Following the previous week’s hard-earned point at Beaconsfield Sycob, hopes were high for a similar performance against play-off hopefuls Marlow on Easter Saturday but it was a flat display and ended with the Woods dropping a little nearer the relegation zone.

Three months since their last Northwood appearances, Gradi Milenge and Channing Campbell-Young were restored to the starting line-up, in place of Filipe Anjos who was delayed arriving at the game by transport issues and Jay Thorne, who reported ill.

And the Woods got off to a poor start as recent signing Jackson Hall picked up an ankle injury in the first five minutes and had to be replaced by Jamie Clark-Samuel.

The visitors were soon on the offensive and after Jordan Brown’s effort was cleared away by Milenge, Marlow took an eleventh minute lead. Jamie Doolan was trying to shield a ball out of play on the flank but was caught out by the bounce and Brown robbed him before knocking in a ball which flew across for Isaac Osei-Tutu to squeeze inside the far post.

Northwood’s best chance of getting back into the game came after 25 minutes as a Joakim Ehui header fed Louis Bircham and he exchanged passes neatly with Myles Stephenson to get in on goal but he failed to shoot and the ball was cleared away.

Both sides struggled to get the ball under control at times on a dusty and bumpy pitch and it was one of those bumps that led a real chance for Marlow to double the lead after 39 minutes as a ball into the box bounced up and hit Campbell-Young who had his arms outstretched. A penalty was the decision but Borja Loeches-Teixeira proved equal to Chris Ovenden’s spot-kick, diving to his right to push the ball away.

Andrew White replaced injured youngster Jack McDonnell at half-time and the Woods rallied briefly at the start of the half. Ehui and Bircham both recorded shots that flew over the bar early on before Milenge sent a header in a similar direction. After 56 minutes Mark Burgess headed a free-kick back across goal and it fell to Clark-Samuel but he steered a shot well wide too.

Marlow began to threaten again as Calam Gallimore put a free header from a corner wide of the target and then Nathan Poulton forced the ball home during a scramble but it was ruled out for offside. Another good strike by Poulton was punched away by Loeches-Teixeira but after 76 minutes the Blues grabbed the second crucial goal when a corner reached the far post and this time Poulton made not mistake with his firm header.

The Woods threw Milenge up front as Stephenson succumbed to the injury he had been carrying for much of the match but it really was not their day and they never looked like getting back into the game.