Match Report
by Alan Evans
Despite going down to a narrow defeat, Northwood can take great
heart from this performance, where they deserved much more against a
side still harbouring hopes of the Premier Division title.
In
front of a typically large Norfolk crowd of almost 1,000, the young
Northwood side could easily have been overawed but they are
beginning to settle to Southern League football, and despite being
without six of their more experienced players, they played with
confidence and some style.
Damon Ming enjoyed his best game since arriving at Northwood from
Hayes, causing the Linnets problems down the right flank, and with
17-year-old Elliott Buchanan continuing to develop on the left, the
Woods had two players who could stretch the home side.
King’s Lynn started with the confidence that is expected of a top
side but they found the Northwood back four in resolute mood, with
big James Shipperley leading by example with a strong performance up
against the hefty Jack Defty in an old-fashioned centre-forward
role.
Having survived the early pressure, and a disallowed goal, the Woods
began to create things themselves, with Ryan Tackley having a shot
saved and a cross from Ming almost finding the head of Peter Dean,
enjoying his captain’s role.
After 26 minutes, Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz was in action for the first
time, turning a shot from Steve Melton round the post, but the Woods
hit back immediately with Buchanan firing in a shot which home
goalkeeper Paul Crichton deflected past his near post.
Michael Frew went closer still for the home side after 32 minutes
when he crossed from the left and the wind saw the ball curl in to
strike the crossbar with Jaimez-Ruiz nowhere. The quality of the
home side was emphasised before half-time when they replaced former
Norwich City midfielder Alex Notman with new signing Danny
Blooomfield, who had returned to his former club in midweek after
transfer fees of £10,000 had seen him play at Histon and Heybridge
Swifts this season.
Just two minutes into the second-half, the Woods silenced the home
crowd with the opening goal. Ming swung in a corner which left
Crichton clutching thin air and the ball curled into the far post
for the Bermudan’s first goal for the club.
The celebrations had hardly died down when another Northwood attack
almost brought a second goal. Jerome Hall showed some clever
footwork to beat his marker on the bye-line and was then clearly
brought down when lining up a shot at goal. Penalty appeals were
waved away and within a few minutes, King’s Lynn had found a way
back into the game. It was another corner that did the damage, with
skipper Mark Warren diving in to head home at the far post.
Bloomfield had a close-range shot saved comfortably by Jaimez-Ruiz
as Lynn tried to dominate again, but still the Woods looked
dangerous on the counter-attack, with Dean slipping his marker
inside the box but seeing his cross just cut out by the outstretched
arms of Crichton.
Frew looked the most dangerous of the opposing forwards and his shot
flashed across the face of the goal on 70 minutes. Five minutes
later, the Linnets were gifted the lead. Frew played a ball forward
into the box and a lack of communication between Lee Holland and
Jaimez-Ruiz saw the Venezuelan ‘keeper spill the ball and poacher
Bloomfield was onto it like a flash to roll the ball over the line.
Harry Hunt had provided the Woods with some fresh legs in place of
the tiring Hall, and he looked to have levelled the scores just a
few minutes later as he burst away from Warren and let fly with a
shot which Crichton, showing all his experience of nearly 500
Football League games, tipped over the bar.
Northwood’s defence remained strong to the end and in the final
minute, they almost earned the draw that their performance had
clearly deserved. Dwane Williams slipped a ball through to Holland
and the full-back showed great composure to beat a defender and
drive the ball past Crichton, only for the ball to hit the underside
of the bar but somehow rebound to safety.
The Woods can take a great deal of credit from this game, they are
learning fast and if they can take the belief from this match into
their next few games and get a few wins behind them, they could
still surprise a few of the people who have written them off already
this season.
PHOTO GALLERY (Click thumbnail to enlarge)
Harry Hunt hits a great strike Lee Holland clears his lines Damon Ming's corner creeps in at the far post Dwane Williams wins a header
Harry Hunt hits a great strike
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