Another storming second-half comeback earned Northwood all three points in this Zamaretto League clash, notching their third away win in succession. It was the fourth meeting with the Blues this season, and in all four meetings, the team scoring first has been unable to hold on to victory.

The Woods had recruited goalkeeper Dan Lee into the squad as replacement for sidelined Michael Parkin, and Chris Chase also made his debut after having joined from Wingate & Finchley. Burnham were under new management, having replaced Jamie Jarvis with Martin Stone during the week and the home side were clearly keen to impress with a lightening start to the game.

With just two minutes on the clock, Ed Chemlal chipped forward to Ryan Bird and the Blues top scorer flashed a shot across the face of the goal and just wide. Scott Orphanou’s unlucky run with injuries continued as he was caught early on by a stray elbow which eventually saw him withdrawn after just eleven minutes, with Dean Wallace coming on into midfield and Miles Jones pushing into a more attacking role.

Just two minutes later the Woods recorded their first attack as Ryan Tackley played a ball through to Jones, who laid it back for Wayne Jackson to strike but the ball sailed wide. Burnham then took the lead when Bird knocked a ball into Jordan Dowdican and the young striker turned Zac Gill before slotting past Lee to score far too easily.

Jones played a great ball through for Jake Lovell to run onto three minutes later and he should have hit the target but shot over and the Woods were made to pay for that on 22 minutes as Dowdican scored again. Finding space on the right, he cut in and sent a shot across Lee which the ‘keeper was unable to keep out. After a run of heavy defeats, heads could have gone down at this point, but in fact the Woods rallied well and Jones and Tackley both went close with long-range efforts, before Wallace shot over the top following a Jackson cross.

Burnham ‘keeper Sam Mazurek was finally forced into action after 40 minutes when he made a good save to deny Wallace but the Woods were still two goals behind at the half-time break. Northwood did have the wind at their backs for the second-half and they looked full of ambition from the restart. Jackson headed a Wallace cross wide of the post and then Jones latched onto a ball from Lovell to hit a crisp shot that Mazurek pushed wide of the post.

Another good break then gave Chase a chance of a debut goal but he chose to try to cut the ball back instead and it was cut out by a defender. Woods needed something more decisive and Jones was always prepared to shoot when in sight of goal, and he hit another one that was saved at the near post by the burly ‘keeper. Burnham almost wrapped up the win after 61 minutes when Ben Hudell curled a free-kick up and over the defensive wall but the ball crashed back off the crossbar and was cleared to safety.

Dean Wallace was enjoying his first extended run-out for months and let fly with a long-range effort which Mazurek could only parry and Tackley was penalised for a foul as he went to convert the loose ball. Wallace and Tackley combined again a few minutes later for the later to knock in a cross which allowed Chase another chance, but this time his shot was blocked by the ‘keeper.

Chase hit another effort into the side-netting after 71 minutes and time was beginning to run out for any comeback, but almost immediately Wallace played a classy chip forward into the box and Lovell was onto it quickly, side-stepped both defender and goalkeeper and fired into the net for a neat goal, his first for the club. The Woods maintained the pressure on the home side with on-target efforts from Jackson and Jones both comfortably saved by Mazurek, but the equalising goal came after 82 minutes when Tom Windsor won a tackle in midfield and strode forward to let fly from 25 yards with a strike that found the top corner and gave the ‘keeper no chance. Again, it was his first goal for the Woods.

A draw seemed the most likely outcome but Northwood kept pushing with Lovell denied by Mazurek after a decent strike. The game was deep in stoppage-time when Lovell came up with the winner as he fired goalwards and defender Dave Tilbury’s attempted block only helped the ball on its way past Mazurek and into the net.

Report by ALAN EVANS

Photos by James Brown