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Under 11s

Click for:    Fixtures    League table

 

Match Reports 2009-10

18th April 2010: Northwood 1 Whetstone Pumas 6
Whetstone Pumas 3 Northwood 0

A double header against one of the strongest teams in the league on a hot and sunny day was never going to be easy, and with injuries and unavailability meant we had to play and start with an unaccustomed formation that we hadn’t really trained with. Instead of our usual slow start we flew out of the blocks and scored in under a minute to stun our opposition with a great left foot strike from Sam in to the top corner. 0-1. Whetstone bounced back and with our makeshift defence unsure of positional play we let our opponents have too much time and space, and they scored 4 goals in as many minutes to more or less put the game to bed after about 15 minutes. Another goal was added to make it 1-5 at HT. We were able to revert back to our more favoured system when Jon jo arrived unexpectedly and we were more competitive in the second half but still conceded one more goal to go down 1-6.

The second game was better from the Woods and we alot more positive and disciplined in our play, however a goal on half time gave us too much to do in the second half and a very good side took advantage of us pushing forward. Today we came up a excellent side who played football from front to back and showed us where we need to be if we want to develop as a team. We lacked a competiveness at times but man for man we were beaten by a better side.
Our opponents imposed their game on us and we were unable to respond, but some good performances to day from Adam Rhodes and Ben Spires but todays Man of the matches was Jon Jo Coops who showed fantastic commitment and character to play today and put in a very good determined performance.



11th April 2010: Omonia Green 1 Northwood 2

A lovely day in sunny Enfield the boys run out winners with a solid performance that they sometimes made hard work of. We wanted a bright start today and the the boys responded well to create some chances in the early stages. The midfield dominated the opening minutes and we eventually took the lead when James Fountain fired home from close range. The rest of the half was fairly uneventful with both teams finding close control difficult on a bobbly pitch.  Into the second half again the Woods dominated and created several chances before a good header from Luke B released Matt Walker to put in an excellent cross for Fountain to grab his second of the game. James F nearly scored his 3rd after strong run and skill beat the defender only for his curling effort to hit the bar!.
Omonia also hit the bar with a long range effort and eventually scored a consolation goal in the final minute after we switched off defensively.
Overall an adequate display with the main objective to seal victory and gain 3 points. It was difficult to pass the ball today on a hard pitch that made it difficult to get the ball down and play.
Again some good performances from Dan M and Luke B, but todays man of the match was James Fountain who lead the line well and scored 2 good goals to seal victory.
Well Done Boys!



20 March 2010:  Northwood 3 Borehamwood 1

Back to winning ways with a good performance against a much improved Borehamwood side who battled hard till the end today. Some good early pressure lead to our opener for the in form Fountain who fired home after some good build up play. Borehamwood rallied and pressurised from several set plays but our defence held firm. We got to grips in midfield and started to dominate possession and some great balls into box produced chances and we doubled our lead through Fountain again 2-0. Numerous chances were created but not taken in a sticky penalty box, before Will Holland was introduced  and scored with his first touch to take us into the interval 3-0.
We knew our opponents would battle hard and they gave had chances to get a goal back, but the Woods still looked dangerous going forward and should have scored plenty more before Borehamwood scored when the ball hit the post and unluckily bounced back in of Luke O.
We finished strongly and could have bagged several more goals to make the victory more convincing,  but the result and the performance was more than adequate to get some confidence back
We needed to dig in at times today as well as have some quality on the ball and we had players who did both aspects very well. Luke B in the centre was strong and committed and distributed the ball well, Matt Walker put some superb balls into the box that really should have been converted. Adam Rhodes was back to his tough tackling best and James Fountain, James Hicks and Will Holland proved a handful for our opponents defence. Man of the Match today went to Dan Miles who won every tackle he made and showed great desire that epitomised our performance today.
Well done boys !



