With non-league games played on Saturday and Tuesday, Matthew O'Regan delves into the five standout from last weeks action, including Oldham continuing a worrying trend.
Ebbsfleet were the first National League team to sack their manager, with Danny Searle dismissed after a 4-0 defeat at Altrincham. This defeat made it six losses in seven for the Fleet.
There was to be no 'new manager bounce' in the midweek clash with Aldershot, although they did gain their second point of the season in a 0-0 draw. Ebbsfleet are now over 470 minutes without scoring a goal - a statistic that is a real cause for concern.
With just four goals in their last 12 games, The Fleet are lacking attacking impetus, also conceding 18 goals in eight games this season. Ebbsfleet are three points off safety and will be desperate for their first win on Saturday against Hartlepool.
Barnet lost on Saturday to Gateshead - their third away defeat of the season. They were looking to bounce back at home to Altrincham mid week but went behind after just 14 minutes. A goal from Harrison Chapman and a 92nd-minute Rhys Browne goal ensured Barnet turned the game on its head and win 2-1.
The victory made it four wins from four for the Bees at The Hive, scoring 12 goals and conceding two in the process. However, according to manager Dean Brennan, the fans were still not happy.
In a viral post-match interview, Brennan lambasted his supporters for their lack of support, berating the fact that only 900 fans had turned up to the game and that they had spent the game moaning about the style of play. With such a public display of dissatisfaction, it will be intriguing to see what the atmosphere and turn-out is like on Saturday as Barnet host Braintree.
Stourbridge sat atop the table heading into the weekend slate. After finishing 12th last season, The Glassboys were looking to challenge towards the top of the table. Liam McDonald was appointed the new manager in the summer and his side started brilliantly.
They started the season with a 1-0 win over St. Ives, before a 1-5 dismantling away at pre-season title favourites Afc Telford showcased Stourbridge's title credentials. A 1-0 loss at second-place Stamford was McDonald's side's first bump in the road, but a 2-0 win at home to Sudbury and an impressive 1-3 win at promotion hopefuls Redditch put them back on track.
With two winnable home games at home to Barwell and Stratford incoming, it seemed the perfect time to build momentum ahead of a promotion push. However, a 0-0 draw and 0-2 loss had seen them drop down to fourth. Stourbridge have an FA Cup game away at Harborough on Saturday to try and restore clarity, before two tough away trips to Bishop Stortford and Alvechurch.
After failing to win any of their last 11 games of the last campaign, Micky Mellon would've been delighted to start the season with a 3-0 win over Braintree and a 0-1 win over Wealdstone. However, since then, the Latics have flattered to deceive, failing to win any of the next six games.
Of these six games, a staggering five have seen Oldham draw 1-1, except a 4-1 loss at Aldershot. They have now drawn their last four games 1-1. Next, they face a Woking side whose games have only averaged two goals - could they make it five in a row?
Chester missed out on the playoffs last year by six points. Calum McIntyre is a highly-rated manager, with clubs higher in the pyramid sniffing about. However, the Seals rebutted these offers, with the promising 31-year-old manager committing his future to 2026.
They started the season as joint title favourites but lost 3-0 to Spennymoor and 0-1 to Brackley in the opening two games. Since then, Chester have remained unbeaten, winning four games and drawing two. The four wins have all come at home, with draws at strong Kidderminster and Alfreton sides. They are now six points behind leaders Scunthorpe. With three winnable games before facing the Iron, Chester will be keen to close the gap before the fixture on the 19th of October.
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