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Northwood U18 1  Bedfont Sports U18 0

Thursday 26th November 2015

 

NORTHWOOD UNDER 18 Middx Youth Cup
 
 
   
Team line-up

 

1  
2  
3  
4  
5  
6  
7  
8  
9  
10    
11    
Substitutes  
12    
14    
15    
16    
17    
     

With Phil Daniels, Myles Martin, George Adams, Freddie Buckley, Jordan Gargani and Ross Golding-Ramsey unavailable mainly through injury and Charlie McInerney serving the last game of his ban, the squad pretty much picked itself for this Middlesex Senior Youth Cup encounter with Bedfont.

The game started with good quality football from both sides, Bedfont controlling early possession but Northwood closing the ball down well. It was a game of two solid defences in the first half, which meant a fiercely but fairly contested battle in the middle of the park. The Northwood rear guard quartet of Rowland Smith, Charlie Carroll, Dylan Noble and Matt Parsons, playing together for the first time, were superb throughout this fixture, winning 90% of all contests, creating a solid platform for the team to build upon.

Ben Spires had a starting debut in midfield together with Will Holland, the two 16 year olds together with Louis Moriarty and Dylan Louis plus Jack McDonnell and Michael Brown gave an extremely hard working and creative performance in midfield, in a close fought encounter. Ross Keough gave a confident display in the Northwood goal; his kicking gave Northwood a good outlet.

With both defences on top, Bedfont resulted in knocking long diagonal balls to their fast wingers, which pretty much in the main were comfortably dealt with by the Northwood back four. Northwood created their first real chance on about 20 minutes after a well worked move which released Jack McDonnell, whose shot only managed to hit the side netting.

It was from a corner on 28 minutes that Northwood’s best chance of the half fell to Charlie Carroll, whose header was cleared off the line. Two minutes later a free kick from Jack McDonnell just cleared the Bedfont bar.

Bedfont had an opportunity to open the scoring  when their number 11 skilfully turned the Woods defence but his shot also hit the side netting. The last chance of the half went to Northwood, from a corner headed just wide by Charlie Carroll.

The second half started with more creative football from both sides. Early chances for Bedfont after a clever move and a precision pass from 8,found their number 7, and for the first time in the game he had the time to think about his shot, but luckily for Northwood it just cleared the bar.

On 52 minutes, after hard work from Jack McDonnell winning the ball just inside the Northwood half, a quick one-two with Will Holland gave Jack the space to find Louis Moriarty wide on the left, whose precise one touch pass inside found the equally hard working Ben Spires. An intelligent one touch through ball gave Michael Brown the space he required behind the Bedfont defence, and he slid the ball in at the near post to make it 1-0 to Northwood. Fast, accurate skilful football had finally broken the deadlock against a resolute Bedfont defence.

Bedfont continued to play very good football and were a constant danger. The game started to ebb and flow with Bedfont creating good opportunities to equalise. On 60 minutes Jamie Roche replaced the slightly injured  Michael Brown; this was a great performance from Michael at only 70% fitness. Instantly Jamie broke, only stopped by a fine tackle by the Bedfont central defender. From the resulting corner met by Dylan Noble but he could only direct his header over the bar.

On 59 minutes Rowland Smith got free on the right, breaking past several Bedfont defenders, again a last gasp tackle from number 5 resulted in a Northwood corner.

Bedfont started to get back on top in the last 25 minutes; Will Holland who was only just returning from injury had a great game and was replaced by Jordan Williams on 67 minutes. Louis Moriarty, was subbed by Pearse White on 69 minutes whilst Bedfont made several changes, which resulted in the pace of the game upping to another level; it was a passionate end to end encounter.

Northwood were holding on, hitting on the break, which nearly proved a massive success after Rowland Smith broke down the right fed Dylan Louis; his shot brought the save of the match from the Bedfont keeper.

Man Of The Match goes to Jack McDonnell, who covered every blade of grass, including in the final minutes a last gasp challenge in the Northwood six yard box which saved an almost certain equaliser. From that corner the Bedfont keeper arrived in the Northwood area, the header clear from Dylan Noble found Jack, whose cheeky shot from inside the Northwood half found its way wide of the Bedfont goal post, but well worth a try!!

In all, a very spirited, hard-working performance, at times imaginative and truly skilful display from Northwood, congratulations to the boys!!!

Report by GARRY MORIARTY

 



         
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