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Hillingdon Borough 1  Northwood 5

 

Saturday 5th July 2025

 

NORTHWOOD
 
 
 
  First half Second half
1 Hafed Al-Droubi Triallist D
2 Nasir Sharifi Triallist E
3 Mack Miskin Brian McGovern
4 Romario Jonas Manny Folarin
5 Triallist A Triallist F
6 Ademide Baruwa Carl Stewart
7 Triallist B Triallist G
8 Rico Clarke-Rowe Freddie Ford
9 Harry McKenna (sub) Jordan Ellis (sub)
10 Devonte Totesaut Dylan Kearney
11 Triallist C Kush Lewis-Thomas
Substitutes
12 Jordan Ellis (sub) Reece Price-Placid (sub)
14    
15    
16    
17    
     

After a ten-week closed season break from playing and just under two weeks of pre-season training, the Woods began their warm-up for the new season with a short trip to near-neighbours Hillingdon Borough.

Northwood, with joint managers Jack Smith and Jon-Jo Bates having done plenty of work in early summer, fielded 23 different players throughout the match with none playing more than 45 minutes on this first outing.

Hillingdon Borough, who enjoyed an excellent season at Step 6 last season, finishing just outside the play-offs and losing in the semi-finals of the Middlesex Charity Cup, are under new management and were also having their first run-out.

Playing the game on the home side’s new 3G pitch in front of a reasonable crowd on a mild early afternoon, the Woods enjoyed the better start to the match, getting plenty of reward down the left flank and that had brought the opening goal just on two minutes. Triallist C impressed throughout the half and his ball to Harry McKenna, playing his first game since a shoulder injury in early March, brought a cross which was flicked home by Rico Clarke-Rowe.

Mack Miskin, who has returned to the Woods after a gap of over five years, was linking up well down the left with triallist C and Devonte Totesaut who was looking much sharper than during his spell last season and that trio combined several times to create a series of chances, though the finish was lacking and the Borough keeper made a couple of good saves.

However, he could do nothing to prevent a second goal on the half-hour when Romario Jonas, another who has returned to the club, provided a defence-splitting pass which allowed Totesaut to run onto and finish with a crisp shot across the keeper.

The Woods didn’t have everything their way though as just two minutes later, the home side won a free-kick out wide on the left and when delivered it found an unmarked defender who put a powerful header past Hafed Al-Droubi in goal.
The score remained 2-1 at half-time after a satisfactory 45 minutes and it was all-change for the second period with plenty more new faces for the Woods fans to keep an eye on. Again, Northwood settled quickly and dominated much of the early stages. Ten minutes in and there was a good solo goal scored by Triallist G, finding his own space before firing home at the near post.

PHOTOS by James Brown

Six minutes later and new signing Dylan Kearney got his name on the scoresheet with a clinical finish after finding space on the left of the penalty-area and on 65 minutes Kearney’s flick was handled in the box and he grabbed the ball to slot home the spot-kick for his second and the Woods fifth.

While that was the end of the scoring, the side knocked the ball around neatly, the defence looked solid and goalkeeper Triallist D made a couple of solid saves when the Borough did find space for a couple of efforts on goal.

All-in-all, a very worthwhile run-out for the Woods with the management team delighted with the hard-working performance as they continue to run the rule over the triallists, looking to add a few more players to their final squad.

Next up will be a different test completely as National League side Wealdstone come to the Skyline Roofing Stadium on Saturday for the first home game of the season.

REPORT by Alan Evans

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