The Woods were unable to make it a maximum six-point Easter weekend bonanza as they followed Saturday’s superb 4-0 win at Chalfont St Peter with a disappointing 1-1 draw against lowly North Greenford United. Manager Mark Burgess was forced into changes with the unavailability of Adil Salih and Niko Muir, while Lee Grant was also rested. So he returned to the side himself after suspension while Ryan Phillips started at left-back and new signing Hallelujah Basmel made his first start.

The conditions hardly suggested the sparse Bank Holiday crowd were in for a classic game of football with a strong wind combined with a rough-looking pitch and those hardy souls were not surprised with wayward passes far too prevalent. It took ten minutes for anyone to get near an attack but then Basmel raced onto a defensive slip and saw his shot well saved by goalkeeper Lee Pearce. Four minutes later Basmel turned provider with a cross that was met by Oliver Hawkins but without the power to beat Pearce.

The visitors managed their first effort on goal after 25 minutes when David Taylor fired a shot across goal but James Reading collected the ball safely. He could do nothing a few minutes later though when Brad Hewitt made a rare defensive slip, dropping a back-pass short, and Aaron Morgan stole in to twist and leave both Hewitt and Reading both watching as he slotted into the empty net. The Woods were slow to respond to going a goal behind, though they did notch the only couple of efforts on goal. The first came from newcomer Basmel, looping a shot just wide while Hawkins then blasted over from a good position after being put in by a long Reece Yorke ball.

Northwood started the second half a little better, with Jerome Federico shooting wide following an attacking run before Basmel cut in and shot to the near post where Pearce had to be alert to keep it out. From the resulting corner Hawkins got a shot in on target which  Pearce saved but spilled and he had to rely on his defence to scramble the loose ball away.

Reon Thomas replaced the tiring Basmel on 69 minutes and two minutes later Jon Jo Bates slipped a good ball through to Hawkins, who should have hit the target but blasted miles over the top.  He made up for that on 77 minutes though when Hewitt headed on a Federico free-kick and this time Hawkins stole in round the back to rifle a shot in the roof of the net.

There was still time to go on and win the game and Garry Senior returned from long-term injury to replace Federico, but although he showed a few nice touches, the Woods were unable to create much in front of goal. It was North Greenford who went closest to snatching a second goal when two substitutes combined in the ninetieth minute. Former Woods midfielder Wayne Jackson raced down the left and cross to Callum McCarroll but he miskicked horribly, which summed up the whole game really.