MANDEVILLE, Manchester — “Goals win matches,” the popular football saying goes, but it’s a pity they don’t always keep you on top.

Just ask Porus, because so far, that’s been the narrative of their season in the Manchester Captain’s Bakery Major League.

After three games in the competition, the points standing will tell you that Porus are the top scorers with 10 goals to their credit. On Thursday night, at approximately 10 o’clock, the table will also show that they were the new leaders of the 12-team league, having amassed seven points following their 4-1 thrashing of Villa United at Kirkvine Sports Club.

Check the standings 24 hours later and it will now show that Porus have fallen one place to second, overtaken by New Green, who now boast a two-point gap at the top of the league courtesy of a hard-fought 2-1 win over Mile Gully on Friday night at Brooks Park.

Porus’ 4-1 triumph over the mid-table Villa United was the second time in three games that they were scoring four or more goals in a match. They opened their season with an impressive 5-0 away win at Grey Ground, but a 1-1 stalemate in their next game against Hillstars meant they were replaced by a team, who while not being as explosive in the goalscoring department, were perfect in the win column.

New Green have scored four goals fewer than Porus, averaging two per game, but always — for now at least — managed to grind out the victory. And, as their latest victory over a youthful Mile Gully showed, it’s not that they aren’t creating chances (they created at least nine Friday night). It’s just that they aren’t putting them away.

Defensively, New Green and Porus have also been good — conceding one and two goals, respectively — making them the overall two best teams in the competition.

This, therefore, sets up an eye-catching affair when the sides meet today in the early top of the table clash at Brooks Park, starting at 3:00 pm.

Downs, meanwhile, rebounded from last weekend’s home defeat to New Green to move up to third on six, thanks to a 2-1 mid-week victory over Kendal, who have, surprisingly, made a poor start to the competition.

Only last season, Kendal, who recently lost the parish’s knockout final on penalties, were flying their flag in the South Central Confederation Super League and considered to be a rising force in Manchester football, having also dominated the female game in recent times.

“They are just going through a little bad patch now,” one observer said on Friday night. “Things will get better as the season (progresses).” They, along with Land Settlement, now sit in the relegation places on one point earned against Villa United on the opening day of the season.

Both teams were scheduled to meet in the bottom-of-the-table clash yesterday.

Meanwhile, in other games today, Greenvale United host Villa United, Alligator Pond travel to Mile Gully, Downs play Comfort, while Grey Ground and Hillstars meet at Comfort.