Stotfold 2  Northwood 4

Saturday 1st March 2025

 

NORTHWOOD
1	Aymen Azaze
2	Harry McKenna
3	Junior Paiva
4	Manny Folarin
5	Alpha Keita-Turay
6	Stefan Powell (94m)
7	Bradley Clayton (90m)
8	Troy Perez-Duah
9	Samuel Folarin (94m)
10	Hassan Jalloh (83m)
11	Josh Williams (78m)
Substitutes
12	Devonte Totesaut (94m)
14	Jack Empson (90m)
15	Nnaemeka Anyanwu (78m)
16	Jon-Jo Bates (83m)
17	Alex Cathline (94m)

The Woods finally left their goal drought behind and notched their first victory of 2025 at the fifth time of asking as they completed a much-needed “double” over the side just above them in the lower reaches of the league table, Stotfold.

There was just one change to the starting line-up from the narrow defeat at Aylesbury United ten days earlier with Bradley Clayton coming in for a second appearance on dual-registration from Chesham United. Harry McKenna dropped into the right-back role with Jack Empson reverting to an otherwise attack-loaded bench.

But there was a terrible start to the game by the visiting Woods when Ernest Njoroge came out best in a hefty challenge with Troy Perez-Duah and the ball spun straight to Robbie Buchanan in space. He strode on and finished with a powerful strike that flew past goalkeeper Aymen Azaze and gave the Eagles a sixth minute lead.

A response was needed and it came on 14 minutes when Clayton threaded a ball through to Samuel Folarin who raced into the box, cut back across the covering defender with his right-foot and fired past goalkeeper Liam Gooch with his left.

The Woods played some good football which belied the bumpy pitch at times and Folarin had a half-chance for a second on 22 minutes but this time hit his shot well wide of the far post. At the other end, Njoroge found some space for a shot but blasted miles over.

There was not much between the sides at this stage but Northwood started to create more with Perez-Duah testing Gooch with a low shot after a short corner had been played across the area and then Josh Williams got involved with some clever work from the left but hit his shot just wide of the far post. The wide man did the same again a couple of minutes later but got his angles completely wrong with another strike that missed the target by even further.

 

PHOTOS by James Brown

Just before the break, Stotfold could have retaken the lead when a long-throw was headed on and Njoroge stole in at the near post but poked his volley wide of the goal. The Woods responded with a teasing cross from Junior Paiva just failing to find the outstretched boot of Perez-Duah at the near post with Gooch collecting gratefully collecting.

All-square and all to play for in the second-half, the Woods almost grabbed the lead in the very first minute when a chip forward saw Clayton beat offside claims with just the ‘keeper to beat but his attempted chip failed to get past Gooch who saved well.

Two minutes later, the home side regained the lead. A free-kick was pumped in from the right flank and Azaze looked favourite to grab it above his head but under pressure from Ashley Kersey running across him, it ran loose. James Peters lobbed the ball goalwards and with Kersey now standing in an offside position on the goal-line, his presence played a huge part in stopping the combined efforts of Alpha Kieta-Turay and Paiva from clearing off the line but the goal was given with Kersey considered not interfering with play.

Again, it needed a good response from the Woods and again they proved up to it. A good ball from Hassan Jalloh put Clayton through but his early strike wasn’t enough to beat Gooch. But after 66 minutes, Northwood were level again and it was a similar goal to the first with this time Williams supplying the ball which put Sam Folarin through. This time, the young striker had to be strong to hold off two players alongside him and then steer his shot past the ‘keeper for his second of the game.

Eight minutes later, some good work by Jalloh on the left saw him tripped just inside the box and the Referee pointed to the spot with skipper Perez-Duah maintaining his 100% record from twelve yards by sending Gooch the wrong way and putting the Woods in front for the first time in the match.

Stotfold had little to show in response with one shot from Codi-Lee Spavins flashing across goal but wide on 80 minutes being their only effort on goal in the remaining minutes. Meanwhile, the Woods made a series of substitutions as the clock ran down.

It was two minutes into stoppage-time that a great run from Manny Folarin was brought to a halt by a foul just outside the area. Perez-Duah rifled the free-kick into the top corner to give Gooch no chance and the Woods had secured all three points.

REPORT by Alan Evans