LEAGUE tables in August are a strange phenomenon.

Like the family you meet on your summer holidays, you acknowledge their existence but try to ignore them.

That is unless your team is riding high at the top or propping up the rest after a handful of matches. Then rationale tends to go out of the window and back-to-back wins become title-winning form, while the reverse is a sure sign of relegation.

Last week we had Chelsea storming to the top of the Premier League after beating Reading 4-2, commentators conveniently overlooking the fact they were the only teams to have played twice.

There seems to be a disproportionate amount of importance placed on the fledgling league table and it is no different at City’s level.

For what it’s worth, the cream seems to have risen to the top of Blue Square Bet North from the off. Guiseley, Brackley and Chester were all tipped to do well and they currently occupy the top three positions with 100 per cent records after four games.

Worcester are the next best-placed team with eight points from a possible 12, providing plenty of reason for optimism. They’d certainly have settled for that before a ball was kicked.

But it shows how far City have come in recent seasons that there is genuine disappointment in the camp that it is not four wins from four — after shipping last-gasp equalisers at Bradford Park Avenue and Oxford City.

Tom Thorley knows the feeling only too well after scoring an exquisite free-kick to put City 2-1 ahead at Oxford on Monday only to see victory snatched away moments later.

“To score ourselves in the 90th minute and for Oxford to score after that was heart-breaking at the time,” the midfielder said. “It was a great strike and when I scored a goal like that in those circumstances I thought we’d won the game so you’re on cloud nine but then quickly brought back down to earth.

“There were words said in the changing room and we’re all gutted because that’s another two points dropped, exactly the same as what happened at Bradford.

“Looking back now we would have taken eight points at the start but we have conceded two goals in the 90th minute in two games so you’ve got to look at that and also be slightly disappointed.

“We’re a young team, we keep learning all the time so hopefully during the season we will eradicate those mistakes.”

The table could make for very different reading come April but for now at least it makes happy viewing at St George’s Lane.

Thorley, one of City’s stand-out players so far this term, added: “We’re in the mix early doors and we’ve got to stay up there.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think we’ve played the teams that will be in and around the top at the end of the season but every team in this league is a match and offers a tough test.

“Colwyn Bay will be another difficult game on Saturday but we can match anyone, without a doubt, and we’re not frightened by anyone in this league.”