LEE Turkington ensured Barnton twice came from behind to defeat league newcomers Wolverhampton Sporting Community on the opening day of the new season.

The former Helsby striker levelled matters at 2-2 and scored the winner in the 83rd minute as The Villagers got their North West Counties Football League First Division South campaign off to a winning start.

Things could not have kicked off any better for Danny Moss’ men, who ended seventh on the ladder last term, thanks to forward Matt Ball’s excellent finish from a superb cross after five minutes’ play.

But the visitors, moved laterally into the NWCL from the Midland League during the FA’s allocation process, replied in the 18th and 28th minutes to nudge in front.

Then Turkington made his mark with a header shortly before half time.

A defensive mix-up resulted in Wolverhampton edging back in front, 3-2, after 68 minutes.

Joseph Levey squared up the scoreline again from the penalty spot four minutes later.

The scene was set for an opening-day hero and that man was Turkington, producing a neat finish to seal the points.

Neighbours Winsford United fell to a 3-1 home loss to Alsager Town at Barton Stadium.

Blues’ new top dogs Dom Johnson and Dean Jones were in charge of Alsager for 18 months up until April, but made the move to Barton Stadium and brought 13 of the Bullets’ players with them.

Their Cheshire rivals appointed former Blues chief Lee Duckworth as joint manager and they had eight ex-Winsford players in their ranks for this clash.

Supporters could have been forgiven for forgetting which side was which, but in the circumstances those backing Alsager will have gone home very happy.

Things started well in front of the 373 crowd, with Winsford’s former Alsager striker smashing the ball home in the fifth minute after racing clear.

But that was as good as it got for Blues.

Their ex-player Leblanc Akpo equalised when he sent keeper Jacob Kirwan the wrong was from the penalty spot after 27 minutes.

Alsager hit the front six minutes later before Pope went close to a leveller from a free-kick but his effort was tipped over the bar.

Blues did put the ball in the back of the net shortly before half-time but Jack Woolley was ruled to have been in an offside position.

Ten minutes into the second half Winsford were handed a mountain to climb when 35-year-old ex-Fleetwood Town, Shrewsbury Town and Coventry City leftback Junior Brown made it 3-1.

Danny Kerr and then Elliott Coleman forced a double save out of the Alsager keeper midway through the second period but that was as close as the hosts got to a second goal.