Spencer Bellotti popped up late with his first Northwood goal to earn all three points in a game where the Woods struggled to find their form against a Marlow side battling for survival.

Kwasi Frempong replaced the injured Scott Raper at right-back for his first team debut. An otherwise unchanged side saw the Woods start well with Frempong playing the ball that saw top scorer Oliver Hawkins race though on goal and finish well with a crisp strike across the ‘keeper and inside the far post.

Marlow had little to offer in return with Marcus Mealing notching the only effort on goal with a hopeful lob which dropped wide of the target. At the other end, Northwood weren’t making much headway either, restricted to a couple of efforts from John Christian which were blocked.

However, the Blues were beginning to stretch the Woods defence and after 35 minutes a good ball put Adam Harman into the box and he was brought down by Lee Grant. Marlow had a penalty but Grant survived without a booking and then Harman, stepping up to take the kick himself, saw his tame effort saved by James Reading. The Woods goalkeeper could only palm the ball back out to the taker though and Harman really should have put away the rebound but he failed, with Reading recovering to save again from six yards.

The visitors had gone close but they were to restore their fortunes before the break when Jon Case got forward down the right and knocked in a cross which Liam Fowler failed to clear and Aaron Couch pounced to slot home the equaliser. Romaine Walker blasted over from a good position just before the break and was replaced by Jonathan Constant for the second half. The change appeared to raise the game for Northwood and Hawkins went close to scoring after 48 minutes when his header crashed back off the crossbar. Then, just two minutes later, Constant put the Woods back in front with a powerful strike from 35 yards which moved in the air to fool goalkeeper Charlie Fanner who got a hand to it but could only help the ball into the net.

Again, Northwood were unable to kick-on from there as the game continue to swing both ways. Harman shot wide from a good position after a free-kick dropped to him at the far post and then Bellotti swept a Wayne O’Sullivan cross onto a post and when Hawkins knocked in the loose ball he was given offside. Marlow kept coming and Mealing had a good strike well saved by the feet of Reading but eventually they were rewarded with a second leveller after 80 minutes when a deep cross came in and Mealing stole in front of Frempong to knock the ball home.

The Blues deserved something out of the game but it was not to be and things can often go against you when you are at the bottom. After 85 minutes, Constant made an attacking run in from the left and let fly for goal with a shot that was blocked and looped up and it may have gone in but Bellotti reacted quickest to force the ball over the line from just a few feet. Still Marlow rallied and former Woods defender Zac Gill had a header blocked before Couch dribbled his way into the box and beat Reading with a shot, only to see Fowler dive to head the ball off the line and ensure Northwood held on to the narrow victory.

While Marlow now find themselves ten points adrift at the bottom with just nine games to play, Northwood returned to seventh place and still have a play-off place in their own hands if they can get results from the away games at teams above them such as Beaconsfield, Biggleswade and Rugby. One big disappointment tonight was the very poor crowd that turned up at Chestnut Avenue. Attendances have been holding up to a reasonable level all season but this one not only dropped into double-figures for the first time for ages, it was recorded at just 68.

Report by ALAN EVANS