Northwood 1  Biggleswade 3

Saturday 11th April 2026

 

NORTHWOOD
1	Dani Cruz
2	Andrew Osei-Bonsu ©
3	Mack Miskin (90m)
4	Richie Mbele (91m)
5	Aidan Tarrant
6	Hamid Seisay
7	Freddie Ford
8	Seth Patrick
9	Arel Amu
10	Tahjae Anderson (62m)
11	Bilal Sajid Ouardi (76m)
Substitutes
12	Chase Matthew (91m)
14	Bryan Mankumbani (90m)
15	Michael Kelly (62m)
16	Mohammed Diaby (76m)
17	Tommy Cooney
	Biggleswade: George Rose, Adam Hunt, Michael Simpson, Lawrie Marsh, Leo Jenkins, Ethan Kessel (Harry Jones 67m), Alex Marsh, Rio Martucci, Luca Cardines (Temi Akinbusoye 65m), Bradley Bell (Daniel Bond 64m), Sonny Coughlin-Brown (Billy Baird 81m)

With relegation already inevitable, the Woods went into this game with no pressure but their in-form visitors Biggleswade were still looking to add to their five-match winning run and pick up another three points to maintain their push for a home game in the play-off semi-finals.

With top scorer Alie Bangura serving a one-match suspension, there were a couple of changes to the side that had picked up a creditable 4-4 draw at Beaconsfield on Easter Monday as in came Hamid Seisay, Freddie Ford and his Under 18s teammate Bilal Sajid Ouardi for his debut. Aidan Tarrant kept his place in the centre of the defence and there were also places on the bench for two further players from the successful Under 18s side in Chase Matthew and Michael Kelly.

It was Northwood who made the better start to the match and they went close after just five minutes when Arel Amu backheeled a Freddie Ford corner at the near-post and it needed a block on the line by Ethan Kessel to prevent an early goal.

FC forced a couple of corners and from one of those, Woods goalkeeper Dani Cruz had to punch clear a looping header but the home side continued to press and after 13 minutes, a recycled free-kick saw Tarrant head down for Sajid Ouardi who saw his left-foot volley well blocked.

Biggleswade rarely threatened in the first half, restricted to another header which Cruz blocked before the ball was cleared and after 33 minutes, Ford burst through from midfield and set up Tahjae Anderson for a strike that never looked strong enough to test goalkeeper George Rose.

On 35 minutes, the visitors were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position a few yards outside the box and Kessel lifted his shot over the defensive wall but it curled wide of the goal and the diving Cruz.

PHOTOS by James Brown

Just two minutes, later Northwood took the lead with a well-worked goal as Ford was played through and he chipped the keeper for a neat finish, the 17-year-old’s sixth goal of the season for the first-team.

FC forced another couple of corners as the half drew to a close but the Woods continued to defend well and were still in front at the break. No changes made for the start of the second half and things continued in much the same way. It was Northwood who had the first chance of the second period as Sajid Ouardi did well on the right and knocked in a cross which Ford met with a good header but it was just over the bar.

It was just over the hour mark that changes were made that ultimately turned the game. Kelly replaced Anderson for the Woods, soon followed by the introduction of Daniel Bond and Temi Akinbusoye for the visitors, the latter immediately causing problems down the right flank.

Just two minutes later, Akinbusoye cut in from the right, a cross wasn’t cleared and ran loose in the box and it was Alex Marsh that knocked it in from close-range to level the scores.

The Woods tried to rally with Seth Patrick getting his head on the end of a Mack Miskin cross five minutes later but Rose claimed it comfortably and it was generally Biggleswade that were enjoying the better of the attacking play. Time was running out for the visitors, though, and the Northwood defence appeared to be coping okay, especially in defending a series of corners.

There was 87 minutes on the clock when FC bagged the goal that would win them the game though as Akinbusoye again cut in from the right, battling past a couple of half-hearted challenges and firing past Cruz in goal. There was no response from the downhearted Woods and after a couple of efforts had gone close for the visitors, in the final minute of stoppage time Akinbusoye was felled in the box and Alex Marsh scored from the spot to give the final scoreline a flattering look.

The result was enough to secure a play-off spot for FC, who should now go on to cement third-place, though a runners-up spot is still not out of reach. Northwood will be disappointed to have slipped to another late defeat and now have to face second-placed Hitchin Town in their final home match next Saturday.

REPORT by Alan Evans