Two-goal Nathan Wood shone as Faversham went top on Saturday.

Tommy Warrilow’s Town team earned a hard-fought 3-2 victory at Corinthian - a result which moved them to the Southern Counties East Premier Division summit with second-placed VCD suffering a 2-1 loss at Kennington.

Playmaker Wood netted twice, including the winning goal, and is in double figures for the season.

He didn’t get his first goal until April last campaign - ironically coming at home to Corinthian - but is now offering more of an end product.

Boss Warrilow said: “When we first came in, we didn’t really realise the stigma around him not scoring.

"The lads were giving him some stick and, with his first goal, he sort of bundled it over the line.

“But the most important thing is he’s enjoying his football. When he does that, he’s an unbelievable player.

“He got two goals on Saturday but, not just that, he worked unbelievably hard for the team.

“We just need to keep pushing Nathan because him and KC (Kieron Campbell) are pivotal players for us. I’m pleased for Nathan.

“He seems happy and settled and, if you’re settled, that’s when you play your best football.

“Things can always go wrong in football, but he seems to have turned a corner in terms of how he deals with that.”

Defender James Billings had put Michael Golding’s men into a half-time lead, but Wood promptly levelled after the restart.

While the hosts went back in front, forward Johan Caney-Bryan made it 2-2 before Wood completed his brace.

“In the first half, I felt we were really good at Corinthian,” reflected Warrilow.

“We were going up the hill and they were honest enough to say after the game we should have got two or three goals. But their guy scored from a set-piece.

“We said at half-time there’s not a long wrong, we’ve just let the lad go. I felt we deserved it on the whole.

“You’re never going to have a stroll in the park at Corinthian, or against anyone in this league for that matter, but they’re one of the teams I will always be looking over our shoulder at.

“It was a long, old, slog and the players were feeling it at the end. But we played some nice stuff.

“When we came off the pitch and saw the other results, you saw it was a massive three points.”

Faversham return to home action against play-off occupants Fisher, managed by Ajay Ashanike, this Saturday.

“Ajay does an unbelievable job,” noted Warrilow, whose side beat Fisher 1-0 in the FA Vase in August and 3-1 in the league in early October. “I know he left and then came back - but you can see why. They just suit each other.

“When we beat them early on in the season in the FA Vase, I said they will be there or thereabouts.

“It’s going to be a tough one. I know we have got four games in hand on them but they could go top if they beat us.

“There’s three of us on 40-odd points already but, below that, they’re going to be fighting for the play-off spots. We’re only halfway through the season so there’s plenty of time for teams to get a gallop on.

“All the while it’s tight for that fifth spot, everyone is going to be really fighting in every single game.

“Back in the day, people might have dropped their budgets a bit if they’re not really playing for anything later in the season. But this year - and it’s the same in Isthmian Premier - everyone is going to be thinking ‘Hold on, we have got half a chance here.’.

"So, I don’t see anyone rolling over.”

And Warrilow is hopeful of attracting another bumper crowd to Salters Lane after nearly 1,200 watched their 4-3 derby win over Whitstable in their last home match.

He said: “Hopefully, there’s another big crowd and we build on the Whitstable crowd.

“I know Whitstable brought a few but there were also quite a few that came back for the first time in a while.

"Hopefully, we can start bringing our gates up even more because those fans can really help us with our promotion push.”

The Lilywhites are at home to Lydd on Tuesday - as striker Stefan Payne, Faversham’s top scorer last term, makes his Salters Lane return.

Ryan Smith’s side have been surprise strugglers but Warrilow said: “I know they’re down there but they’re going to be a real handful.

“But first things first, we have got a really tough one on Saturday.”