Saturday 6th March 1971
NORTHWOOD FALL OUT OF TITLE RACE
VIKING SPORTS 2 NORTHWOOD 0
Northwood saw their final Middlesex League title hopes fade with Saturday’s poor, and at times pathetic, display against top of the table rivals Viking Sports. With Millward, who was sent off in the previous match, dropped for disciplinary reasons, and Horsford failing to arrive at the ground, Northwood hardly started on the right note.
In the early exchanges, however, there was little to choose between the two sides, but gradually Viking came on top. Although with the slope advantage on the first half, Northwood were still unable to score, and Dodd and Byrne made no impression up front.
New boy Chick showed up well on his debut, and Northwood’s midfield trio of Gould, Harvey and Pearce tried hard enough but the mud stifled their talents. With the attack virtually non-existent and midfield ineffective, only Northwood’s defence stood between Viking and victory.
In this sphere, Dibbens was outstanding and he was well-supported by full-backs Bailey and Harding.
With Viking’s attack under control, a scoreless first half seemed inevitable, but when Gould tackled Doyle in a 50-50 ball, the referee gave a penalty. It seemed a rather harsh decision, but Hoare fired home to make it 1-0 at the interval.
In the second half Northwood made few attacks, but Chick, Harvey and Gould always looked dangerous in these. Viking were pushing forward in search of the goal to put the result beyond doubt, and in their frustration and Northwood’s desperation to prevent this, the tackles of both sides were really flying in at times.
It was ironic that the referee booked Harvey, renowned for his placidness, for a tackle of little venom. Then as the game came to its end, Viking snatched a second through Edgehill and Northwood’s hopes of a point faded.
Northwood: R. Byrne, Harding, Madigan, Dibbens, Bailey, Gould, Harvey, Chick, Dodd, P. Byrne, Vincent.
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