Two goals inside four second-half minutes secured a valuable away win for the Woods at neighbours North Greenford United and really strengthened their chances of avoiding relegation.

Derek Lewis, Liam Hind and Warren Gladdy were all drafted into the starting line-up for their Northwood debuts, while there was a surprise return to the team for Anthony Page, who has much of the season playing for a very successful Berkhamsted side.

There was little early action apart from Ryan Tackley being forced off after receiving a facial injury from a challenge and he was replaced at left-back by Scott Raper.

Gradually, Northwood began to force the issue and it was Rob Ursell who recorded the first effort on goal after 23 minutes as goalkeeper Gary Jallow just managed to keep the ball out. The Woods had been knocking the ball around comfortably throughout and always looked more likely to score until Daniel Sintim conceded a penalty for a challenge on Ricky Pither on the edge of the box. Michael Murray is usually quite proficient from twelve yards but he had seen Mitch Swain save one of his spot-kicks in the FA Cup clash earlier in the season and this time his effort crashed back off the post. Going for the rebound himself, he conceded a free-kick and the danger was averted.

It stirred the Woods into action. Ursell had a shot deflected straight at Jallow and then Oliver Hawkins headed a Raper cross back across the face of the goal but with no-one to provide the needed touch. Just before the break Ursell set up Page for a run and a cracking drive which Jallow did well to keep out.

The second half saw Northwood quickly gain the advantage, with another Ursell pass putting Hawkins through on goal and he drove a shot past the ‘keeper but also just inches wide of the far post. The Woods needed a bit of luck and they got it after 54 minutes as Ursell picked up a Raper ball who cut inside and let fly with a shot which took a deflection and flew into the top corner to give Jallow no chance.

Just three minutes later the Woods were two ahead as Page helped on an Ursell corner and Aaron Lansiquot turned quickly on the edge of the six-yard box to rifle a shot into the roof of the net.

North Greenford rallied briefly with Louis Lavers knocking in a deep cross which saw former Woods striker Garry Senior’s header come back off the crossbar, but that was closest the home side got against Northwood’s solid central defensive pairing of Sintim and Michael Peacock.

Hind forced Jallow into a good save after 70 minutes and then Lansiquot missed a chance of a second goal after Raper’s cross had dropped kindly from a defensive header.

Scott Orphanou and James Bent got a run out for the last twenty minutes or so but the Woods were generally happy to keep possession and maintained their advantage through to the final whistle. The three points means that rivals Beaconsfield Sycob now need to win all of their final three games to have any hope of getting out of the relegation spot.  

Report by ALAN EVANS

Photos by James Brown