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Northwood 2  Rayners Lane 4

Monday 25th August 2025

 

NORTHWOOD
     
     
   
1 Hafad Al-Droubi
2 Henry Atkinson (66m)
3 Nasir Sharifi (30m)
4 Mack Miskin
5 Jack Empson
6 Carl Stewart (77m)
7 Osa Otote
8 Rico Clarke-Rowe
9 Devonte Totesaut
10 Jamie Kennedy (46m)
11 Hicham Bouchareb (46m)
Substitutes
12 Chama Torsiello (30m)
14 Reece Price-Placid (46m)
15 Harry McKenna(66m)
16 Ademide Baruwa(46m)
17 Jack Smith (77m)
   

Looking to follow up their excellent FA Trophy victory just 48 hours earlier, a much-changed Northwood team proved unable to match that performance and their attempt to notch their first Southern League win of the season proved unsuccessful.

Only five of the starters from the Saturday began this match against their Middlesex neighbours, who were also looking for their first win, as back in came Nasir Sharifi, Mack Miskin, Carl Stewart, Osa Otote, Rico Clarke-Rowe and Devonte Totesaut. Ruled out of the squad completely were skipper Manny Folarin, Jon-Jo Bates and Dylan Kearney, all with injury while Brian McGovern and Jordan Ellis were also left out while Reece Price-Placid and Ademide Baruwa were rested to the bench alongside Harry

McKenna who was returning after picking up an injury in the opening home friendly.

The visitors have had a summer of rebuilding with a new manager and team so will be looking for gradual improvement and their squad included former Woods Ergys Pepaj, Meshach Williams and Jeremy Stewart.

The Woods started well though and the first minute had only just passed when Osa Otote got the better of his marker out wide on the right and his cross was brought down by Devonte Totesaut’s right foot who then swivelled and lashed home with his left.

Northwood continued to press and Jamie Kennedy tested visiting goalkeeper Charlie Patmore with a good strike after 10 minutes but the Lane were beginning to make inroads themselves and they found an early equaliser just three minutes later as a cross from the left was half-blocked by Jack Empson but only looped up to allow Qasim Khan able to steer a header over the stranded Hafed Al-Droubi.

Pepaj put a header wide for the visitors just a couple of minutes later and although Miskin went close for the Woods with a free-kick from just outside the box which flashed just over soon after, the Lane were certainly causing some problems.

PHOTOS by James Brown

A change was made on the half-hour to adjust the defence which wasn’t looking solid. Chama Torsiello came into the centre as substitute with Miskin reverting to his more customary left-back role; Sharifi being withdrawn. But it didn’t have the desired effect and Rayners Lane suddenly transformed the match with two goals in three minutes.

Firstly, a corner saw several players hit the deck as the ball was headed down at the back post. Williams hooked it goalwards and with two Lane players almost on the goal-line it was headed in by Frankie Bircham. Valid claims for offside were waved away by the assistant referee. The third proved easy as Kean Grover’s ball into the box flew over the head of Torsiello and Williams stole in ahead of Atkinson to hit a clean strike across goal and inside the far post.

Just four minutes later, Northwood got a goal that that needed before the break to give them hopes of a second-half comeback. A free-kick was well-flighted by Henry Atkinson and Jack Empson rose highest with a well-directed header that gave Patmore no chance in goal. It was his first goal for the club in his forty-first appearance. Just before the break, Clarke-Rowe had a good effort pushed over by Patmore as the Woods looked to level.

Better things were needed in the second-half for the Woods and there were two further changes. Hicham Bouchareb had picked up a knock on his ankle so was replaced by Price-Placid while Baruwa replaced Kennedy. And the Woods could have been level just two minutes in as Totesaut and Baruwa combined to set up Otote for a shot which fell straight to Clarke-Rowe but his effort from six yards was poor and blocked by Patmore.

Then followed a succession of corners which were mostly well-delivered and threatening from both sides of the pitch but without ever looking likely to get the touch necessary to divert the ball over the line. Price-Placid had the next real chance to level on 72 minutes as the ball was well-worked across the pitch and into his path but it needed a first-time strike, he took a touch and his effort was blocked as the visitors continued to work hard to limit opportunities.

The introduction of McKenna as a substitute was welcome following his injury woes but Rayners Lane were able to utilise more subs in the final twenty minutes and it refreshed things for them at the right time. The killer fourth goal came ten minutes from time when a ball was played wide to one of those substitutes, Bradley Walsh who showed great pace to get past and across McKenna, did the same to Torsiello and fired past Al-Droubi for a excellent solo effort.

There was no comeback from that goal and the game petered out into a second successive home defeat for the Woods to start the league season.

REPORT by Alan Evans

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