Report by ALAN EVANS

Looking to put the weekend’s thrashing at Ardley United behind them, the Woods made the shorter midweek journey over to Bedfont for another league game, still under the interim management team led by Jamie Barry.

The side was shuffled around and Kacper Orlowski returned between the sticks for the Woods against a Bedfont side that were full of confidence following their defeat of Harefield United a few days earlier.

And it was the home side who had the first effort on goal after just five minutes when Jack Cuthbertson tried his luck with a swirling effort from distance but Orlowski got across to push the ball wide of the post.

There was a brief respite as Reon Smith-Kouassi got his head on a good ball delivered by Michael Kelly but that drifted wide of the post before Patrick Kavanagh headed a corner from former Woods U18 player James Payne onto the roof of the net and then Alfie Hartburn forced another save from the Woods ‘keeper.

After 26 minutes, there was a chance for the Woods as Smith-Kouassi cut in from the right and knock in a ball which led to a blocked effort from Lucas Da Silva Luz with Parris Mason knocking the loose ball wide of the target.

Bedfont still held the edge though and soon after, some swift passing got the home side into dangerous areas in the box and Jake Beck-Nardoni managed to get a shot in on the turn but it lacked the power required to beat Orlowski.

A short corner then caught out the Woods defence with Payne’s delivery finding the head of Luke Maguire but his flicked effort drifted just wide of the far post. The opening goal came on 33 minutes when another corner wasn’t cleared fully and it fell to Hartburn on the edge of the box with his shot squeezing through a ruck of players and past the unsighted Orlowski.

It was almost two-nil two minutes later as a quick ball sent Andre Smith through on goal but Orlowski denied him with a good save. The half progressed in an open fashion. Kieron Lake-Bryan hit a good shot from distance for Northwood but it was wide of the target and then a flick on from Smith fed Beck-Nardoni but his first-tie chip was well over.

It remained just 1-0 at the break so hopes were high that the Woods could get back into the game with Tolu James replacing Mason for the second half.  There were a couple of opportunities for Northwood to pull level. After 55 minutes Lake-Bryan drove forward and found Akandi. His cross saw Smith-Kouassi knock the ball back across to Archie Morris but his shot was comfortable for goalkeeper George Armstrong. Three minutes later it was Lake-Bryan, skipper for the night, who again powered his way down the right but his initial cross was cut out and a second attempt was too deep.

The home side hadn’t got close to finding a second goal but it was another set-piece that allowed them to double their lead on 75 minutes as Harry Tubb headed a corner down and it found its way over the line in slow-motion.

Orlowski made a good save to deny Sekani McCalmon after a bad back pass straight after this but a third goal followed from the corner that followed, this time a more powerful free header saw Pat Kavanagh put the result beyond doubt. It got worse for the Woods as a free-kick delivered from the left was tucked away by Nathaniel Mensah on 86 minutes and just three minutes later the defence was absent when Jack Beech hammered home a cross from the left.