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Northwood 2  Hertford Town 2

Saturday 20th December 2025

 

NORTHWOOD
     
     
   
1 Hafed Al-Droubi
2 Harry McKenna
3 Bryan Mankumbani
4 Manny Folarin ©
5 Gabe Cuthbert
6 Carl Stewart
7 Stephane Bombelenga (65m)
8 Freddie Ford
9 Dan Williams
10 Jon-Jo Bates (82m)
11 Hicham Bouchareb (87m)
Substitutes
12 Jamie Kennedy (87m)
14 Chama Torsiello
15 Aidan Tarrant
16 Ronnie Mfinda (82m)
17 Osa Otote (65m)
 

Hertford: James Callan, Albert McGregor , Ollie Porter, Billy Mardell-Smith, Joe Nardelli, Ben Herd, Noah Mosanya, Billy Heaps (Jesus Mendoza 74m), Lawrence Ajong (Dylan Joe Colletti 73m), Lene Burden (Nader Zeddini 52m), Marcus Painter

The Woods had to settle for a point for the tenth time this season as they shared four goals with second-placed Hertford Town in this enthralling encounter at the Skyline Roofing Stadium, leaving Northwood just inside the bottom four on goal difference.

The management team had to cope without the injured duo of Ademide Baruwa and Dan Vincent with Harry McKenna returning to his former right-back role for the first time this season while youngster Freddie Ford dropped back into the centre of midfield with Hicham Bouchareb coming in on the left flank. There was a place on the bench for Ronny Mfinda, returning to the Woods for a fourth spell, having transferred from Rayners Lane.

The Blues arrived unbeaten in six games and in top form having beaten two top sides in Leighton Town and Biggleswade Town in their two previous matches. However, Northwood had notched their only away victory of the season at Hertford back in September so were looking to complete a “double” over their visitors. Hertford were also able to bring in influential skipper Billy Mardell-Smith after illness and he replaced Isaac Evans.

Both sides showed plenty of attacking intent from an early stage but it was the Woods who had the first real chance on 10 minutes when McKenna got down the right and cut a cross back from the byline which was met by Dan Williams but his attempt at the near-post went wide of the post.

Hertford were knocking the ball around comfortably too and Gabe Cuthbert did well to head away a dangerous cross to concede a corner. Soon after, a deep cross was well controlled by Joe Nardelli and he got a sight on goal but crashed his powerful shot well over the bar.

Bouchareb got into the game after 18 minutes when he knocked in a good cross but it was just too high for Jon-Jo Bates and although Williams rescued the half-cleared header, he was unable to take advantage. Almost immediately, The visitors' top scorer Noah Mosanya picked his way across the edge of the box and got a shot in but Hafed Al-Droubi saved comfortably.

PHOTOS by James Brown

The Woods got themselves in front though just two minutes later when Bates led a charge from midfield and sprayed the ball wide to Stephane Bombelenga. The wide man showed good skills to beat his and whip in a cross which brushed the head of a Hertford defender but dropped kindly to Bouchareb and he took a touch before sweeping a right-footed shot just inside the post. It was his first league goal for the club and his first since scoring on his debut in the FA Trophy back in August.

The lead didn’t last long though; just six minutes. A free-kick was harshly given against Northwood wide on the left and, straight from the training-ground, player-manager Ben Herd got an early run on his marker to meet the well-delivered ball and coolly flicked it home from close-range.

Northwood continued to press to get back in front before the break though. After 35 minutes, Bouchareb did well to drive into the penalty-area and make space for a shot but it lacked the power to beat goalkeeper James Callan. Then, three minutes later, after a Williams strike was blocked, Bates was quickest to the loose ball but Callan did well to narrow the angle and block his shot.

Bates did pick up a yellow card for a reckless soon after and just before the break Hafed Al-Droubi was called into action to save for the first-time as he kept out a low strike from Mosanya who had found himself in plenty of space in the box and should have done better.

Still all to play for after the break, it was quickly end-to-end stuff with the Blues putting in a dangerous cross from the right which missed everyone and then Ford played a neat exchange of passes with Bombelenga and found room to dig out a shot across goal but it flashed just wide of the far post.

Two more chances soon followed for the home side with Williams hitting a dipping shot from the edge of the box which was only just over and then Bates hit a first-time volley on the turn which was just wide of the target. Hertford hit back once more with Al-Droubi palming an accurate long-range effort from Nardelli over the bar on the hour but five minutes later the visitors got themselves in front with a fine solo goal from Mosanya as he robbed Ford in midfield and ran through, shrugging off another challenge from the back-tracking Ford before firing into the top corner to give AL-Droubi no chance.

Now, it was Northwood who needed to hit back and Osa Otote replaced Bombelenga for fresh legs. They sent in a couple of good crosses, firstly from Bouchareb and then from a Stewart corner, won by Otote, but Callan dealt well with the former while Cuthbert’s effort to hook the ball over his head went over the bar.

After 75 minutes, a corner from the visitors picked out Nardelli who sent a strong header goalwards and Al-Droubi dived to his left to push it away with strong hands.

Mfinda replaced Bates on 82 minutes and four minutes later, Otote cut in from the left and found the substitute on the edge of the box. His touch invited Herd into a slightly mistimed tackle against Mfinda and the referee’s decision was a foul right on the penalty-area with a spot-kick awarded. Williams stepped up to fire the Woods level with what was the first penalty awarded this season.

It was Northwood who went closest to winning the game in the closing-stages. First Otote set up Williams for a shot which was deflected just wide for a corner and then more good work by Otote on the left produced an excellent cross which Williams chested down, touched past his marker and hit a shot that beat Callan but was also the wrong side of the post.

Next up, following the break for Christmas, is an away game at fellow strugglers Rayners Lane next Saturday; a true six-pointer for sure.

REPORT by Alan Evans

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