Report by ALAN EVANS

Tuesday night under the lights at the Skyline Roofing Stadium provided the canvas for a new start for Northwood under the management of Scott Patmore and his new management team with Rayners Lane, a side still looking for their first win of the season in any competition.

There were multiple changes made to the starting line-up with six players drafted in to make their starting line-up, three of them following the manager from Spartan South Midlands League side AFC Welwyn while three more new signings took a place on the substitutes bench. The visitors also fielded a couple of new signings, included one-time Woods striker Ade Gbolahan leading the line up front.

It was the Woods who forced the first save of the game after just three minutes as the ball was worked across from right to left and set up a strike from Parris Mason but it lacked the power to really test goalkeeper Mateo Guerra.

But it was still a good start from the home side that saw them continue to push forward and on 15 minutes, Adeyemi Adewale hit a powerful shot from distance which flashed just wide of the post. Five minutes later, the visitor’s keeper was penalised for holding onto the ball for too long but the corner failed to take advantage.

Arnold Mengi was next to go close as a scramble in the box gave him an opportunity but the blanket defence managed to block the shot.

On 23 minutes, a half-cleared corner was recycled and Mengi found the space to knock in a good cross to the far post where Mark Osei got in a good header which was well saved by Guerra as the Woods continued to dominate. Then, Osei moved the ball across from left to right and then chipped the ball in to pick out Lewis Buamah but his free header was straight at the grateful ‘keeper.
Osei was again the provider of a through ball to Mengi on 35 minutes. He got ahead of the Lane defence and into the box but wasn’t able to beat Guerra with his low shot.

The best chance of all came with half-time approaching as Adewale broke onto the area and beat the diving ‘keeper, only to see the ball hit the far post and there was still time for another effort on goal. Another deep cross gave Osei the chance with a diving header but again Guerra was behind it.

Into the second half still goalless, the Woods were less dominant to begin with and recorded only one effort on goal in the first fifteen minutes, the industrious Kayne Connor having a strong effort from 25 yards headed away for a corner as the Rayners Lane defence continued to prove hard to break down.

Soon after, Mengi fed Osei just outside the box and his effort took a deflection and dipped dangerously before finding the top of the net. At the other end, Finn Rushton had not seen much action but he saved comfortably from a free-kick and on 73 minutes he made a superb reflex save to push an Alfie Campbell header from a corner over the bar; the visitors best chance of the game.

Substitutions were made With George Eldridge and Harvey Gardiner introduced and it was Gardiner who went very close on 83 minutes, getting in a powerful header to a neat chip into the box from Kevin Mustali but Guerra made another fine save, pushing the ball across goal and wide.

The Woods next efforts came from sub. Ronny Mfinda who went down in the box under a challenge but was cautioned for simulation and then another ball into the box saw Adewale unable to steer his shot on target.

The Lane had one great chance to steal the points late on but knocked the ball wide and three minutes into stoppage-time, Osei picked up a ball from Kieron Lake-Bryan, jinked into the box but then saw his chipped shot clawed away by the man of the match goalkeeper once again, 

The Woods now go on the road for a couple of weeks, starting with a visit to fellow strugglers North Leigh on Saturday.