Match Report
by Alan Evans
 

Northwood lifted their spirits further with a second successive home win as they battle to get away from the relegation zone.

After an even start to the game, Northwood gradually made inroads into a Rugby defence weakened by the absence of skipper Craig Herbert, injured in the pre-match warm-up.

After 21 minutes Peter Dean set up Mark Nicholls for a shot which was pushed wide by Farhad Afandiyev and, from the resulting corner, Mark Dennison flashed a header just wide.

Five minutes later the hard-working Dean played another excellent ball across to David Warner, who saw his strike pushed over by the 'keeper.

On 31 minutes the Woods pressure paid off as Dean played a neat exchange of passes with Jerome Hall and fired home.

Dean was also denied by the alert Afandiyev when a shot to his near post was well saved, and the half closed with Northwood still on top.

Rugby rallied early in the second-half, with substitute David Kolodynski and Willis Francis both shooting wide from good positions.

After 68 minutes the Woods countered as a great cross from Danny Murphy picked out Hall whose powerful header crashed back off the crossbar.

A minute later, Rugby's task was made that much harder when the tireless Danny Julienne robbed Francis of the ball only to be hauled back by the visitors playmaker. He was adjudged to be the last defender and was subsequently red carded.

It led to a real purple patch for Northwood as Murphy, from a clever Nicholls free-kick, and Hall both saw good shots well saved by the impressive 'keeper.

But the second goal came completely out of the blue.

Hall, out wide on the left, did enough to force a defender into a poor clearance and he collected the loose ball before curling a first-time shot, 40 yards across goal and into the top corner. Quite a way for the youngster to get his first goal for the club.

That class finish was followed just three minutes later by a penalty, when Hall's run into the box was ended by a rash challenge from two defenders and Nicholls dispatched the spot-kick to make it 3-0.

Rugby's consolation after 83 minutes also came from the penalty-spot as top scorer David Stone slotted in after he had been brought down by Murphy.
 

PHOTO GALLERY (Click thumbnail to enlarge)

Jerome Hall beaten to the ball

Danny Murphy takes on a Rugby defender

Peter Dean shields the ball

Danny Murphy goes to ground

Mark Nicholls about to set up Peter Dean

Peter Dean's shot is saved

Hall and Dennison fail to convert at the far post

.

Jerome Hall beaten to the ball