an improved second half performance but they only had Jefferson Louis's 62nd-minute goal to show for it. Vics moved to within a point of Rovers, although they would be just three points short of safety if it wasn't for their crippling 10-point penalty for going into administration.

The form horses of the Conference, Morecambe, were shocked by Stevenage Borough who produced one of their most impressive performances of the season to defeat the Shrimpers 3-1 at Christie Park. It couldn't have started better for Morecambe, who were unbeaten in nine games, as they scored in the first minute through skipper Kieron Walmsley. Borough trailed until the 58th minute when they levelled through Jason Goodliffe. Matt Hocking put them in front just sixty seconds later. The final goal was struck in the last minute through Jon Brady.