With seven changes Bradford Park Avenue ran out 3-2 winners over Hereford for their first home win of the season.
The return of former boss Mark Bower gave Avenue a significant lift and having conceded twice in the opening 20 minutes Hereford could not summon up sufficient firepower to draw level.
After five games without a win, Avenue fans might not have been relishing the visit of inform Hereford to the Horsfall.
But goals from Lewis Knight, Dan Sweeney and Adam Nowakowski silenced any naysayers as Bower’s boys escaped the bottom three.
Hereford drop to 8th place in the table and are now eight points behind league leaders York City.
Alfreton headed to Leamington having suffered back-to-back defeats and came away with a win that puts them up to fourth.
Liam Watson got a fourth home win on the bounce to celebrate 500 games at Southport – skipper David Morgan with the decisive strike against Brackley.
Guiseley are back into the top seven despite only drawing with Altrincham. The Lions led through Felix Kaine but were pegged back from the penalty spot on the hour.
No such luck for Kettering who slid into the bottom two with defeat at home to Spennymoor Town – Glen Taylor with a goal either side of half-time for the away side.
Blyth Spartans grabbed their first away win of the season thanks to Levi Amantchi to leave Curzon Ashton winless in nine.
Leaders York City led through Jordan Burrow but were pegged back shortly after the hour mark by AFC Telford.
Darlington are hitting their stride at last and overcame a tough Boston United test through Tyrone O’Neill and Adam Campbell while Gateshead needed just the one goal to scrape past Gloucester City.
The second and third placed sides couldn’t be separated at King’s Lynn who led through Adam Marriott before Chester took the lead through Akwasi Asante.
Marriott wasn’t finished however and popped up with the leveller on the 77th minute to leave it all square.
Saturday’s MANarama National League North final scores:
AFC Telford 1-1 York City
Bradford (Park Avenue) 3-2 Hereford
Curzon Ashton 0-1 Blyth Spartans
Darlington 2-1 Boston
Gateshead 1-0 Gloucester
Guiseley 1-1 Altrincham
Kettering 0-2 Spennymoor
Kidderminser P-P Farsley Celtic
King’s Lynn 2-2 Chester
Leamington 0-1 Alfreton
Southport 1-0 Brackley Town