Match Report

by Alan Evans

Northwood’s miserable run of league form continued when they crashed to a three-goal home defeat against near-neighbours Hemel Hempstead Town.

It is their home performances that have suffered the most this season, with this result meaning that the Woods have taken just one point from seven home games since the opening day victory over Yate Town three months ago.

Colin Payne’s side was hit once again by injuries with both central midfield players, with skipper Wayne Clark and Dwane Williams ruled out after picking up knocks at the weekend. They joined Liam Watson, Lee Holland, Peter Dean and Dean Powles on the sidelines, while last season’s top scorer Dean Clark has expressed a desire to leave the club so was omitted from the squad. Perry Norman returned against his former club, in place of James Shipperley, while David Warner and Danny Julienne came into the side.

It proved to be a fairly open game with neither side really ever dominating, and the Woods were almost gifted the lead after seven minutes when a back pass from Chris Wild beat his own ‘keeper but rolled inches wide of the post.

The lively Kyle Matthews struck a low shot just wide soon after, and the diminutive striker was then given a great chance in front of goal after good work from Julienne, but he was muscled off the ball.    

The attacking play of John Lawford and Garry Sippetts for the visitors also stretched the Northwood defence, and it needed some solid defending by Yiadom Yeboah and Mark Dennison, made captain in the absence of Carter, to keep them at bay.

After 23 minutes another move was started by Julienne and led to a Danny Murphy cross which Lee Tunnell touched past goalkeeper Steve Smith but it was cleared off the line. Just two minutes later the Tudors hit back when a poor free-kick saw Lawford slip the ball through to Sippetts and his shot was well saved by the legs of Rob Bullivant in goal.

On the half-hour, Hemel made a double substitution, replacing Lawford and Steve Sinclair with Abdul Yoki and Anthony Thomas, the league’s top scorer last season coming back from a suspension.

It was end to end stuff at this stage. Smith saved Warner’s stinging drive, while Rob Gould failed to get a touch to a Sippetts pass inside the penalty-area.

It was heading for a goalless first-half but with three minutes to go a long goal-kick was headed on and, seemingly yards offside; Thomas raced through to score easily.

It got worse for Northwood, though, as a run and cross from Paul Edgeworth saw Sippetts get the better of Norman and fire home to beat Bullivant from an acute angle.

In the second-half, the Woods made a decent attempt to battle back, especially after the introduction of 17-year-old Elliott Buchanan on the left of midfield. He replaced Norman and the side was shuffled around and the youngster was soon in the thick of the action, firing just over the bar on 56 minutes. Three minutes later Buchanan turned provider with an excellent cross which saw Mark Nicholls volley over from just inside the box.

Dennison went close with a long-range effort and then Tunnell and Buchanan notched further efforts on goal, but any hopes of rescuing a point vanished after 74 minutes when a free-kick was delivered into the Northwood area and Julienne powered a header past his own goalkeeper.

Hemel failed to record an effort on goal during the second half but they didn’t need to as Northwood continued to fire blanks. Matthews twice, Dennison again and substitute Shipperley all had half-chances to pull a goal back but all either lacked accuracy or power.

With financial cuts continuing to bite and a new sponsor still proving elusive, it is looking like a long, hard season for Colin Payne and the club as they battle for survival in every sense of the word.