After three weeks of inactivity, the Woods got back into the groove on Tuesday night with a comfortable passage into the semi-finals of the Middlesex Senior Cup. Their opponents had already over-achieved in what was their very first year in the Senior Cup with previous round successes over Wingate & Finchley and Hendon but there was to be no repeat shock against Northwood.

With skipper Gary Burrell having been lured to divisional rivals Wingate a week earlier added to the unavailable Danny Power and Chris Seeby, manager Dave Anderson was delighted to welcome Ryan Tackley back into the squad for his first run-out of the season following a long-term injury. Brad Hewitt took over the armband for this cup-tie and the Woods were soon on the offensive with Leon Osei seeing his header flick just wide and then a shot deflect over the bar. A Tackley corner dropped to Michael Peacock just a few yards from goal but he somehow skied the ball over the top.

Scott Orphanou was next to go close with another header on the end of a Tackley free-kick which also missed the target and then after nine minutes Hugo Figueiredo raced forty yards and finally forced goalkeeper Terry Buss into action.   It was all one-way traffic and on 15 minutes a long ball from Tackley saw Orphanou just get a touch ahead of the on-rushing Buss but the ball went wide and was cleared. The pressure finally told a minute later with John Christian putting the Woods in front with a 25-yard drive which found the top corner to give Buss no chance in goal.

Once a goal down, the Villains began to make some ground themselves with Bobby Smith called into action for the first time, diving across goal to push an Adam Piggott shot wide for a corner. Scott Purdue then gifted the Combined Counties League side a great chance to level the scores when he conceded a penalty with a clumsy trip. Having won their last round game against Hendon by virtue of scoring many penalty-kicks, Lee Higgs must have been full of confidence but his well-struck shot was superbly saved by Smith in goal to keep the Woods in front.

Northwood continued to dominate and Orphanou was put through by Jones only to shoot wide with just Buss to beat. Danny Jones and Leon Osei both showed good approach work but the cutting edge was lacking in front of goal for both of them and Figueiredo also shot just over the top from a free-kick.

It was much the same after the break with Tackley going close from a free-kick and then finding Peacock with the resulting corner only for him to send his powerful header the wrong side of the post. Osei continued to cause problems and set up Figueiredo for a shot which blasted into the side-netting but finally the second goal came on 52 minutes. Osei was the supplier again, cutting in from the left and sending over a cross which Jones knocked in at the far post.

The attacks continued with Osei, Christian and Orphanou all denied by the agile Buss in goal and the Woods made a couple of changes with Aaron Cato and Eugene Ofori replacing Jones and Orphanou.
Both were quickly involved with Cato having a shot saved and then, when Osei was tripped in the box after 76 minutes, it was Ofori who took charge of the spot-kick, missing the target with a shot which was well wide.

There was never any danger of letting the lead slip and the Woods added a third goal in the final minute with Cato using his pace to find space and then finding a way past Buss with a good strike into the bottom corner.

The Woods now move into the semi-final where they will travel to play Uxbridge, managed by former Northwood boss Tony Choules, on Tuesday 9th March.

Report by ALAN EVANS