Northwood successfully put Saturday’s FA Cup disaster behind them with this comfortable victory over near-neighbours AFC Hayes on Tuesday night but they had to survive a brief rally from their opponents early in the second-half.

Mark Burgess returned to the defence in place of the rested John Sonuga, while Leon Osei was also restored to the starting line-up against a visiting side that included former Woods Dean Clark, Hugo Figueiredo, Gilbert Nuako and Dean Mason.

With the rain once again teeming down, the Woods made the better start, and it was Anthony Page who was first to record an effort on goal, turning well and finishing with a shot that Hayes goalkeeper Simon Grant took and held well.

Despite dominating, chances were few and far between until Northwood edged ahead after 22 minutes when Scott Orphanou headed a John Christian corner against the crossbar and Josh Urquhart was on hand to head in the rebound from a few yards and notch his first goal for the club.

It was again Urquhart who was next to test the ‘keeper with a long-range effort which Grant had to push round the post at full length, and from the resulting corner, the ball fell to Christian whose shot was deflected just wide of the target. Once again a corner caused the visitors undoing as Rodney Hicks fired it in to the near post and Orphanou steered in a header.

Almost from the kick-off Ryan Tackley’s run down the left won another corner and this time the ball fell kindly to Scott Raper, but he was unable to take advantage.

Four minutes before the break, a defensive slip allowed Terry Smith a rare sight of goal for the visitors but Mitch Swain was alert to the danger and kept out his effort.

AFC Hayes made two substitutions at half-time as they looked for some way back into the game and one of them, Jake Nelson was quickly into the action, robbing Raper of the ball and then firing a shot into the side-netting.

Clark failed to take advantage of a free-kick in a advantageous position but after 53 minutes he latched onto a good pass from Ross Ahir, made room for a shot and stroked the ball past Swain to reduce the arrears. Five minutes later, Clark had a good opportunity to equalise from a similar position as the ball was worked across the edge of the box but this time Swain was able to block his effort.

Having survived that, the Woods took control again and a good move saw Osei beat a couple of defenders on the right, pick out Orphanou with his cross for the striker to chest the ball down to Sam Sharples but he shot well over the bar.

The killer third goal came on 68 minutes, and was the result of some more hard work from Osei, who battled his way into the box before cutting the ball back for Christian to convert with a neat finish.

Orphanou went close to adding a fourth ten minutes before time as he drifted past a defender and shot for goal with Grant making another good save to tip the ball wide of the post.

There was time for three substitutions in the final stages with 17-year-old striker Romaine Walker making his first-team debut but it was fellow sub Dean Wallace who went closest to scoring with a strike from distance that again saw Grant dive to keep the ball out.

Report by ALAN EVANS

Photos by James Brown