Match Report
by Alan Evans
Mark Nicholls
inspired a magnificent late rally for ten-man Northwood as the side
showed great character to battle back from an almost certain defeat.
With injuries and
suspension still causing manager Colin Payne serious problems, the
Woods went into this tough away fixture lacking Liam Watson, Steve
Walters, Perry Norman, Mark Dennison, Ricky Alexander, Danny Julienne,
James Hamsher, Kyle Matthews, and also Dean Powles, who had been
unable to shake off the neck injury suffered at Harrow Borough the
previous week.
So Aaron Coldman
came in for his starting debut in the centre of defence, and recent
recruit Mark Nicholls partnered Dean Clark in midfield for the first
time.
It gave Northwood
plenty of attacking options and they soon made their mark with an
opening goal as early as the fourth minute. A short-corner from Danny
Murphy saw Nicholls whip in a cross to the back stick and James
Shipperley outjumped his marker to steer a header across goal and
inside the far post.
Just two minutes
later a quickly taken free-kick got Gavin Hart into the box on the
left, and he sent in a low cross which goalkeeper Matt Bath did well
to take and hold onto under imminent pressure.
After this early
spell, the Woods were soon back on their heels and looking decidedly
exposed at the back.
The equaliser
came from the Tigers first real attack after ten minutes. Tom Webb was
played in down the left as Max Howell was caught out pushing up and
his cross was met with a classy finish at the near post by on-loan
striker Michael Whittington.
The goal lifted
the home side and they pushed on with some swift passing and excellent
running off the ball. Alex Sykes went closest with a powerful volley
which was deflected wide by Murphy.
After 19 minutes,
the Woods won a corner on the counter-attack and tried a carbon copy
of the move that produced the goal. This time Shipperley headed wide
of the near post, but it was only a brief respite for the visitors.
A minute later,
another quick break saw Jodie Bevan volley over from a tight angle and
then a free-kick flashed across Rob Bullivant’s goal but was cleared
as the Woods survived again.
Clark finally got
his sights on goal after 23 minutes, making space for a 25-yard drive
which flashed only just wide of the post with Bath nowhere.
Again, Gloucester
hit back and a well-worked free-kick saw Sykes curl a shot to the
near-post, and Bullivant had top dive across to push the ball wide.
From the resulting corner, it was the Tigers’ turn to play it short
and whip it in and it proved beneficial once more with Lyndon Tompkins
powering home a header.
It remained that
way at half-time, and Gloucester continued on top early in the
second-half. Five minutes in, Hart was in the right place to knock a
near-post flick off the line, and then Bullivant made a comfortable
save to deny Webb.
But on the hour,
the Woods began to look effective again. Another corner, taken by
Nicholls, presented Shipperley with another chance and this time his
on-target header was cleared off the line by Webb.
Recent signing
David Warner was then introduced for the ineffective Clark, and he
went close to scoring with his first touch. Howell did well on the
right and drilled in a cross which Warner was just beaten to by a
desperate defender on the six-yard box.
Two minutes
later, Murphy was taken out by a rough challenge which somehow didn’t
even warrant a free-kick in the eyes of the referee and was replaced
by Elliott Buchanan as the already novice Woods defence had to be
reshuffled yet again. That got even worse for Northwood just two
minutes later.
Shipperley, up
for a challenge with Tompkins, was climbed on by the Gloucester man
who, in turn, was then caught in the face as the Woods defender tried
to stop himself falling. It was a clear accident for most of those
around, but not so clear for the referee who immediately showed a red
card for “use of an elbow”.
The teeth marks
on Shipperley’s wrist would seem to prove otherwise, and the match
continued with a free-kick to Northwood which Buchanan curled only
inches over the bar. An altogether bizarre incident.
The defence
needed bolstering, so Dave Nolan came on in place of Hart to add his
much-needed experience and the Woods switched to an improbable back
three of Howell, Nolan and Coldman. Just five minutes after being
reduced to ten men, the Woods conceded a third goal as youngster
Buchanan showed his inexperience by dithering over clearing a ball and
substitute Michael Noakes nipped in to tap past Bullivant.
The Tigers
continued to dominate, with Joe Tustain missing a good chances and
Wilson drilling another effort well wide, while Buchanan appeared to
be the Woods main weapon on the counter-attack, though his shot failed
to really test Bath.
With seven
minutes to go Gloucester took off the hard-working Whittington and
brought on Lee Randall, a move which clearly left the home side less
mobile.
Almost
immediately, the Woods got themselves back in the game as Nicholls
controlled the ball just outside the box and fired an unstoppable shot
into the top corner.
Suddenly the
spirited Woods side saw there was something to play for, and Nicholls
went close again from another free-kick, curling a shot which was
always going just wide. The match was a couple of minutes into
stoppage-time when a scramble in the goalmouth saw Warner show some
excellent close-control, ended by a mistimed challenge and a clear
penalty. It needed a cool head with the baying Gloucester fans in
full-frenzied voice behind the goal, and Nicholls provided just that
by sending Bath the wrong way and tucking home the spot-kick.
PHOTO GALLERY (Click thumbnail to enlarge)
James Shipperley heads Northwood in front Lee Tunnell shields the ball Dean Clark looks to cross
James Shipperley heads Northwood in front
Photos: Paul Evans |
