Report by ALAN EVANS

It was heartbreak for the young Northwood side, which included six teenagers, that were looking for their fourth win in the FA Vase this season as they let slip a narrow lead, conceding two goals in stoppage-time to bow out of the competition against fellow Combined Counties League side Reading City.

As in the previous round, the Woods faced selection problems with five players from the previous week’s line-up cup-tied and they were joined by a foot injury to main striker Guiseppe Delgaudio which ruled him out along with Kieron Lake-Bryan who continued to suffer with his ankle issue picked up on international duty. Manager Scott Patmore was also hit by the absence of stand-in goalkeeper Lewis Everett who was injured in a car accident and also ruled out so it was a busy couple of days on recruitment.

Former Woods Under-18 keeper Matt Burrows came in on dual-registration from Marlow, Simeon Olarerin, another who played U18 football at the club, arrived from Hitchin Town and Kjay Bailey from Harrow Borough; both on similar arrangements. Tomas Gunasekera, following some solid performances for the current Woods U18s, was called up for his senior debut alongside the more experienced Rafiq Bettamer who was thankfully back in action after family issues had seen him miss the last two games.

The Cityzens arrived for the first-ever meeting between the two clubs in good form, some eleven places higher in the table with only one change from the starting line-up that had won 3-2 at Kidlington the previous week and were playing their first game in the Vase this season having received a “bye” thanks to a long run in the competition the previous year.

The Woods kicked into the setting sun in the first-half and started well with Rowan Daly looking sharp up against the Reading defence in the opening stages. But it was the visitors who had the first squeak of a chance on six minutes when they broke two-on-two but Jonathan Moura made a superb tackle to thwart the danger.

The Cityzens also recorded the first effort on target with Ewan Lynch trying his luck from outside the box on 11 minutes but it was comfortable for Burrows in goal. A minute later, it swung to the other end as Josh Havard brought the ball forward and picked out Olarerin on the left. His cut back found Kayne Connor but his low shot deflected which made it easy for goalkeeper Charlie York.

After 25 minutes, a good turn and pass put Liam Baker in ahead of Moura down the left and he drove into the box before slotting past Burrows but the ball rolled just wide of the far post. It had been the best chance of the game so far but just two minutes later, Moura went close himself as he found space to hit a good shot from distance which flashed just over and onto the net.

The Woods’ new-look defence was playing pretty solidly, though one back pass from Gunasekera looked a little short and Lynch was almost onto it before it made a safe passage to Burrows. The young defender then picked up the first yellow card of the game on 37 minutes with a late tackle on Oliver Bourne. From that free-kick, Jenson Mansel did get a header at goal but without the power to beat Burrows.

But it was Northwood who finished the half the better with both Kjay Bailey and James King finding some success down the flanks. King set up Havard who couldn’t get a shot off but it rolled back to King who then found Connor whose shot was blocked and cleared.

Then, some good work from Olarerin led to a chipped ball in from Connor that Daly couldn’t get a clean header to. The ball ran loose and Havard was there with a good touch but his shot was blocked.

Half-time and still level, the Woods came out for the second-half with renewed confidence and they rewarded after just four minutes. Olarerin won the ball in defence and played it forward where Bailey dummied it through to Daly. He slipped it through to an unmarked James King who raced into the space before slotting the ball past York for his first senior goal to put the Woods in front.

Northwood conceded a free-kick in a dangerous area soon after but Burrows managed to get down to keep out Ollie Harris’s direct strike to the near-post, though he needed to grab at the loose ball too to thwart a lurking visitor’s forward.

After 54 minutes, Bailey chipped a neat ball into the middle which was only half-cleared. Daly revived it and played it neatly to Havard who tried to sweep it goalwards from twenty yards but it was always just too high to test the keeper.

There was another good opportunity for Northwood on the hour when a clever backheel from Daly put Bailey through on goal. His pace took him into the box and he got a shot off under pressure from a Dan Williamson tackle but York managed to block his effort. From the resulting corner, it was recycled and King managed to knock in an inviting cross with Daly inches away from applying the finishing touch.
Within a minute, the Woods almost gifted the Cityzens an equaliser as Burrows made a hash of a clearance from a back pass. It was straight to Lynch, who had Harris to his left but he opted to shoot and Burrows redeemed himself by blocking with his leg.

It was a bit of a purple patch for Reading as soon after, there was another opportunity as Williamson raced down the right and his cross fell to Harris but he poked his effort wide. Then, Lynch stole in down the right and saw his low strike pushed wide at the near-post by Burrows. From the corner, a powerful header saw Burrows react well to push the ball up and over the bar.

Mohab Madkour replaced Maksym Fostyk for his debut and the Woods still looked dangerous on the break. King, Connor and Madkour all combined to play Bailey into the area and as he twisted away from Baker, he had his leg taken away but the Referee waved away the penalty appeals.

Javan Campbell replaced Daly, alongside a couple of replacements for the visitors, and on 75 minutes he could have made an almost instant impact. It was a superb run from King that created the chance, cutting in from the right and getting past two defenders to get into the box before shimmying past a third. With just the keeper to beat, he chose to cross square to Campbell but the ball cannoned off him and was cleared.

The Cityzens turned up the pressure, including several corners that tested the Woods defence but they stayed strong, making several important blocks during a couple of scrambles while also still looking dangerous on the break as the game reached stoppage-time.

In the very first minute of time added on, a long-kick forward from the keeper was headed on straight into the path of Harris who chipped Burrows. It looked in but the Woods keeper managed to get back to claw it away. However, the ball was quickly retrieved and an accurate cross picked out Harris again and this time he made no mistake with a low strike.

Back level, the game was headed for penalties as the game entered to final minute of the time added on. City substitute Shane Cooper-Clark, a Vase winner with Thatcham Town eight years ago, floated an angled ball out to the right and Harris showed a great first touch to take the ball past Bettamer and fired past Burrows for a cool left-footed finish to win the game.