21st Feb. 2010: Cassiobury Rangers Pumas 5 Northwood 1

A hastily rearranged game due to the Chestnut Ave pitches being waterlogged meant our controversial top of the table clash against Cassiobury was played away. The game started with both teams looking to gain the early advantage several chances at either end were snuffed out by defenders and goal keepers. However, it was the Woods that took the lead early on with a well taken goal from James Hick.s 0-1. Cassiobury created chances on the break but Northwood more than matched them and continued to create chances of their own. In the final minute of the half we had a corner that was cleared up field and with a classic counter attack Cassiobury equalised with the last kick of the half. 1-1
Into the second half and it was the Pumas who pressed on and pressured the Northwood goal. Cassiobury took the lead after a long ball deflected and looped in over the helpless Adam in goal. 2-1. We fought back well and managed to get ourselves “level” from a Sam Mummery corner which fell to  Ben Spires who fired in at the back post. Unfortunately this goal was ruled out by the linesman on the opposite side of the pitch who deemed the ball from the corner was not taken in the correct position. Harsh in the extreme and not really in the spirit of what up till that point had been a good contest.
Rocked by this Northwood’s heads dropped and allowed a good side to dominate and Cassiobury scored their third, fourth and fifth goals shortly afterwards to kill off the game completely.
It was disappointing to see the boys unbeaten run in the league end this way and we will need a lot more fight in us in future games. You can learn a lot from a defeat and hopefully the boys will learn that they need to compete for every ball for every second of the game as our opponents will take advantage of any weakness.
For 40 minutes or so we played ok and competed against a very good side who have desire and competiveness in abundance, but when the heat was turned up we didn’t quite have the answers or the fight to up our game on this occasion.
Creditable performances from Luke B, Ben, Dan Kenny and James Hicks who worked hard throughout. MoTM today went to Adam Harry who did’nt deserve to concede so many goals.
Well done to the parents for getting the boys to the game at short notice.



14th Feb. 2010: London Colney 1 Northwood 6

The magic of the cup seemed to put a spell on the boys today, with a below par performance that made hard work of an eventual good victory. To say it took us a while to get going would be understatement and our opponents were much more eager and showed more desire to compete for every ball in this League Cup tie. Most in a red shirt were sloppy in possession and gave the ball away far too cheaply. We grabbed the lead after 20 minutes when a Matthew Gibbs shot was deflected past the unfortunate keeper. Minutes after we doubled our lead after some great play and superb cross from Sam was bounced in off the home defender. HT 0-2.
The second half saw the Woods start better and were more composed on the ball, and actually played the football they are capabable of in spells. Our third came from a corner that Luke B’s powerful headed effort was bundled over the line by Matt Gibbs to score his second and the teams third. 0-3. Harry down the right was creating chance after chance and our next 2 goals came from his good play down the right. Will Holland was on hand to score both goals with sharp one touch finishes in the 6 yard box to make it  0-5. James Fountain slotted our 6th to make it 0-6. In the closing minutes some of the boys seemed to forget their jobs and wanted to get in on the scoring and were caught out of position several times that with could have been punished. London Colney got there deserved consolation goal after a Woods corner was messed up and the Colney strikers were left clear to break and score easily with several player out of position.1-6. Further disaster almost followed minutes after, a penalty was awarded when we failed to deal with an easy ball. However Adam Harry produced a great save to keep the us at 1-6.
It maybe harsh to criticise a 6-1 victory, but several players were off the boil today and didn’t show the willingness or discipline that will be needed over the closing games of the season. Saying that, today gave Matt Gibbs and Will Holland their first goals of the season. There were also some composed performances from Luke B, Harry Samra and Dan Kenny who all kept up the quality that the team has. Man of the match however went to Sam Mummery who has consistently put in good performances over the last few weeks and today was no different.
Well done to London Colney who showed good desire and to Martin Walker who took the whistle at short notice.



7th Feb 2010: Northwood 3 Omonia Green 0

A solid performance today from the boys in a tough match that saw the Northwood boys secure a good 3-0 victory against Omonia Green.  A new look starting line up with some players in new positions meant that we looked a little out of shape in the opening stages with Jon Jo & Luke O’D finding their feet in new roles. However we still played some smart football and created several chances that narrowly went wide from the “James” strike pair. We took the lead through James Fountain and from that point we pressed forward with more authority and James Hicks doubled our lead from a tight angle shortly after. Omonia battled hard and had a spell of possession leading up to half time but some resolute defending and a well marshalled offside trap kept our opponents away from our goal.  2-0 HT
The second half saw the Woods under pressure from a determined Omonia side with them having territorial advantage with us failing to clear our lines fully. However even during this period Adam in goal didn’t have too much to do. With the game stretched the Woods passing quality began to show and a great through ball from Matt Walker released Hicks who took the ball in his stride into the box only to be fouled and a penalty awarded. Hicksy dusted himself off and calmly slotted the penalty home for our third. We created lots more chances and with Omonia pushing forward we should have capitalised with more goals in the last 10 minutes, but we failed to trouble the keeper when presented with some gilt edged opportunities. In the dying minutes some great deadball delivery wasn’t met with the determination in the box that the balls in  deserved. In one of the final moves attacking moves of the game Jon Jo hit the post leaving the score at full time 3 -0.
The defensive unit looked strong today and fully deserved their clean sheet with Adam, Dan K, Dan M and JK showing great determination and composure to shut Omonia out. We battled hard all over the pitch again and on a different day could have had even more goals. Man of the Match went to James Hicks whose ability and sharpness in the box produces chances and goals for the team.
Overall though a good win to keep the momentum going and give us a platform to push on in the coming weeks.



