More defensive errors proved Northwood’s undoing as they continued their slip back towards the foot of the table with this narrow defeat at mid-table Bedfont Town. There were three changes from the side that had been beaten by Leighton at the weekend, with Dean Wallace coming in for the departed Miles Jones and skipper Mark Burgess back in for the unavailable Ed Hatcher, while Jamie Lindsay replaced Howard Hall at right-back for his first start since November.

The Woods started brightly with the pace of Scott Orphanou and Warren Whitely causing a few problems down the flanks and drawing a couple of early free-kicks which came to nothing. At the other end Bedfont were more direct with channel balls picking out Reis Stanislaus but his early strike was wayward. But Northwood were hit by a double injury blow inside fifteen minutes, with both George Gould and Ryan Tackley limping off to be replaced by Howard Hall and, more surprisingly, manager Steve Hale, who took up the supporting strikers’ role alongside Orphanou.

Whitely continued to make inroads down the left wing. He left full-back Joseph Ataro flailing as he cut in and chipped across the area. Orphanou retrieved the loose ball and flashed a shot across goal and just wide of the post as Hale dived in to try to divert it. A minute later, Whitely was stopped in his tracks by a poor tackle from Ataro that earned him the first yellow card of the match but again the Woods failed to take advantage of the free-kick.

After 26 minutes Mark Phillpott made a good save to keep out a Carl McCluskey header as Bedfont rallied and six minutes later James Bent tried to catch goalkeeper Dave Hogan off his line with a clever chip but the ‘keeper got back in time to take it comfortably.

On 34 minutes the Woods conceded a scrappy goal from a set-piece as Wayne O’Sullivan’s corner was only half-cleared, and a mishit shot fell to McCluskey who fired home though he may have looked offside. But Northwood were almost level before the break as Zac Gill knocked down a Wallace corner, and Hale turned on the loose ball to fire a goalbound shot from six yards that was blocked on the line and hacked away for another corner.

The Woods had the wind behind them for the second half, so hopes remained high that they could still get something out of the game yet just two minutes in, Burgess lost the ball out wide and Dennis played the ball square to Stanislaus who finished with style.

Northwood responded well to the further setback, winning a free-kick which Wallace hit straight at the ‘keeper and then the same player played in Bent for a one-on-one, which resulted in a shot which blazed over the bar. On the hour, Orphanou did well on the right and then sent over a great cross which Hale stretched to meet on the volley at the far post but he struck it just wide of the upright.

They had been good chances, and there would be more as Bent hit a low shot not far wide of the post after a free-kick had been half-cleared, while substitute Murray Williamson did the same but time was running out for the Woods. Then, on 85 minutes, the Woods were awarded a free-kick out wide, which Bent and Whitely combined quickly to knock in a dangerous cross and Scott Orphanou was quick to flick the ball across the ‘keeper and inside the post.

In the frantic final stages Orphanou was fouled several times but again the free-kicks came to nothing and it was from a stoppage-time corner that the Woods went closest to levelling the scores as Hale looped a header which had Hogan beaten the ball dropped the wrong side of the crossbar. Just a minute later Bedfont, who always looked dangerous on the break, netted a killer third as O’Sullivan broke down the left and chipped invitingly to the far post where substitute Lee Scott headed in.

Report by ALAN EVANS