London United 2-0 Burn

Sunday 7th March

HMV Park, London. Att: 46,071.

London United got their campaign off to a great start with a 2-0 win over the returning Belfast Burn.

The Burn were playing their first BritLeague match since 2007, when their squad and staff defected to form a new club - Bristol Pirates.

Belfast were skippered by local boy Josh Heany, who joined them in the off-season from Nottingham Fire. And the 24-year-old centre-half, who has 16 caps for the all-Irish national team as a solitary cap for Northern Ireland, nearly put them in front, when he headed Neil Harrington's corner off the post.

United were missing key striker Edward Redwood, who suffered a minor knee injury in England's 5-0 friendly win over South Africa.

But that didn't seem to faze them one bit, when the ball fell to Craig CraiCo who belted a wonder goal from 30 yards after Tom Neill-Perry's poor header.

John Macdonald, who was captaining his first league game for London United, attracted much media attention after his controversial new mullet which has "J-MAC" shaved in on each side.

But the England CSA defender's performance overshadowed his haircut, as he headed home the second from a CraiCo corner.

Goals

London United: CraiCo 25', Macdonald 70'.

Burn: none.

Lightning 3-0 Mighty Rats

Sunday 7th March

Elland Road, Leeds. Att: 32,047.

Leeds Lightning got their campaign off to a glorious start with a 3-0 over the Merseyside Mighty Rats at Elland Road.

The Lightning's new American defender Jimmy-Jack Perry only took five minutes to mark his debut with a goal, heading in Diego van den Struijk's free-kick.

Italian whiz-kid Dani Rivera, who has been linked with a move away from West Yorkshire, scored an impressive goal from just outside the 18-yard box to put Leeds 2-0 up after 25 minutes.

And van den Struijk was a nuisance for the Merseyside defence, and one of his crosses led to Rats right-back Colin Price putting it into his own net.

It was miserable afternoon for the Rats, only creating one real chance when Zak McCracken missed a sitter from five yards out.

Goals

Lightning: Perry 5', Rivera 25', Price 76' (o.g.).

Mighty Rats: none.

Knights 3-1 Shamrocks

Saturday 6th March

Knights Arena, Suffolk. Att: 29,569.

The East Anglia Knights stormed to victory with a 3-1 win over the Dublin Shamrocks in the first game ever played at the Knights' new ground in Suffolk.

Adam Gaffney headed in the 1-0 from a Danny Basingstoke corner.

But fellow centre-half Richard Hately equalised for the Irish side with a header of his own after a Steve Berry corner.

However, it was a Hately error that gifted the lead back to the Knights when the Irishman miscontrolled a pass and England star Adam Carter ran past him with the ball and rounded bemused goalie Shane Murphy.

And Welsh striker Karlo Krzystofski marked his first league appearance since September 2009 after recovering from a serious knee injury with a wonderful chip from 30 yards after he saw Murphy completely off his line.

Goals

Knights: Gaffney 23', Carter 58', Krzystofski 88'.

Shamrocks: Hately 35'.

Geordies 1-1 Pirates

Saturday 6th March

Geordies Park, Newcastle. Att: 31,468.

Newcastle Geordies and Bristol Pirates shared a point with a 1-1 at Geordies Park.

Winger Matthew McEnley put the Geordies in front before Richard Jackson's headed equaliser.

Goals

Geordies: McEnley 23'.

Pirates: Jackson 44'.

Rockers 2-1 Glasgow FC

Saturday 6th March

Rockers Park, Salford, Greater Manchester. Att: 27,013.

Manchester Rockers won 2-1 over Glasgow FC.

Peter Elkins headed the Rockers in front on the beanpole striker's debut for the club, before Scott MacRae equalised for Glasgow.

And Manchester's Glaswegian midfielder Gary McManus scored the winner.

Goals

Rockers: Elkins 15', McManus 71'.

Glasgow FC: Scott MacRae 35'.

FC London 3-0 Edinburgh FC

Saturday 6th March

FC London Stadium, London. Att: 46,037

FC London got their new BritLeague season off to a flying start with an easy win over Edinburgh.

Ryan Welch scored in his first BritLeague appearance, having signed from E-League champions London City.

Craig Palmer scored one of the goals of match-week one, with a mazy solo run through the Edinburgh defence.

And young Australian striker Craig Cinoli scored a fantastic goal from 25 yards, flew into the top corner.

Goals

FC London: Welch 41', Palmer 68', Cinoli 75'.

Edinburgh FC: none.

Saturday's Full-Time Scores

Ruckus 5-2 Fire

Saturday 6th March

Ruckus Park, Hampshire. Att: 28,763.

Garry Stretford's first professional hat-trick helped the South Coast Ruckus tear through the Nottingham Fire as the home club celebrated their first ever game at purposely-built Ruckus Park.

The team in yellow, green and grey thrashed the Fire 5-2 with Martin King and Michael Heany also joining in Stretford's party with goals of their own.

The young 21-year-old midfielder Stretford also had a solid performance for England in the second half of the 5-0 friendly thrashing of South Africa on Wednesday, setting up the final two goals, and winning the Vodafone Man of the Match award.

He has been linked with a move away from Southern England, with clubs like Monsters, London Town and London United reportedly interested in the London-born midfielder.

But that did not stop him from scoring a perfect hat-trick against Nottingham - the first goal came from a sweet left-footed volley, the second from a right-footed curling free-kick and the third from a header from King's cross (no pun intended).

With the Ruckus leading 5-0 with ten minutes remaining, the Fire did their best to start a mini comeback with goals from Ben Judd and Erik Lyngstad.

Goals

Ruckus: Stretford 4', 31', 66', Heany 46', King 76'.

Fire: Judd 81', Lyngstad 85'.

Monsters 4-1 Dragons

Saturday 6th March

Monsters Park, York. Att: 35,473.

The Monsters got off to flying start with a 4-1 thrashing of the Dragons.

Goals

Monsters: Quique 24', 48', Watkinson 66', Van den Bergh 78'.

Dragons: Christian Jones 75'.

Strikers 1-3 Real Birmingham

Saturday 6th March

Bramall Lane, Sheffield. Att: 15,306.

Cristiano Costa scored a hat-trick as Real Birmingham got off to flying start with a 3-1 win in Sheffield.

The Strikers however made it 1-0 with a goal from Phil van der Vuuren after only two minutes.

But it only fired up Real. Right-back Paolo Baggola upended Costa in the box, and the Portuguese slotted home the penalty.

Adam Barry hit a ferocious volley which Andrea Rossi punched out, only towards the oncoming Costa who tapped it in to make it 2-1.

And Costa completed his treble with a beautiful free-kick that had so much power and swerve on it.

Goals

Strikers: van der Vuuren 2'.

Real Birmingham: Costa 17' p, 55', 79'.

London Town 4-0 Phantoms

Friday 5th March

HMV Park, London. Att: 43,076.

Reigning champions London Town started their new campaign with a comfortable 4-0 win over BritLeague new boys Leicester Phantoms.

John Carey netted a brace to help Town ensure that the Phantoms' first league game ever would end miserably for the visitors.

Andrea Romano and James Douglas also found the net.

Goals

London Town: Carey 16', 71', Romano 41', Douglas 88'

Phantoms: none.