24th Jan 2010: Aldenham Juniors Tigers 1 Northwood 3

An rare treat to play 2 games back to back after so many weeks off gave the Northwood Blues an opportunity to build on their win last week. Unlike our previous meeting against Aldenham in the cup just before Christmas the boys were determined to put in a better performance, which they managed to do.
The Woods kicked off and put Aldenham under pressure immediately giving none of the opposition time to settle on the ball. Again this week we created several chances in the opening minutes and look dangerous from corners but failed to convert from close range on a few occasions. When we hit the bar from 6 yards out and  were beginning to think this wasn’t going to be our day. We broke the deadlock after 15 minutes with fantastic goal from the in form Luke O’Driscoll. A Woods corner was cleared for Luke to collect the ball from right back, drop his shoulder superbly to beat the defender and fire home an unstoppable shot from the edge of the box. 0-1. Our second followed a few minutes later after a great ball from Jonathan Kennedy split the defence and James Hicks slotted home past the keeper. 0-2.Defensively we were looking good with Dan Kenny and Adam Rhodes dealing with the pacey striker. Aldenham had chances from counter attacks but shot narrowly wide. In the final minutes of the half a well delivered corner was met with a great header for Aldenham to get a goal back. 1-2.
More of the same in the second half with the boys showing great desire to keep ourselves ahead. Adam Harry was quick off his line to mop up through balls that the Aldenham forward players could not latch on to and the Woods continued to create half chances at the other end. The Woods were given a golden opportunity to seal the game and calm nerves from the penalty spot when the Aldenham defender handled in the box. Unfortunately a “Defoesque “ penalty was easily saved from Luke Benton who later blamed the pitch for his tame effort!! In the last 10 minutes we played some great football and our good play was rewarded with a fantastic passing move. Some great interplay in the midfield released Sam Mummery on the left to hit an early ball in to the box for James Fountain to expertly fire home our third and put the game beyond our opponents.
Overall a good team performance where all players did their part today in a game that was played in good spirit by both teams. Matthew Gibbs caused problems up front  Dan K and Adam R were committed at the back, JK, Dan M and Luke O pushed forward well from full back. Ben, Luke B and Jon Jo broke up play well in the centre and distributed the ball well to wingers and forwards. It was great to see that we have stepped up our performance and actually produced some of the play that we had been working on in training.
Well done boys!



15th Jan. 2010: Omonia White 2 Northwood 3

Our first game of 2010 on a day when most other games had been called off earlier in the week allowed the Woods to earn three more points away from home to Omonia. After almost no football for over a month due to weather and the Christmas break, it was good to get back out playing and the boys were up to the task from the start.
Northwood piled on the pressure and dominated in midfield and up front. Chances went by but it was only a matter of time before we scored. A good free kick from Luke B was seized upon by James Hicks to volley home for our opener. Both wingers and full backs pushed forward and created chances that should have extended our lead. We eventually doubled out tally with a great goal set up by Will Holland who held the ball up and layed the ball off perfectly for Luke O’D to fire in a rocket shot into the top corner from the edge of the box. Our 3rd came shortly after when some quick feet and a composed finish from Hicks put us 0-3 up.
You could visibly see some of the boys take the foot off the gas after our third goal and Omonia duly made the game interesting when with their first voyage into our half produced a quickly taken corner routine that was nodded in at the far post unchallenged. 1-3. Omonia were then awarded a “free-kick” on the edge of our box which Adam parried but only for the on rushing striker to tap home the follow up again with no Northwood player reacting quick enough. 2-3. HT.
Harsh words at half time had the desired effect and we dominated the second half, produced some great football that should have been seized upon in the box, but we failed to secure the game with extra goals.
Possession and territory wise we bossed it and only in injury time at the end did Omonia have a shot on goal. To get the points today was the primary objective and give ourselves a chance of blowing some of the winter cobwebs away, both of which we achieved.
There were good performances from several players, with Jon Jo, Dan Miles, James Hicks and Will Holland playing well, but Luke O’D was the best player on the pitch today – he bombed down the right side all day and topped it off with a great strike. More concentration needed throughout the team and hopefully match sharpness will now return with a run of games.



