Northwood’s play-off ambitions took a real knock on Saturday as they slumped to defeat against hard-working opponents who hold the same ambition and climbed to third place on the strength of these three points. The south-east London side also completed a double over the Woods having won 1-0 at Chestnut Avenue back in August on an equally frustrating afternoon for Dave Anderson’s men. The only change to the side came in defence with Gilbert Nuako starting in place of Chris Seeby, who was given a rest having played every game so far this season.

The first-half was fast and furious with neither side giving the other much room to play. The Woods were just about shading possession but it took twenty minutes before the first chance came along, as John Christian’s cross whistled across the face of goal but with no-one able to apply the needed touch.
Six minutes later some good work by Danny Power down the right led to the ball running loose on the edge of the box, and Anton Lewis got in a shot which was theatrically pushed wide by the diving Steve Northwood in goal.

The Woods defence dealt with Thamesmead’s three-pronged attack fairly comfortably and the home side never really got a look in during the first forty minutes. After 41 minutes, a poor clearance by James Campbell presented Eugene Ofori with an opportunity but the Woods striker, without a goal in a month, blasted his effort on goal well wide.

The Mead had their first shot on target just before the break when a Brad Hewitt header was quickly returned to Marcus Perona in space but his hot was comfortably saved by Aaron Bufton.

The half ended with a farce as the referee gave a free-kick for something neither he nor his assistant saw, which was emphasised by the fact that he also decided to show a yellow card for the challenge. After discussion between the two officials, it was Scott Orphanou that they chose to receive the card and it was only after much further argument and debate with the Thamesmead defenders that it was changed to Ofori. Two less similar looking players you couldn’t have.

The second-half was just two minutes old when Northwood presented the home side with the win. Brad Hewitt spoiled an otherwise solid game by leaving a back-pass to Bufton short and though the ‘keeper managed to block Joel Greaves as he raced in for the kill, the ball ran loose, and it was Thamesmead’s top scorer Andy Constable who was on hand to pounce.

Greaves was then only booked for a late challenge on Nuako was forced off with an ankle injury, though the introduction of Seeby as substitute did lead to resurgence from the Woods. Generally the attacks died off as they approached the final third, with a distinct lack of cutting edge in that area, but one did lead to Orphanou seeing a shot saved at the near post by Northwood.

Hugo Figueiredo and Aaron Cato were introduced for the tiring Sam Sharples and Orphanou to add some width to the Woods attack in the last twenty minutes, and it did have some effect, briefly raising hopes of a comeback. Seeby had a long-range shot saved and then Figueiredo sent over a good far-post cross which Cato headed back across goal but the ball was cleared.

On several occasions, the ball bounced around the Thamesmead area invitingly but the home defence threw bodies in front of all attempts at a shot, and it looked like being one of those days for the Woods.
The equaliser almost came after 76 minutes as Figueiredo produced an excellent delivery from a free-kick, Hewitt flicked the ball on and Gary Burrell got his head on it but without the power to beat the ‘keeper.

Thamesmead then made the Woods pay for that as a long ball was played forward, Seeby hesitated and substitute Danny Moore pounced to nick the ball past him and score with a neat finish across Bufton.
The final ten minutes was more about damage-limitation than a storming finish from the Woods as their game petered out and the Mead held on to a hard-earned three points.

Report by ALAN EVANS

Photos by James Brown