MATCH REPORTS 2006-07
 

STAINES TOWN RES. 1  NORTHWOOD RES. 4
 

The Woods stormed to the top of the Capital League with an excellent 4-1 victory at Staines Town.

The Swans lost a two-year unbeaten record when they lost by the same scoreline at Chestnut Avenue two weeks earlier and they were out for revenge, fielding several players with first-team experience.

For Northwood, skipper Wayne Carter had an extra run-out but it was an otherwise young and inexperienced side that impressed throughout.

Jack Lisi tested goalkeeper Danny Fisher after only two minutes from distance and a minute later, Jerome Hall, playing a lone role up front, had a shot tipped over by Fisher despite being fouled on the edge of the box. Carter hit the subsequent free-kick into the wall but five minutes later Hall was again scythed down in a similar place. Carter found the wall again from the kick but the ball rebounded to him and he knocked a delicate chip forward which caught Fisher off his line and the ball dropped under the bar.

It was an ideal start and the pressure continued, with Carter bossing the midfield but without much created in front of goal. Gradually Staines began to make some inroads, and the vastly experienced Craig Maskell flashed a shot just wide before Chris Robinson also failed to hit the target from just outside the box.

On 29 minutes Woods’ goalkeeper Billy Fishenden was out quickly to make a double save from Jordan Kiffin and from the resulting corner, Martin Skipp was in the right place to clear off the line.

After 38 minutes the Woods went further ahead. Jack Bennett slid a ball down the left for Hall to chase and some dazzling footwork left Adrian Browne on the floor as he strode into the box. A simple square ball picked out Scott Purdue, who fired home the second.

Just before the break the Swans revived their chances when a long ball saw Kiffin get ahead of the defence. His shot was saved by Fishenden but the ball rebounded straight back into his path and he knocked it into the empty net.

The early stages of the second-half were expected to be crucial, and it was Northwood who got the breakthrough on 53 minutes. Debutant Kevin Mason started a flowing move at right-back and found Lee Holland inside. He made ground towards the box and slipped a great pass through to Hall, who finished clinically with a first-time clipped shot inside the near post.

Staines almost struck back within five minutes as Maskell slid a free-kick across to Neil Lampton, whose strike clipped the crossbar, but they failed to build on that as substitutions took effect. Jake O'Meara, Daniel Gallen and Liam O'Keefe replaced Bennett, Carter and Purdue, while Maskell and Jermaine McGlashan were withdrawn for the home side.

The victory was pretty much sewn up after 69 minutes and it was Hall again that created the goal. Some great touches around the box saw him brought down again just inside the box but he had already played a pass across to Holland, who drove home number four.

By this stage the Swans were relying on channel balls to their pacy forwards, who they had pushed up in numbers and they had a couple of chances in the final ten minutes. Fishenden made one good stop from Kiffin, and then twice in quick succession Lampton broke down the right and knocked in a cross cum shot which flashed across goal and just wide without the required touch.

As the game entered stoppage-time, a long throw from Jon McDonald let in Jake Newton but Fishenden saved well once more. Then Hall broke through on his own in the final seconds and beat his marker before curling a shot just wide of the post.

Though the Woods have played many more games than nearest rivals Dulwich Hamlet, it is still an excellent position for the young side to have got themselves into in their first season in the Capital League.