13th Dec. 2009: Northwood 0 Aldenham Juniors Tigers 2

Our first game in almost a month saw the boys play Aldenham Juniors in the 3rd round of the Challenge cup and produce our most disappointing performance of the season.  The Woods started ok and had plenty of possession but several players looked off the pace after the layoff. We created several chances throughout the first half and hit the bar and there were several goal mouth scrambles that we could not convert. It seemed like a matter of time before we scored but some good defending kept us out.
Against the run of play and with one of their first attacks Aldenham scored after about 20 minutes 0-1. Unfortunately, we did not respond to the task and continued to be hesitant all over the pitch. The 2nd half we pressed forward to get ourselves back into it, but a lack of overall quality and composure on the ball meant that we could not produce an equalizer. Aldenham caught us on the break several times and after a hand ball on the line a Penalty was awarded. Adam produced a fantastic save to deny Aldenham and keep us in the game. This could have been a turning point for us but again our play in the final third wasn’t quite sharp enough to get an equalizer. Our opponents scored late on to seal the win after a deflected goal ended up in the top corner.
The Woods had one of those days today, early chances went begging and an overall lethargic performance from key players meant  that we really didn’t play anywhere near our form to date has shown. We didn’t play well as a team today and the break due to weather seems to have dampened our spirits. Adam Harry had a good game saving a penalty and several other brave saves. Dan Kenny was man of the match after a very solid game at the heart of the defence. Heads up boys, hopefully we can learn from this experience.



15th Nov. 2009: Northwood 4 Omonia White 1

A lovely sunny morning saw us play hosts to Omonia White this week, on a pitch that had stayed in good condition despite the torrential rain the previous few days. We started shakily with several players with knocks and illness causing us to be below par for the opening minutes. We were still more than a match for our opponents and took the lead early on with some good build up play and a surging run from Luke B, who with his newly favoured left foot, struck a shot that beat the keeper but not the post, showing his predatory instincts James Hicks followed in and tapped the ball in to the empty net: 1-0. Shortly after James doubled his tally with a shot from close range after Matt Walkers’ well delivered corner caused problems:2-0. We continued to press and had several chances that went narrowly wide or over the bar. Our third came from Sam who beat the defence for pace and chipped the on rushing keeper from just outside the box to score our best goal of the day:3-0.The boys still looked lethargic without the ball, but we showed some quality and our passing at times was excellent. With both full backs overlapping the wingers we played some great football and produced some fine chances that we didn’t convert. James Hicks had a chance to seal a first half hatrick but his penalty was comfortably saved. Just before the break a set piece routine from Omonia was not dealt with and we allowed a long range effort through the crowded box with being cleared. HT 3-1. 
The second half started with Omonia fighting back and pressurising us for the opening minutes without creating many chances of note. The next goal was to be important and fell our way to kill off any hopes our visitors had of getting back into it. Some superb play from Dan Miles beating several players and releasing James Fountain to slot home our fourth from a tigt angle: 4-1. The remaining 15 minutes were scrappy with “off-field” antics threatening to spoil a decent game. However, in the final minutes both full backs drove forward and delivered superb crosses that should  have been converted with a little more desire from players in the box. We saw out the final minutes with little drama for another good victory.
It is difficult to criticise a victory like this, but being harsh we could have been more ruthless with our play overall. However, the boys were more than comfortable today but yet again gave an opponent a sniff of getting back into a game that should have been dead and buried.  Our defensive unit played well again without one its keys members, with Luke O and Dan Miles both excellent at full back. James Hicks returned to goal scoring form and James Fountain continued his good record to score the goals.
Omonia showed good spirit to come back into the game at 3-0 down and both players and coaching staff conducted themselves well throughout.
Man of the Match went to Daniel Miles who has improved each week and is currently full of confidence and commitment and is a real asset to the team. A special mention to the Referee this week who showed great maturity and confidence, during and after the game.



