Biggleswade 3  Northwood 1

Saturday 10th January 2026

 

NORTHWOOD
1	Hafed Al-Droubi
2	Ademide Baruwa (71m)
3	Mack Miskin
4	Manny Folarin ©
5	Gabe Cuthbert
6	Carl Stewart
7	Henry Atkinson
8	Freddie Ford
9	Dan Williams
10	Jon-Jo Bates (46m)
11	Osa Otote (72m)
Substitutes
12	Harry McKenna
14	Hicham Bouchareb
15	Ronnie Mfinda (72m)
16	Louis Udeh (71m)
17	Dan Vincent (46m)
	Biggleswade: Liam Coyne (Blade Earley 46m), Adam Hunt, Lawrie Marsh (Harry Jones 50m), Michael Fisher, Leo Jenkins, Conor Inskip (Charlie Hayford 64m), Alex Marsh, Rio Martucci, Bradley Bell, George Bailey (Temi Akinbusoye 64m), Sonny Coughlin-Brown (Billy Baird 83m)

The Woods fell to defeat in their opening game of the New Year with Biggleswade cementing their own place in the play-off places with an impressive first half performance that proved enough to take all three points.

Northwood had to make a couple of changes to the side that had won their last fixture at Rayners Lane with Henry Atkinson replacing the injured Stephane Bombelenga in attack on the right while Osa Otote returned in place of Hicham Bouchareb on the opposite flank. There was a new face on the subs bench with Louis Udeh, a recent signing from Beaconsfield Town, making his first appearance.

Biggleswade turned out in an unexpected white and black kit rather than their usual green and made one change to their line-up that had won at Ware the previous week with Bradley Bell replacing Daniel Bond. Former Woods midfielder Charlie Hayford was only on the bench for FC.

And the home side made the perfect start in just the fourth minute when some slick passing in the final third gave Biggleswade an extra man coming in from wide left and Lawrie Marsh was able to easily steer a low left-footed shot in off the far post.

The Woods were on the backfoot in those early stages and four minutes later, Adam Hunt’s run down the right was assisted by a lucky ricochet which put him in on goal but Hafed Al-Droibi, making his fiftieth appearance for the club, managed to block his shot with Ademide Baruwa clearing the loose ball.

Northwood’s first excursion into the danger-zone came on 15 minutes when Otote picked up the ball in his own half and sped down the left before cutting back across Bell and knocking in a centre which saw Jon-Jo Bates just beaten to it by Lawrie Marsh who was able to clear the danger while also getting a whack on the ankle for his woes.

Biggleswade were still looking dangerous but with the visitors gradually getting more of the ball with Freddie Ford and Atkinson both making some inroads and they forced a corner on 29 minutes from which they had a chance of an equaliser. Carl Stewart’s ball in was headed out to the left-edge of the box and Dan Williams played it quickly to Bates who had plenty of space in the box but perhaps rushed his shot and it was always rising over the bar.

It was after 33 minutes that FC netted a crucial second goal. The Woods were caught out down the right as Hunt made another excellent break forward into a huge amount of space and he drilled a low ball across the six-yard box which was flicked home by Bell.

PHOTOS by James Brown

It could have been all over by half-time as Biggleswade went close twice later in the half, George Bailey seeing his effort well saved by Al-Droubi and then Alex Marsh headed just over from a well-delivered corner from Sonny Coughlin-Brown.

Dan Vincent was brought on at half-time for the already booked Bates, while the home side made a rare change in goal at half-time, replacing the untroubled Liam Coyne with 17-year-old Blade Early.

Just four minutes into the second-half, the Woods raised the hopes of their travelling band of supporters when Otote took full advantage of a mix-up between the two home central defenders to quickly chip the stranded keeper and reduce the arrears.

The Woods raised their game and put FC under pressure. After 56 minutes, a good ball from Williams saw Ford and Atkinson combine neatly to set up Stewart but he hit his first-time strike just over the bar and three minutes later Biggleswade struck again.

This time it was more route one and it caught the Woods defence pushing too high with Manny Folarin’s header only helping the ball into the path of danger man Alex Marsh and he raced through to score his twelfth of the season. Almost immediately, the Woods thought they might have reduced the arrears again when a ball spilled away from Early under a challenge from Otote and the loose ball was knocked in but the Referee gave a foul which looked on the soft side. A minute later, Williams cut in from the left and hit a powerful strike which only found the side-netting.

But it was end-to-end stuff at this stage though and, after a good flick-on by Alex Marsh, Al-Droubi pushed a shot from Coughlin-Brown away to safety before Northwood responded by going close twice in quick succession. Firstly, Ford’s shot from the edge of the box dipped and it needed the touch over the bar from the ‘keeper. From the resulting corner, recycled by Williams with a good cross, substitute Udeh got a good header in on goal and Early tipped that over too.

Time was running out on 88 minutes, as a Woods free-kick was played in by Stewart and when Gabe Cuthbert headed on, substitute Ronny Mfinda stole in to poke a shot which went just wide of the target.

Despite the five additional minutes, it was Biggleswade who threatened most in those closing-stages and only some stout defending from Cuthbert and Folarin kept substitute Temi Akinbusoye at bay when he attacked at pace.

REPORT by Alan Evans