Northwood got off to the ideal start to this Buildbase FA Trophy tie but ultimately crashed out of the competition to a side that found goalscoring relatively easy. Another two players came in for Northwood debuts. The experienced midfielder Lewis Ochoa replaced the injured Michael Buckley in the centre while Jermaine Osei joined on dual-registration from Wealdstone to bolster the goal-shy strike-force.

And what a start the latter made as with less than three minutes on the clock Evans Kouassi swung in a cross from the right and Osei hot a crisp volley that flew past goalkeeper Dominic Kurasik and inside the post.
But it was a very open start to the game too. Ryan Gondoh fired an early effort low and wide and then a cross from Nicholas Okoto picked put Gondoh again on 13 minutes and this time he found loads of space to arrow an accurate shot past Brendan Hazlett despite the Woods keeper getting a hand to it.

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Back came the Woods though with Osei heading wide from another Kouassi cross and then Harry Newman, skipper for the day, followed some good work by a cross that was well blocked at the near post by Kurasik. On 24 minutes a corner from Kouassi was met by a Tayo Davies-Coker header which flashed inches wide and then Tayshan Hayden-Smith worked the ball across to Ochoa but his shot flew over the top.

Almost immediately a long ball and a defensive error allowed Ryan Clampin in on goal but Hazlett was alert to the danger and managed to block his shot at goal with the loose ball being cleared. But just two minutes later another long ball played down the right flank saw Gondoh cut in on his left, riding an attempt of a tackle from George Robinson and fire home to put the visitors into the lead.

It was the skilful running of Gondoh that also created a killer third goal on 33 minutes as he got into the box ahead of Ochoa and went down under the slightest of touches for a penalty. Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe made no mistake from the spot-kick and suddenly Northwood were reeling.

The Woods rallied again though. Kouassi worked his way past a couple of challenges on the right and sent over a cross which was neatly headed home by Osei for his second goal. Just before the break Kouassi and Ochoa combined to feed Osei again but his attempt at an overhead-kick saw the ball fly wide.

The Jammers made a half-time change, replacing Emmanuel Udoji with Suliaman Bah and Northwood needed a bright start to get themselves back on level terms. Instead, the game went away from them and after 46 minutes Johnville Renee took advantage of acres of space as the home defence switched off and he gleefully fired home unchallenged.

Just five minutes later Okoto swept past the challenges of Hayden-Smith and Robinson on his way down the right and knocked in a centre that found Ogedi-Uzokwe on his own to tap home from six yards and it was game over.

Kouassi had a powerful strike tipped round the post by Kurasik while Hazlett made a similar save to deny Harvey Brown as the visitors continued to press. The Woods then had strong claims for a penalty when Newman was pushed in the box but they were waved away by the Referee and the home side’s battling spirit began to falter after that.

Maldon & Tiptree had done enough but in the final ten minutes Hazlett saved well from Kieran Bailey while Clampin sliced wide when well placed in the closing moments.