The new Blue Square Premier season finally got underway this weekend, with six new sides taking their place in the division attempting to replicate the successes of Aldershot Town and Exeter City last season and take their place in the Football League in May.

It was two of the new sides who find themselves in the top positions after the opening weekend. Following relegation from League Two at the end of last season, Brian Little's Wrexham began their attempts to return to that level with a thumping win. Promotion favourites Stevenage were the visitors to The Racecourse Ground, and they were to return with a five goal drubbing.

Former Halifax Town midfielder and new Robins captain Tom Kearney opened the scoring with a deflected freekick, before four goals in the final twenty-five minutes saw the fixture turn into a rout. Both sides were reduced to ten men in the second half.

Barrow started life in this division with a crushing 3-0 win at home to Oxford United on Friday night. After James Clarke was dismissed in the first half for the visitors, The Bluebirds netted three times in the final twenty minutes to mark their first match with a win. Mark Boyd took the honour of scoring the division's first goal of the season after seventy-one minutes.

Six other sides recorded opening day wins, with Weymouth being the only other side to win by more than a single goal. New signings Stephen Reed (from Cambridge United) and Chris McPhee (from Ebbsfleet United) both found to net to give The Terras a 3-1 home victory against Grays Athletic. All this came after former Cambridge City man Mark Molesley opened the scoring for the visitors before Anton Robinson equalised.

Promotion candidates Cambridge United, Burton Albion and Rushden and Diamonds all opened their seasons with 1-0 victories away from home. Curtis Woodhouse marked his first game as Rushden captain by converting a penalty to sink newly promoted side Eastbourne Borough at Priory Lane.

Former Bishops Stortford striker Greg Pearson marked his signing for Nigel Clough's Burton Albion with a goal after only two minutes as The Brewers came away from Salisbury City with three points, and Felino Jardim did the same with a debut goal as Cambridge United marked Gary Brabin's first match in charge with a win at Northwich Victoria.

Altrincham were the eighth and final winners of the opening weekend, securing a valuable away win at Woking as Colin Little's injury time strike gave Graham Heathcote's side a 2-1 win. Kim Grant tasted defeat in his first match in charge of The Cards despite Joel Ledgister equalising for his side with a quarter of the game remaining.

The final four matches of Saturday all ended with points being shared. Mansfield Town rescued a point in their first game since relegation, coming from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Stonebridge Road against Ebbsfleet United. Michael Gash marked his arrival from Cambridge City by playing a part in the opening goal after eight minutes, although teammate Luke Moore has since claimed the goal as his.

Newly promoted divisional champions Lewes and Kettering Town began their campaigns with 1-1 draws. Lewes gained a credible point at Kidderminster courtesy of an own goal through Dean Bennett at the end of the first half. Meanwhile Kettering were only denied a victory by an Alex Lawless strike twelve minutes from time to secure a point for Forest Green.

The final match to take place was at Bridge Road as Histon gained a late point against one of last season's playoff sides, Torquay United. Tim Sills looked to have won the match for The Gulls with a second half penalty until Nat Knight-Percival struck in the eighty-ninth minute for The Stutes.

Sills' penalty came courtesy of a foul by Craig Pope, allowed to play for his club while Steve Fallon's men appeal his four-match ban for racial abuse last season. The FA hearing is set for this Wednesday.

The second round of fixtures for the season arrive on Tuesday night, and only one match takes place between sides who both won on Saturday, as Altrincham host Barrow at Moss Lane. Due to the results on Saturday, a surprisingly large number of sides will be guaranteed to be without a win after two matches, a minimum of seven teams will be searching for their first win going into this Saturday's matches.

Matt Ramsay