The Woods produced a blistering display of pace and movement all over the pitch to demolish a Ware side that are still looking for their first win of the season. Dave Anderson went into the game with just one change from the recent starting line-ups as Anthony Page was preferred to youngster Harry Smart in the centre of midfield and he took his opportunity well, taking the Riverside Man of the Match award.

Northwood played with a very high tempo from the very start, with Gary Burrell weaving his way into the box before seeing a shot blocked by a defender. Just three minutes later, the Woods got their noses in front. Chris Seeby launched am accurate diagonal ball from the left-back position that saw Hugo Figueiredo scamper after, leaving his defender behind and lifting a shot over the stranded goalkeeper Harry Ricketts.

Two minutes later Burrell flighted over a free-kick, which saw Gary Meakin head for goal but Ricketts saved comfortably and another well-worked free-kick on ten minutes led to Rob Ursell slicing his opportunity well wide. The attacks kept coming and after 14 minutes, Page battled his way into the area with a typically strong run and then played a pass to Figueiredo who set up John Christian for a shot which flashed just wide of the post.

Ware had hardly got in a blow when the second goal arrived on 25 minutes. Again a free-kick provided the catalyst as Meakin played a ball to Ursell whose cross was met by a solid header from Anthony Page.
The visitors responded with their first effort on goal as Michael Sharman tested Mitch Swain with a long-range effort but the Woods ‘keeper held comfortably.

It was after 29 minutes that Northwood took the game away from Ware when Gary Senior's diagonal run and chest down of a cross created the space needed for Gary Burrell to rifle a shot that flew into the top corner to give Ricketts no chance. Senior and Burrell combined again after 37 minutes, this time to set up Christian for a shot, which crashed back off the foot of the post.

The Hertfordshire side rallied briefly as half-time approached, with Paul Abbott shooting with power but without accuracy, and then Kai Ramshaw forced Swain into a diving stop. Then, just before the whistle, Ursell added a fourth goal with a shot neatly tucked inside the post to complete an entirely satisfying half.

Ware made two half-time substitutions but it failed to stem the flow as the Woods continued to build wave after wave of attacks. Meakin saw a free-kick well saved by Ricketts and then Figueiredo fired a shot over the bar before Senior raced onto a ball from Seeby and his first-time shot cannoned off the crossbar.

The fifth goal appeared inevitable and it came after 54 minutes when Figueiredo sped down the left and pulled the ball back for Senior to clip a shot inside the near-post for his first of the season.
Page headed a Meakin cross wide soon after and then Anderson took the chance to give a run-out to Danny Power and Sam Sharples on the hour, as replacements for Mark Burgess and John Christian.

The Woods had dropped a gear at this stage but went close after 69 minutes as Page latched onto Senior’s flick and probably should have scored but Ricketts came out to save bravely at his feet. Just a minute later Ursell danced his way in from the left and crossed to Figueiredo and the Portuguese attacker knocked in his second goal of the game.

Smart replaced Ursell almost immediately and the game petered out a little from there with the Woods concentrating on keeping their third clean sheet in four games, something they achieved fairly easily, though Swain had to make one good save from a Michael Toner header.

The three points took Northwood to the top of the Division One North table for at least 24 hours with Ilford, on maximum points so far, taking on East Thurrock United on Wednesday night with the chance to return to the summit.

Report by ALAN EVANS