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Marlow 2  Northwood 0

Saturday 24th January 2026

 

NORTHWOOD
     
     
   
1 Hafed Al-Droubi
2 Ademide Baruwa (85m)
3 Bryan Mankumbani (46m)
4 Gabe Cuthbert
5 Louis Udeh
6 Dan Vincent
7 Freddie Ford (85m)
8 Carl Stewart © (71m)
9 Dan Williams
10 Jon-Jo Bates (71m)
11 Mack Miskin
Substitutes
12 Henry Atkinson (71m)
14 Harry McKenna (85m)
15 Jamie Kennedy (85m)
16 Ronnie Mfinda (71m)
17 Osa Otote (46m)
 

Marlow: Tyrese Kamara, Abdallah Khalil, Jacob Wilson (Enrique Tiamuna 83m), Sebastian D'aversa, Alex Salmon, Chris Ovenden, Shamar Moore (Toby Raggett 73m), Mitch Parker (Rio Bartley 92m), Alfie Agar, Jack Empson, Calvin Gitiba

Marlow’s Oak Tree Road stadium has historically, never been a happy hunting ground for the Woods over the years and this match proved no different, extending a losing run at this venue to eight matches over the last ten year – and very little went right for the visitors in this important contest.

In what turned out to be his last match in charge, joint manager Jack Smith had to shuffle the side with skipper Manny Folarin out with suspension and opted for a three at the back with a recall for Bryan Mankumbani and a first start for recent signing Louis Udeh. Jon-Jo Bates returned to the starting line-up too with both Osa Otote and Henry Atkinson reverting to the bench.

The Woods were under pressure from an early stage on a heavy surface and the Blues went close to opening the score on 12 minutes when Shamar Moore got the ball in from the right and Mitch Parker probably should have done better than poke his left-foot shot wide of the near post. But it only took five minutes more for the home side to go ahead and it was Moore who again provided the inviting cross which Seb D’Aversa met with a well-controlled first-time volley.

Only a minute later, Northwood could have been level when Freddie Ford threaded a lovely ball through for Bates to run onto. He got away from his marker and into the box but goalkeeper Tyrese Kamara spread himself well and he blocked the shot.

The home side controlled the game for much of the half though, without too many threats on goal until Parker was quickest onto a knockdown in the box and cut a ball back into the six-yard box but Udeh managed to scramble the ball away to keep it out.

After 38 minutes, Calvin Gibbs got past Dan Vincent wide on the right and picked out Parker again unmarked in the box. Once more though he hit his shot wide of the near-post. Two minutes later, Chris Ovenden knocked in a deep free-kick and D’Aversa leapt well to head just over the bar.

The Blues continued to press and after a spell of sustained pressure, Moore knocked in a near-post cross which Parker got his head on but the ball flew over the top with Hafed Al-Droubi just getting a touch to make sure. After such dominance, it was a touch surprising that Northwood finished the game with two opportunities of their own. Both were created by Ford, the first by beating his man and picking out Mack Miskin just outside the area and he controlled before hitting a right-foot shot which was just over the bar. The second was chipped into the box to find Dan Williams who did well to turn and shoot but Kamara managed to get down to and keep it out.

PHOTOS by James Brown

Changes were made at the break to the formation which meant Mankumbani was replaced by Otote in an effort to become more of an attacking threat and it did have that effect almost immediately as Otote’s ball in from the left caused a bit of panic in the home defence and when the loose ball ran out to Vincent thirty yards out, his screamer beat Kamara but only smashed against the bar.

Two minutes later, it was 2-0 to Marlow. Parker knocked in a free-kick from the left, Ovenden outjumped Bates at the far post to knock a header back across goal and Jack Empson stooped to head home from three yards.

Once again, almost immediately after conceding, the Woods had a great chance to score themselves. A good ball put Otote through on goal down the left and though Kamara did well to block at his feet, the ball ran loose to Miskin on the edge of the box but he failed to hit the target which was only guarded by two defenders, slotting wide of the far post.

That was about as good as it got though for Northwood and though they continued to battle for the ball, Marlow always looked comfortable with their two-goal advantage and were also getting the edge on decisions. Ronny Mfinda and Henry Atkinson replaced Bates and Carl Stewart on 71 minutes and Atkinson drew a couple of fouls but the Woods were unable to take advantage of their set pieces.

Things got even worse on 81 minutes as Gabe Cuthbert made a great burst from defence down the left flank, getting past a defender and into the box but when he lost control close to goal, his attempt to retrieve matters by getting between Ovenden and Kamara resulted in him being shown a straight red card.

Clearly game over after that, Harry McKenna and Jamie Kennedy were introduced in place of Ademide Baruwa and Ford but there was no way back for the Woods who fell to their third successive away defeat to start 2026 and also into the bottom four once more.

Two home games follow this week, a rescheduled visit of Beaconsfield Town, unbeaten in five matches, on Tuesday and then Flackwell Heath at the weekend.

REPORT by Alan Evans

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