ROVER RYAN GET THE YEAR

Tight at the top to start off 2025

- Matt Badcock

NEW YEAR, same poor weather, a change at the top of the National League -2025 opened in typical fashion! Although there may have been a bigger New Year's Day power shift had it not been for a late turnaround by Forest Green Rovers.

York City, in front of a bumper 7,554 crowd, saw off Gateshead 1-0 through Marvin Armstrong's early strike.

With Barnet held 1-1 at Eastleigh, despite Callum Stead equalising for the Bees to cancel out Tyrese Shade's early opener, the Minstermen jumped back to the top.

Before then it had been all eyes on The New Lawn where Mark Cooper's Yeovil Town were close to throwing a spanner in the works of the club the Glovers' boss took into the Football League.

Leading through Kofi Shaw, the game turned when the scorer was shown a second red for a foul in the box that saw Kyle McAllister tuck away from the spot on 76 minutes.

And, four minutes into stoppage-time, Ryan Inniss gobbled up a rebound to keep Steve Cotterill's side one point behind York.

Oldham Athletic don't lose many but they slipped back from the top three after Hartlepool United came from behind to win 2-1, Anthony Mancini grabbing a 53rd-minute winner.

Bim Pepple continued his fine form in front of goal with the winner in Southend United's Essex derby at Braintree Town.

Former Torquay United boss Chris Hargreaves was a pundit for DAZN for that evening kick-off but earlier in the day his son Cameron has snatched a stoppage-time equaliser for Aldershot Town at Sutton United, who had led through Ashley Nadesan's opener.

Ebbsfleet's woes continued with a 2-0 defeat at home to Dagenham & Redbridge, while Neal Ardley's positive start to life in the Woking dug-out continued as they beat Maidenhead United 3-1.