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Ware 4  Northwood 0

Saturday 21st February 2026

 

NORTHWOOD
     
     
   
1 Alfie Bonfield
2 Ademide Baruwa
3 Mack Miskin
4 Dan Vincent
5 Manny Folarin
6 Ethan Cann
7 Frankie Pass (78m)
8 Carl Stewart © (83m)
9 Dan Williams
10 Harry McCorkell (65m)
11 Osa Otote (78m)
Substitutes
12 Bryan Mankumbani
14 Jordan Ellis (78m)
15 Stephane Bombelenga (65m)
16 Lewis Croucher (83m)
17 Henry Atkinson (78m)
 

Ware: Fred Burbidge, Finley Titchmarsh (Gabriel Ward 82m), David Sota, Sami Moutawafiq (Gucci Soulya 66m ), Josh Okotcha, Jack Grosvenor, Samuel Kifwasima-Mayuma (Johnny Allotey 68m), Max Granville, Josh Hutchinson, Jack Taylor (Rechan Esprit 65m), Reece Beckles-Richards

Northwood fell to their fifth successive loss since the turn of the year with their heaviest away defeat of the season as their hopes of avoiding relegation took a further blow in the second-half of this contest at Wodson Park. 
 
Skipper Manny Folarin made his return to the defence following a two-match ban that was extended by the bad weather and there was another change in goal with Alfie Bonfield returning for a second spell with the Woods, having previously made a couple of appearances back in 2019. There was also a first start of the season for Harry McCorkell, following his recent return from injury and also for former U18s striker Frankie Pass as Ezra Ndukuba was recalled by Egham. There was a place on the bench for new recruit Lewis Croucher, a midfielder whose most recent club was Enfield.

Ware had suffered a similar run of form since starting 2026 with just one point from their five matches so it was a matter of which side could put an end to their recent woes on the day and Northwood started brightly enough when Carl Stewart, making his 150th appearance for the club, found Dan Williams in space but he hit his shot straight at goalkeeper Fred Burbidge who gathered comfortably.

The home side then had a chance themselves though as Samuel Mayuma barged his way past Folarin into the box and rolled the ball to Reece Beckles-Richards but the Ware top scorer fired over the bar.

Back came the Woods with Osa Otote trying his luck from distance and although his strike beat the keeper’s dive and dipped it was still just too high. On 15 minutes, there was some good inter-play involving a combination of Northwood players which saw McCorkell played into the area. A half-chance for sure but his shot was well blocked for a corner. Folarin won the header from that but any danger was cleared away.

As the half progressed, there was little flow to the game, interrupted by a series of free-kicks and after Stewart picked up the first yellow of the game, two Ware players followed – Sami Moutawafiq and Mayuma; all seemed a little harsh.

It had been pretty even with neither goalkeeper particularly busy before the whole game turned on a 44th minute decision. Moutawafiq played a ball towards Josh Hutchinson on the edge of the box and he managed to hold off the challenge of both Dan Vincent and Folarin in letting it run through to Beckles-Richards. He took it on past Bonfield and stumbled in the act of shooting after the slightest of touches on the back of his ankle with the Referee pointing to the spot. The striker got up to fire the penalty into the roof of the net to put Ware in front.


Northwood responded in stoppage time when Williams set up Vincent for a strike from outside the box but it drifted wide of the post and the home side had the lead at the break. 

That was as good as it got though for Northwood as their second half performance fell apart. Hutchinson was first to go close on 53 minutes with a shot on the turn which flashed over the top but five minutes later they doubled their lead when a corner picked out skipper Jack Grosvenor who rose highest to glance a header into the far corner.

Substitutions followed with Stephane Bombelenga introduced for McCorkell who limped off on 65 minutes; Ware made two changes soon after and one of those, Gucci Soulya was perhaps lucky to get away with just a yellow card for an almost immediate high challenge on Pass on the centre circle.

It was from a Northwood attack on 75 minutes that that Ware bagged a third goal on the counter-attack as they broke quickly through Beckles-Richards down the right flank and he unselfishly squared for substitute Johnny Allotey to apply a simple finish.

Both Henry Atkinson and Jordan Ellis were introduced after this; Pass and Otote replaced but there was no sign of any stirring comeback and also no surprise when the home side notched a fourth goal on 82 minutes, as another substitute, Rechan Esprit collected a ball from the right, swivelled to find space and then hit a bobbling left-foot shot which crept inside the post.

With Leverstock Green beating title-contenders Hitchin Town in an exciting game to complete six points in five days, the Woods cannot leave it much longer to start picking up points.

REPORT by Alan Evans

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