A much-improved performance but the Woods were denied at least a point by a late goal and have now lost five successive league games. Brendan Hazlett was drafted in to become the Woods’ sixth different goalkeeper in their last seven games and their seventh of the season while Tayo Davies-Coker also joined from Harrow Borough for his debut with Brad Hewitt still ruled out with injury and Tommy Boxer away on honeymoon. There was another debut for striker Matt Walsh, who joined the Woods from AFC Oaklands.

The Woods started well enough with Tayshan Hayden-Smith having an early effort pushed out by goalkeeper Simon Grant and then Michael Buckley volleyed wide from the loose ball. Marlow hit back with a quick break on ten minutes that saw Jordan Brown get on the end of a flick on from Calam Gallimore and send over a teasing cross which was met by Kelvin Bossman’s header but Hazlett saved well.

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Northwood continued to press with Pat Kelly playing a good ball for Evans Kouassi. He raced down the right and knocked in a deep cross which was met by Harry Newman’s header but again Grant saved well. Kouassi was enjoying plenty of success and beat his marker to knock in another cross which was plucked out of the air by the tall keeper.

Then it was Buckley who played in George Robinson on the overlap and his strike flew across goal but wide of the far post. Newman had a shot deflected wide and from the corner Davies-Coker looked certain to score as he climbed high but he headed over the bar.

Then, against the run of play, Marlow were suddenly ahead after 38 minutes. Having won a corner, Allen Bossman centred and Kelvin Bossman ghosted in behind a team-mate to direct a header past an unsighted Hazlett and inside the post.

It was the Blues who started the second half quicker, though, with Isaac Osei-Tutu having a cross cut out by the Woods keeper while Allen Bossman fired into the side-netting following a good cross from Junaid Bell. But the Woods worked hard to get back into the game and were rewarded after 58 minutes when another Kouassi run and cross saw Grant push the ball out but it was met by Hayden-Smith who powered a shot into the top corner to level the scores.

They were almost in front two minutes later when Newman got on the end of another Kouassi centre but Grant came to the rescue with a double save from both his original strike and the rebound. Newman was next to threaten as his cross flashed across goal but also wide while substitute Meshach Williams had a good effort blocked before heading a Kelly cross straight at Grant.

Marlow had been restricted to the odd counter-attack but a long free-kick from Ryan Parsons was flicked only just over the bar by a Gallimore header while Hazlett made a good save to keep out an Allen Bossman effort. In between those a long ball from Kelly put an unlikely Davies-Coker through on goal but he lacked composure and with the goal in sight he smashed the ball into the side-netting.

Substitute Mahlondo Martin headed a Kouassi cross wide after 81 minutes but in the final stages it was Marlow who suddenly looked more dangerous. Allen Bossman had a good chance to score but sliced the ball wide. Then, after 84 minutes a scrambled clearance saw former Woods midfielder Channing Campbell-Young play the ball back into danger area where substitute Marcus Mealing, who had only been on the field for five minutes, simply flicked the ball home to put Marlow back in front.

There was no response from Northwood and Hazlett made a fine save to deny Kameron English in the closing-stages but it was another defeat for the Woods.