Match Report
by Alan Evans
Before the draw was
made back in early July, both sides would have been hoping for an
“easier” opening fixture in this season’s FA Cup campaign but fate
decreed that two of the highest-ranked sides in the competition at the
Preliminary Round stage would meet and one would have no opportunity
of picking up the valuable prize money that goes to the successful
club.
The £1,500 on offer
to the winners of this tie would have gone a long way to easing the
financial pressures that the Woods have carried around for the past
few years, especially with the current lack of a major sponsor at
present, but it was not to be.
Manager Colin Payne
had almost a full squad to choose from, so there was no excuses there,
while the Mets were without skipper Steve Sutherland, central
midfielder James Greenaway and striker Scott Forrester on a rare warm
and sunny afternoon.
It was the Woods
who made the early running and there were just two minutes on the
clock when Michael Gordon found Sean Sonner in the box and his shot on
the turn forced goalkeeper Mo Maan into a near post save. More
pressure followed and a good move saw Danny Murphy latch onto a
defence-splitting pass from John Christian and whip in a cross. Terry
Davies flicked it goalwards but without the power to beat Maan.
The Police had made
an unbeaten start to their season in Division One South of the Ryman,
though, and they gradually worked their way into the game. A deep
cross saw Saheed Sankoh flick a header over the bar and then a cross
from Rob George found Steve Sargent whose volley brought a good stop
from Mitch Swain in the Northwood goal.
There was a
worrying sign after 29 minutes when a defensive slip allowed George a
clear run on goal, but again Swain was out swiftly to block his shot.
The Woods seemed to
be stuck in second gear as the half progressed and the Mets got their
noses in front with the crucial opening goal just two minutes from
half-time. A poor pass in midfield saw the visitors break quickly and
Sankoh held the ball up awaiting support. That arrived from George,
who had got ahead of both Ryan Tackley and Murphy, and he knocked the
ball across Swain and into the far corner for a soft goal.
Tackley was rather
harshly axed at half-time for his role in conceding the goal, with
Murphy dropping back to defence and 17-year-old Aryan Taj coming in on
the left of midfield. Again, the Woods started the half well with
Gordon racing past two defenders and into the box only for his cross
to be cut out by Maan, who had gambled by racing out wide of his goal.
After 53 minutes
Sonner played Terry Davies into the box but his first-time snapshot
only found the side-netting. Two minutes later Dwain Williams let fly
with a 30-yard strike which beat the diving Maan but skimmed the
crossbar, and on 57 minutes Davies tested Maan further with a good
shot on the turn which Maan had to tip over the bar.
That was as good as
it got, though, for the Woods appeared to run out of ideas in the
final half-hour. When Richard Orlu got forward to combine with Davies
and set up Taj for a shot on 74 minutes, the crowd waited for the net
to bulge but his effort drifted wide, while the Mets seemed happy to
soak up any pressure and looked comfortable in doing so.
Substitute Carl
Hunt recorded the final effort on goal for Northwood after 84 minutes
when he got his head to a deep Murphy cross, but Maan dealt with it
comfortably.
The visitors
wrapped up their place in the next round with a second goal on 88
minutes, scored by substitute Jo Arrabeli from close range after he
turned Matt Plaskett, who had been left isolated at the back.
PHOTO GALLERY (Click thumbnail to enlarge)
Photos: James Brown
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