8th Nov. 2009: Harvesters North 1 Northwood 2

A contrasting match to last week in performance and weather, but again the result favoured the boys in this sometimes controversial game. We started the game well today, exerting most of the early pressure, but failing to find the target. Our passing was sometimes wasteful in the final third but we continued to make half chances. A change midway into the half had an immediate effect with James H playing a superb ball through to Harry who crossed the ball for Luke O to tap in at the far post; 0-1. Harvesters were providing little threat other than their pacey striker turning our defence a couple of times, but our defence matched him for speed to deny any real threat. Halftime came with us fairly comfortable. In the 2nd half the home side came out fighting and had extra numbers going forward to cause us problems, but our defence held firm. The Woods took their foot off the gas and allowed the Harvesters team more possession and get a foothold in the game. The match turned midway through the second half when we had a goal given, then not given for offside after JK had lobbed the unrushing keeper. For a few minutes players and management lost focus and with less than 10 minutes to go, allowed the home team back into the game when their striker dribbled past the defence for the first time and shoot into the corner; 1-1. This was the kick some of the boys needed and we stepped up a gear to play our best football of the day in the final minutes. The clock was ticking down, the boys continued to press. A string of corners produced several chances and eventually we got the winner. Dan M pushed forward and was tackled inside the box, the loose ball fell to Luke B outside the penalty box, who instinctively hit the left foot of his life to rifle the ball in the top corner to give the keeper no chance; 1-2. We saw out the final minutes with little drama with Adam in goal safe with his handling and kicking.
Overall not our best display of the season with several below par performances, however we showed a tremendous spirit and belief to get the 3 points. Our back 4 again showed good heart to keep the more direct play of our opponents at bay. Some of our midfield lacked the energy of previous weeks, but produced the goals that eventually won us the game. Man of the Match today was Daniel Kenny who was solid in the tackle and distributed the ball well throughout.
Well done boys for grinding out a good victory.



1st Nov. 2009: Northwood 1 Whetstone Wanderers Tigers 0

In an extremely wet, cold and windy morning at Chestnut Avenue, we faced the daunting task of taking on the undisputed champions from last year Whetstone Tigers. The boys knew that that would need to raise the bar on performance and determination  if we were to get our just rewards and that is exactly what they did! Kicking off down hill the Woods started well and created some early pressure. A set piece routine, practiced in training the day before almost brought us the opening goal when Luke B hit the inside of the post from a Matt W corner. The Tigers came at us, but the Woods were coping admirably against some much bigger opponents. The Woods continued to create chances and took the lead 15 minutes in. Luke B delivered a good cross into the box that was not dealt with by the defence and James F tapped in the corner for us to go in front.1-0. We limited the Tigers to few clear cut chances for the rest of the half and went in at the break ahead.
The second half we changed shape and personnel but our attitude and spirit remained strong. Again we were first to everything and closed down the Tigers to give them very little time and space. Going up hill was beginning to have an effect but the boys battled on to keep the Tigers away from our goal. We created our own chances to put the game to bed and only a fantastic save from the Whetstone keeper denied Will H his opening goal of the season and settle our nerves. The final minutes saw the Tigers have a couple of half chances, one was calmly cleared off the line by Luke O’D and another blocked fantastically by Jon Jo. Today tho we were up to any pressure Whetstone could throw at us and saw out the game for a famous victory.
The whole squad showed a tremendous attitude today and a gritty side as well as quality that proved that we can mix it with the best. We created opportunities and limited an excellent Tigers team to few easy chances, but the desire and will to win today was the most impressive thing to see.
Everyone played their heart out today in tough conditions and against probably the toughest opponents in the league. In really difficult conditions Adam in goal was brave and safe, Jon Jo, Adam R, Luke O and Dan K all held firm at the back, our midfield out battled their opposite numbers and the boys up front ran tirelessly to create several chances and James F who poked home the important winner. Man of the Match tho went to Daniel Miles who was magnificent in every challenge and tackle against much bigger players, he epitomised the spirit and desire that we need to maintain throughout the season.
A well deserved win - Well Done Boys!



