The Woods were just edged out of this difficult midweek trip to Warwickshire, with all three goals coming during a five-minute spell midway through the first-half. Gary Meakin’s plans were hit earlier in the day with postal delays meaning that several players signed on deadline day last week were ruled out of his squad for the game.

Thankfully, the fact that the M6 was closed was known well in advance, so a slightly longer detour through the A-roads meant that everyone arrived in good time on a blustery evening. Barkley Miguel-Panzo returned in place of Rob Ursell, Wayne Jackson filled in at left-back and Aaron Lansiquot also stepped up for the injured pair of Craig Vargas and Mark Burgess.

With the wind at their backs, the Woods started well, with Lansiquot laying a Jackson cross into the path of Scott Orphanou, whose shot was deflected just wide of the post. Neither side was making much ground though and when Lansiquot made room for a crisp strike at goal after 18 minutes it was the first on target but was also straight at goalkeeper James Martin who held on comfortably.

The game burst into life after 27 minutes when a misplaced pass from James Bent rolled straight to Levi Ramsay in front of goal and he gratefully thumped the ball into the back of the net. As if to show how unjust that was, the Woods hit back almost immediately as Miguel-Panzo knocked in a deep cross from the right and Lansiquot met it with a powerful downward header that Martin was unable to keep out.

Yet Northwood conceded again as Bedworth hit back on the break. Ramsay raced down the right flank and his square ball wasn’t cut out, allowing Danny Edmond to fire home. It was another blow and the Woods battled hard to level again before the break. With ten minutes to go, a good ball in was only half-cleared to Bent just outside the box and though his shot was well struck, the ball was blocked by a defender.

Sam Styles made a good save at the feet of Edmond to make sure the home side didn’t get further ahead, and just before half-time a good run a superb ball slipped through by Kevin Wynter gave Lansiquot a chance but this time his first touch was poor and he was unable to make his effort count.

The wind had dropped as the game progressed, and Northwood could have levelled after 53 minutes as Scott Raper’s lay-off to Orphanou gave the Woods’ top scorer a good chance, but he hit his shot wide of the target. The Greenbacks went close when Styles saved from Ramsey and then Dean Rathbone saw his effort take a big deflection but bounced wide of the post.

Romaine Walker replaced Miguel-Panzo but the young striker never really got into it as Bedworth closed the game down. Jackson hit a free-kick straight at James after 65 minutes and although the Woods had plenty of possession and tried a series of different formations to try to break Bedworth down, they never really created enough in front of goal.

Youth teamer Jack Hutchinson came on for his first-team debut late in the game and didn’t look out of place, but it was Bedworth who went closest to adding to the scoreline in the third minute of stoppage-time as substitute Kurtis Mewies saw his close-range shot crash back off the crossbar.

Report by ALAN EVANS