The Woods had to settle for just a point with a 2-2 draw after losing a two-goal lead as they looked for a second-successive away win, up against their Middlesex neighbours. Mark Burgess replaced Perry Dicker in defence but there was an otherwise unchanged starting line-up for the Woods.

The Brook have picked up some useful points in recent weeks, lifting them off the bottom of the table, and they started brightly in this game to. Just three minutes into the match, Nick Turner tripped Rhys Rabess just outside the box and after a brief spell of advantage which gave top scorer Tobi Okinjirin a chance, once he fell over, the ball was taken back for a free-kick. George Ehui, cousin to brothers Joakim and Ismael in the Northwood line-up, saw that shot deflected over the top and from the resulting corner Ehui hooked wide.

After 10 minutes, the Woods still hadn’t got to grips with their game and a free-kick was knocked in by Ehui with Emanuel Williams wasting a free header by missing the target completely. It was pretty much Northwood’s first attack that saw them take the lead against the run of play with Michael Murray finding Ismael Ehui on the left edge of the box and his strike for goal took a deflection that left goalkeeper Sam Mazurek unable to keep it out at the near post.

The home side continued to cause problems with their pace going forward but they were restricted to long-range efforts with Akinjirin, Ehui and former Wood Reece Grant all unable to beat Berkley Laurencin in goal. After 36 minutes, the Woods almost grabbed a second when Murray’s inswinging corner was hooked off the line by Jerome Eccleston with Mazurek beaten by the flight. The loose ball was picked up by Nana Asamoah but his shot was well saved by the recovered keeper.

After the break, it was Hayes that pressed again with Dwaine Thomas having one effort deflected wide and another flew well over while at the other end Ismael Ehui cut a ball back to Murray who also failed to hit the target. But that was not the case on 55 minutes when Ismael Ehui flicked on a Murray corner and then Burgess did well to knock the ball back across where Ismael Ehui skilfully volley his shot past Mazurek for his second of the match.

Two goals ahead without really dominating, the Woods needed to continue to hold off the home side’s attacking but seven minutes later they conceded a corner and then allowed Charlie Goode to attack the near post and head home to bring his side back into the game. Rob Hastings replaced the out-of-sorts Byfield and almost immediately, Brook had a chance for an equalise as substitute Ricardo Faux-James broke through and past Turner before cutting the ball back but Mike Vincent fired over.

After 65 minutes, Asamoah was replaced by Dicker and four minutes later a good ball slipped through to Ismael Ehui gave him a great chance of a hat-trick but his shot was rather fortunately blocked by the legs of the diving Mazurek. It was probably part of Northwood’s best spell of the match. Murray’s dead-ball prowess appears to have deserted him at present and his free-kick flashed well over on 72 minutes and then Joakim Ehui’s run set up Ismael Ehui for another shot which was blocked.

Seconds later, another good ball saw Dicker through on goal but his shot was well saved by the keeper who pushed the ball up and then recovered quickest to gather it safely. It was an important stop as it gave Hayes fresh impetus. Rabess was set up by Faux-James but shot straight at Laurencin and after Ismael Ehui had seen another effort blocked by Eccleston, the Brook got the break they had needed.

With just five minutes left, a ball was knocked into the box and when Turner climbed higher than Goode to head the ball away from danger, the Referee decided it was a foul and pointed to the spot. It was hotly disputed but the decision wasn’t going to be changed and Akinjirin kept his composure during the delay to slot home the penalty.

Both sides had one chance to win it in stoppage-time. Firstly, Ismael Ehui turned provider with a good ball into the box but Joakim Ehui skied his shot from ten yards. Then Williams pumped in a long cross which looked to be falling to Akinjirin at the far post but he knocked it wide under pressure.