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BEDFORD TOWN FC   Saturday 25th April 2015   NORTHWOOD FC
   

Evo-Stik League Southern Division One Central

   
  Bedford Town 2  Northwood 2  
   

Scorers:
Davis 39, Liversedge 70

Scorers:
Murray 21, R Hastings 62

   
Team line-up  

  Team line-up
1 Garry Malone     1 Berkley Laurencin
2 Paul Cooper     2 Omar Vassell
3 Jon Bukasa     3 Andy Lomas
4 Callum Lewis     4 Perry Dick
5 Stuart Smeathers     5 Steve Brown ©
6 Ollie Wilkinson ©     6 George Nicholas (72m)
7 Sam Macrae     7 Joakim Ehui (84m)
8 Rob Parker     8 Ismael Ehui (67m)
9 Tom Liversedge     9 Niko Muir
10 Jordan Davis     10 Michael Murray
11 Greg Ling     11 Rob Hastings
Substitutes     Substitutes
12 Joe Curtis (72m)     12 Nana Asamoah (72m)
14 Curtis Shaw (84m)     14 Nick Turner (67m)
15 Luke Fairlamb (63m)     15 James Burgess
16 -     16 Jordan Payne
17 -     17 Davantay Hastings (84m)
      Referee: Shaun Barry; Assistants: Chris Reeson & Chris Day      
  REPORT by Alan Evans    PHOTOS by James Brown  

 

   

 

The Woods' away day blues continued through to the end of the season as they had to settle for a draw at lowly Bedford Town despite leading twice and creating enough first half chances to have put this one to bed. Bedford went into the game with some supporters worried that it might be the last at this level with the future ownership of the debt-ridden club unclear at this stage but spirits were still high on the pitch on a bright sunny day.

Perry Dicker filled in at centre-half in a back four with Michael Murray dropping back into midfield as the Woods looked for only their fifth away win of the season. George Nicholas started his first game since his return from a two-month stint working abroad.

There was a scare in the very first minute as Tom Liversedge chased a long ball down the middle and collided with Woods goalkeeper Berkley Laurencin just inside the area with both players needing treatment. Thankfully, both were okay to continue, the Bedford top scorer after having a cut on his head seen to.

While he was off the field, the Woods had two chances in quick succession. Firstly a sliced clearance from former Northwood goalkeeper Garry Malone went straight to Niko Muir but he failed to react quick enough to shoot and then Ismael Ehui was first to a ball over the top only to ply it against a defender and it ran through to the keeper.

After 11 minutes the home side recorded their first effort on goal as Greg Ling managed to flick a shot under pressure from the edge of the box but Laurencin claimed it low down and soon after a ball in from Jordan Davis was headed over the top.

The Woods then began to really get into their stride and a Joakim Ehui run and cross looked to pick out Ismael Ehui but he failed to connect in front of goal. Two minutes later Ismael Ehui showed good skill to twist and turn to find some space on the edge of the box but his low shot was always drifting just wide of the far post.

Finally the possession told on 21 minutes. A couple of attempts to make progress down the right were thwarted but finally Omar Vassell managed to get a good cross in from the right and when Rob Hastings dummied, Michael Murray was following up behind him to sweep his shot past Malone from twelve yards.

Four minutes later it could have been a second goal for Northwood as Joakim Ehui got down the left and crossed to an unmarked but stretching Niko Muir five yards out but his strong header was a god height for Malone who reacted brilliantly to push the ball over the bar. From the resulting corner, taken by Murray, Steve Brown headed for goal but the ball was cleared by Ollie Wilkinson on the six-yard line.

It was still all Northwood at this stage and Muir drove strongly from 25-yards with a shot that flashed not far wide of the target. This was followed by a strong run from Ismael Ehui down the left flank and when his cross picked out Hastings it could have been another goal but he spooned his shot over the bar. The Eagles began to rally a little after this but had not threatened the goal before they equalised on 39 minutes as a flick from Ling put Davis in down the middle. The youngster finished coolly to level the scores.

Hastings had another effort that was angled too wide of the far post while, at the other end, Liversedge did well to control a long ball into the box but his shot was blocked for a corner.

But after the break, it was Northwood back on the offensive. A corner routine, taken by Andy Lomas, saw Brown dummy and again there was Murray to shoot but this time it was blocked with the Referee ignoring the fact that he had been tripped as he shot for goal.

The Woods were rewarded once again after 62 minutes as Ismael Ehui slipped a good ball through which put Hastings in on goal and he lifted it neatly beyond Malone to put his side back in front.

Nick Turner replaced Ismael Ehui shortly after this for his first appearance since a mid-February  injury, with Dicker moving into midfield and Murray pushing further forward but before they had a chance to settle into the new formation they conceded another equalising goal. A corner was floated to the far post where a header was blocked on the six-yard box but the ball ran loose and Liversedge showed fine predatory instincts by slamming it into the net.

The Woods huffed and puffed a bit as they looked to find another goal but substitute Nana Asamoah fired high from distance and Turner flicked a header wide. At the other end a Liversedge knock down to substitute Curtis Shaw saw his shot lack power and Laurencin gathered comfortably while a late free-kick gave Davis the chance of a second goal but he skied it out of the ground.

In the end, the Woods had to settle for another point which kept them in tenth place in the table, another top half finish for which they can be satisfied. After a slow start to the season which saw them in the bottom six and as low as 21st at one stage, they recovered well to reach as high as eighth and briefly threaten a stab at a play-off spot but tenth his highly respectable.

The club now move on to the Presentation Awards Evening, which will take place at the newly refurbished clubhouse on Friday 15th May.



         
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