25th Oct. 2009: Borehamwood 2000 1 Northwood 3

A windy away day in Borehamwood was our first league game of the season and another test to gauge our progress at 11 aside.
Kicking with the wind in the opening period the Northwood Boys started sharply and looked determined to get our league campaign off to a good start. We passed the ball fluently and had great width to our play with Matthew Walker giving the left back a torrid time constantly for the opening half. We created several chances that missed narrowly or that we squandered through lack of composure at the vital moment. James Fountain struck our opener with a great shot that gave the keeper no chance from inside the box, again after some good wing play and cross gave the home defence headaches: 0-1. We continued to dominate with some great runs from Walker, Fountain, Mummery and Daniel Miles from fullback, but we failed to add to our lead.  Fountain hit the post but we forgot to follow up quickly enough and the ball was cleared away. Our second finally arrived in bizarre circumstances after the under pressure Borehamwood defence sliced a clearance that looped in over the Keeper to give us a well deserved 0-2 lead at the break.
With some changes made at half time we lost some of our early impetus, but were still comfortably holding our opponents, who were slowly getting themselves into it. We continued to create chances and efforts from Hicks, Walker and Holland could not extend our lead. Unfortunately, midway through the half we conceded to a long ball that was latched onto by the striker to fire home. 1-2.
Bhouyed by the goal Borehamwood flooded forward in numbers to get an equalizer that seemed unlikely at half time. Walker and Mummery were re introduced as the team changed shape to combat the extra numbers being thrown forward and this was enough to swing the game back in favour. The final 10 or so minutes saw us camped in our opponents half and chance after went a begging. With minutes to go we wrapped the game up with some outstanding football that was finished with aplomb by Walker at the far post:1-3.The boys were hungry for more and hit the bar in the dying seconds that may have crossed the line, but had no impact on the end result.
We played really well today and kept the ball down and passed the ball so well that our opponents could not get a firm grip of the game. The whole team played with confidence with good performances all round. Being critical we should have scored more goals today, but we were more than good value for our victory over a side who finished above us in 4th last season.
Good work from Adam in goal who was assured and handled with confidence when required, Luke B and Jon Jo were both dominant again, but it was our wingers who were the stars of the show today with both Sam and Matt W roasting their full backs at will. It was also good to see Will back in the squad after several weeks out with illness. However, Matt Walker was unplayable at times today and deserved the Man of the Award after a superb strike that secured our first win of the league season.
Well Done Boys.



18th Oct. 2009: Northwood 3 Kempton Park 6

Our first adventure into the Middlesex County Cup was short-lived in an eventful game against Kempton Park from Surrey. After some late ground repairs the Woods eventually kicked off down the hill with the opening exchanges fairly level. Both teams tried to get going but space was hard to find for either team to assert themselves. Northwood broke the deadlock 20 minutes in, after a great flick on from Sam found James Hicks in the box and with an expertly taken half volley buried the ball past the keeper. 1-0.
This seemed to spark Kempton into life and they were soon level with great shot that went in the top corner. Kempton were now in full flow and some hesitant defensive play allowed them to get on top. A good delivery from a corner was met with a free header at the far post to gift the opposition the lead. 1-2. The turning point in the game came shortly after when the referee left all watching bemused by awarding a penalty for a foul. Adam in goal was given no chance with the penalty 1-3 HT.
The next goal was going to be important but unfortunately for us the quality of the opposition was beginning to show and they extended their lead shortly in to the second half. We rallied and got our second after a fine header from Sam hit the back of the net after a well taken corner from Matt Walker. 2-4. Our fight back was cut short after some more good interplay and poor defending meant another goal against us. 2-5. Again we came back at Kempton and with our move of the game, Sam slotted our third after some great wing play again from Matt Walker. 3-5. There was plenty of time left but after a free kick on the edge of the box was fired over by Luke B there were no more chances and Kempton sealed victory shortly after. 3-6.
We showed some good points today and proved we can compete to a high level against a very good team who will take all the beating in future rounds. We failed to hit top gear whereas our opponents went through the gears with ease. The team again showed good spirit but a lack quality, determination and desire at crucial times gives us plenty to work on and learn from.
Creditable performances today from Sam, James H and Matt Walker, but Man of the Match went to Luke B who worked hard to close down and battle hard against a very good opposition.



