Match Report
by Robin Piper
Northwood
suffered their first home league defeat since October as they were
beaten by play-off rivals Concord.
Woods had to
play the entire second half with ten men after goalkeeper Mitch
Swain was dismissed for dissent on the stroke of half-time as he
disputed a penalty award which effectively ended the contest.
There was a
different look to the Northwood line-up. Dwain Williams partnered
Eugene Ofori in attack whilst Danny Brown and Hugo Figueiredo took
up the wide positions, with Rob Ursell, Gary Burrell and Solomon
Henry making way.
There was a
familiar face in the Concord team in the form of ex-Wood Elliott
Buchanan, currently on loan from Stevenage Borough, but he was
unable to register a goal against his former team-mates.
Both sides
began brightly in the spring sunshine, with Figueiredo being denied
by a last ditch tackle following a slick Northwood move, whilst
Concord’s Yohance Lewis saw his shot deflected wide for a corner.
Woods looked
confident, and John Christian was the next to try his luck as his
half-volley from the edge of the box fell into the arms of
goalkeeper Dale Brightley.
Northwood’s
rhythm was interrupted as Lee Holland suffered a nasty cut above the
eye which required several stitches, Danny Power being his
replacement at right-back.
Concord
immediately capitalised as Woods reorganised, Danny Heale catching
Swain out with a long range effort to give the visitors the lead on
21 minutes.
Concord were
buoyed by the goal and continued to threaten, Buchanan going close
before substitute Joe Gardener sent a speculative shot narrowly over
the crossbar.
Northwood
gradually began to regain their composure and Anthony Page sent in a
low shot which flew the wrong side of the upright.
At the other
end, Swain deflected a Liam Hopkins free-kick onto the crossbar.
However, the
match turned on an incident a minute before the half-time break as
Concord were awarded a penalty after Ryan Tackley was adjudged to
have impeded Heale.
Swain was shown
two yellow cards as he protested to both linesman and referee before
Heale stepped up to convert the 45th minute penalty past replacement
goalkeeper Rob Pearce, Danny Power having to be sacrificed by
ten-man Northwood.
Woods came out
in determined fashion after the break, with Ofori setting up
Williams whose shot cannoned off the legs of Brightley.
Northwood went
close once more as Ofori latched onto Figueiredo’s corner but his
powerful header flew narrowly over.
But Woods
suffered a sucker-punch when Concord broke quickly to add a third
goal, Lewis stroking the ball home to put the final nail in
Northwood’s coffin on 57 minutes.
Rob Ursell was
introduced for Brown as Woods refused to throw in the towel.
Northwood
continued to press, and they created a number of chances: Page,
Ofori and Williams all having a bite at the cherry in one goalmouth
melee, but Brightley was on hand to make the save.
Spirited Woods
kept up the pressure but they were unable to find a way through the
Concord rearguard and had to accept a rare home defeat, a result
which sees Northwood remain in fifth place but only a point ahead of
their Essex rivals in the battle for the play-off places.
PHOTO GALLERY 1 (Click thumbnail to enlarge)
Photos: James Brown
PHOTO GALLERY 2 (Click thumbnail to enlarge)
Photos: James Solomon
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