Northwood swept into the quarter-finals of the Middlesex Charity Cup fairly comfortably on Tuesday night with victory over Combined Counties League side Bedfont Sports. Gary Meakin used the match to give game time to those players who have been mainly substitutes recently and also gave first-team debuts to promising reserves Rashid Obbadi and Hicham Abdellah.

The Woods started strongly with Dean Worman having two shots saved in quick succession and then Spencer Bellotti got his head to a Danny McDonnell cross but flicked it just wide.  Northwood took the lead after 19 minutes when Bellotti turned provider to set up Obbadi, who slotted home from a tight angle and made it 1-0.

Jack Ward missed a great chance to increase the lead soon after, skying a shot from close-range but then Jack Hutchinson fired home from just outside the box to put the Woods further ahead on the half-hour. Ward went close to adding a third three minutes later as he battled past two defenders but fired straight at goalkeeper Dane Buss and then Hutchinson almost netted his second with a shot that swerved just wide as half-time approached.

Ricky Rogers replaced skipper Reece Yorke at half-time and Northwood’s domination of the first period subsided after the break, though Jack Middleton was still having a quiet time in goal. After an hour, Worman cut a ball back to Lee Grant who saw his low shot well-saved and then another Worman cross had Rogers heading for goal but it was cleared off the line.

The last fifteen minutes had Bedfont pushing forward more and skipper Adam Turner headed wide from a corner before Middleton was forced into action to save from Jack Beadle. Substitute James Fraser shot wide from a good position for Northwood’s last effort on goal and then, with four minutes remaining, player-manager Gavin Bamford, on as a substitute, lifted a shot over Middleton to reduce the arrears.

It set up a nervous few minutes for Northwood’s fledgling defence and the visitors had just one chance to level but Middleton blocked Nduka Azagba’s shot to the near post and the Woods now go through to an away game against either Rayners Lane or Ryman Premier side Enfield Town in the next round.