11th Oct. 2009: Northwood 3 Pinnacle 2

A great cup tie that ended in a thrilling manner secured the Woods’ path into the next round of the Challenge Cup today. Playing a team in good early season form we knew we needed to be up for it from the start. The opening minutes were open with no team getting to grips with the game. Northwood slowly got into top gear and peppered the Pinnacle goal without looking too threatening. 20 minutes in a long ball was flicked on for the on rushing striker to tuck home a good finish for Pinnacle to take the lead. Changes were made on the wings, Walker and Gibbs made some marauding runs down both flanks to kick start the team into action and setup a 10 minute spell that turned the game in our favour. Firstly a great set piece move from Walker and good movement in the box allowed Benton to head the equalizer powerfully in to the net. 1-1. It was all us now and the boys created many chances that were cleared off the line or saved. We eventually went ahead when a ball was handled on the edge of penalty box. Luke B stepped up and hit a low free kick into the bottom corner. 2-1 Halftime.
We kept up the pressure and played some great football in the second half and continued to press to increase our lead, but a lack of sharpness and great defending meant our lead was only slender. With minutes to go our defence failed to clear the ball well enough and a resulting scramble ended with a trip on a Pinnacle player and a Penalty awarded. The Away side levelled with a well struck penalty that gave Adam no chance. 2-2.
With Extra time beckoning the Woods rallied themselves to stage a superb last few minutes. With seconds to go, a long throw into the box was only cleared to Spires on the edge of the box who smashed the ball with a sweet strike into the roof of the net!!3-2. The cheers from the watching supporters were in relief as much as delight. This was virtually the last kick of the game with only enough time for the kick off to be taken.
We made hard work of things today and at times were superb, but with only a 1 goal advantage we gave our opponents the chance to get back into the game. Credit to Pinnacle though, they played some good football and showed a battling spirit to the end to keep us working. The boys showed great character today and showed that we have a great spirit in the squad that is fantastic to see.
There were some creditable performances from several players with Matthew Gibbs showing some nice touches to have his best game of the season. This week however our central midfield partnership of Luke B and Ben were awesome and between them put in a powerful display that dominated and turned the game back in favour. Ben had probably already done enough to be Man of the Match but his last gasp goal confirmed it.
Well done boys!!



4th Oct. 2009: Hemel Athletic 2 Northwood 2

On a day when only a point was required to progress to the next stage of the League Cup, the team managed to get the result they needed against robust opposition. After last week's cancelled game and only half the squad training this week we made a slow start, with the visiting side making the most of the early exchanges. The Woods battled and eventually created a chance for James Fountain to fire home the opener. The away team continued to battle and equalized before half time after some uncharacteristically rash defending on the half way line allowed the Hemel Striker a clear run on goal. Half time 1-1.
The second half started pretty much the same with the ball spending far too much time in the air. The Woods did on occasions get the ball down and play but this was few and far between today. The game became scrappy and our second goal came from a perfectly delivered free kick from Luke B that was met superbly by Matt Walker to head home. 2-1. Hemel continued to press us and got an equalizer with a few minutes to go after we failed to clear our lines in defence. 2-2.
The boys had done enough without being top quality today and we withstood a determined team that should do well this season. Some good performances today especially from Daniel Kenny who was solid at the back, Adam H in goal who showed great bravery after getting clattered into several times and Luke O’D who did well at right back, but man of the match went to Jon Jo who won every challenge and showed he is developing each week.



20th Sept. 2009: Northwood Blue 1  Cassiobury Rangers Pumas 1

A rearranged League Cup Qualifier Group fixture after our late postponement of our County Cup game, presented our first real challenge for the season against a Cassiobury side who last year proved to be one of the best teams around.
Our first home game and our first venture on to the sloping pitch we kicked off down hill for the opening period. The Woods dominated the early exchanges and some great interplay down the right and super cross from Matt W, presented Sam a chance from a few yards out that after last weeks screamer looked guaranteed. We continued to pass well and kept our opponents penned into their half. A couple of long range efforts from Luke B narrowly missed and a superb save from the Cassiobury keeper kept the scores level. The Away side came into it more as the half progressed and on a rare venture into our box their striker was upended for a penalty to be given. The spot kick was saved well by Adam, but unfortunately the rebound was converted before the Woods could react. 0-1. The boys continued to press and found the net before half time only for it to be ruled out for offside. The Woods could and should have been at least 3 up but instead found themselves behind at the break.
Kicking up the hill in the second half we knew we would be under pressure and so it proved. Cassiobury pressed us back this half and had a few chances to extend their lead, but with a defence in fine form nothing was too clear cut. Adam H in goal smothered the on rushing striker twice to keep us in it. The boys kept faith in their ability and We eventually got our deserved equalizer after a quickly taken freekick from Luke B split the defence to send James Hicks clear and expertly shoot home. The rest of the game was hard fought from both teams with each side having chances.
In reality tho a draw was a fair result, with the slope having a significant effect on the game. Both sides scored against the run of play and against the slope.
Today, we stepped up our performance and showed some great quality that we have not needed to call upon yet this season. The defence was magnificent with outstanding performances from Adam R, Jon Jo and Daniel M, who won almost every header and challenge. The Midfield also won most of the headers and generally competed to a high level allowing their opposite numbers little time on the ball. James H up front continued his great start to the season and gave the opposing defence headaches with his movement and skill.
Man of the Match went to the whole team who stepped up a level on recent weeks performances and maybe if early chances had been taken would have beaten a very good side.



13 September 2009: Croxley Green 1 Northwood 7

A stuttering performance from the boys today, saw the Woods run out comfortable winners. The boys took a while to get going and with the home side starting brightly a few of the team looked half asleep. We eventually took the lead through Luke B who powered through the opposition midfield and defence to hit a great strike into the net. We grew in confidence and Sam in particular made some great chances for himself and provided crosses from the left that we failed to convert. Goals from Sam and James H extended our lead to 0-3 before a few lapses in concentration caused us 2 moments of madness. First a back pass from half way that looped and bounced back to Adam who under no real pressure decided to pick it up!! The resulting free kick narrowly missed the target. Minutes later a penalty was given to the home side for handball decision that left both sets of players and supporters bemused. Adam got a hand to the penalty but was unable to keep it out. Halftime1-3. Croxley kicked off the 2nd half and immediately we intercepted the ball and Matt Walker jinked passed the defence and coolly slotted home our fourth. Many more chances were made and missed or saved; the Croxley keeper was in stunning form and produced some exceptional saves that looked like certain goals. James Hicks continued his goal scoring with 2 more goals for his 3rd Hatrick of the week. Sam scored a contender for goal of the season with a fantastic left foot volley that gave the superb Croxley keeper no chance. Final score 1-7.
We scored a few goals today, but still have plenty to work on in the coming weeks. Good individual performances from Luke B, Matt W and James H, but this week Sam was a real handful for the opposing team and scored a cracking goal and was a worthy MOTM.
Scorers: James Hick (3), Sam Mummery (2), Luke Benton, Matt Walker.



8 September 2009: Bushey Rangers 0 Northwood 12

Our 2nd fixture of the campaign proved a one sided affair with the Woods running out comfortable winners. We took a while to open the scoring with early chances going a begging but the boys pressed forward and eventually Harry scored a rare goal from a half volley shot. 4 more goals were scored in the half for us to lead 0-5 at the break, the pick of the bunch a looping shot from Luke O’D that sailed over the keeper. The second half continued in the same vain with the boys scoring 7 more goals. The scoreline could have been even more but the Bushey keeper made some superb saves and put in a heroic performance throughout. The opposing team despite the mismatch kept battling and showed good team spirit to the end.
Today our midfield played well with Ben and Sam battling hard and another hat trick for James H. However man of the match was given to Harry whose quality on the ball and superb crossing set up several goals for his team mates and he also grabbed his first goal in what seems an eternity!!
Scorers: James Hick (3), James Fountain (2), Sam Mummery (2), Adam Rhodes (2), Will Holland, Harry Samra, Luke O’Driscoll.



6 Sept. 2009: Abbots Youth 1 Northwood 4

An adequate victory for the boys who travelled away to Abbots Youth for the opening game of the season. With players still away on holiday and some only returning this week, we looked slightly rusty at times but produced some quality to run out comfortable winners eventually.
The Woods kicked off the first half brightly and within seconds of the start had a free kick on the edge of the box which narrowly went over. Several other half chances came and went but it wasn’t until midway through the half we broke the deadlock. Some great play down the right allowed Harry look up and provide a great cross for James Fountain to bundle the ball over the line for our opener: 0-1. Abbots had a free header towards the end of the half that could have allowed them to go into the break level. Changes at half time had the desired effect an injected some extra quality into our play. James Hicks leapt upon some hesitancy in the Abbots box and poked our second in from close range and to settle our nerves: 0-2.
Our third goal was a great flowing move started from a goal kick that was passed down the wing in a handful of short passes that set James H free to shoot past the keeper: 0-3. Abbots continued to battle and a great long range strike reduced the deficit, but The Woods remained calm and soon after James completed his quick fire hat trick to secure the win. We had several other chances that with practice should be made the most of next time.
Some good individual performances today, Daniel Miles playing at left back for the first time showed great tackling and passing ability, but he was narrowly pipped to the man of match by James Hicks who’s performance was full of desire, quality and 3 different types of goals. We will hopefully improve as a team on today’s performance and the summer rust should now be blown out of our systems. Well Done Boys.



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