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Northwood 0  Barnet 2

Tuesday 8th March 2022

 

NORTHWOOD
     
     
   
1 Dan Hosier    
2 Ryan Young (77m)    
3 Andy Lomas    
4 Keagan Cole ©    
5 Luke Tingey    
6 James Gurteen    
7 Kyal Williams (77m)    
8 Teddy Stacey    
9 Josh Helmore (76m)    
10 Sydney Ibie    
11 Carl Stewart    
Substitutes  
12 Matt Surmon (77m)    
14 Alex More (77m)    
15 Tommy Boxer    
16 Lewis Batten    
17 Kristian Belousas (76m)    
 


Barnet: Aymen Azaze, Ben Richards-Everton, Rob Hall, Ross Marshall , Ephron Mason-Clark, Adam Marriott (Serhat Tasdemir 76m), Harry Taylor © (Jamie Turley 39m), Sam Beard, Sam Woods, Ryan De Havilland, Reece Grego-Cox (Louis Walsh 71m)

   

After two previous washouts following heavy rain, Northwood finally got to stage their County Cup semi-final against National League Barnet and a healthy crowd saw the higher-ranked side make it to their first final since 1933 with two second half goals.

The Woods may have been better off playing the Bees three weeks earlier when originally scheduled, as since then Barnet have strengthened their squad with several new signings and shown improved form including the weekend’s 6-0 thrashing of marooned bottom club Dover Athletic.

And the visitors showed that they were taking the competition seriously by making only two changes from the side that had notched that victory with goalkeeper Aymen Azaze and midfielder Sam Woods promoted from the bench.

Northwood were still missing the injured Sam Jenkins but skipper Keagan Cole was back from suspension and he replaced Tommy Boxer in the back three as the Woods looked to put their defeat at league leaders Bracknell Town behind them.

It was a slow, cagey start to the game with the Woods first to notch an effort on goal after 11 minutes when Cole floated over a cross which James Gurteen headed over the crossbar. Barnet hit back four minutes later when a ball found Reece Grego-Cox in the area but his effort flew across goal and wide of the far post.

Northwood continued to defend solidly with Cole blocking another effort from Grego-Cox while at the other end it was Sydney Ibie that appeared to be the main threat to the Barnet back-line, using his pace well to give Bees skipper Harry Taylor a tough time. After 23 minutes his run and deflected cross looped up and onto the roof of the net but the corner came to nothing.

The Bees’ on-loan from Stevenage midfielder Ross Marshall was the first to pick up a yellow card after 25 minutes for an aggressive attitude and he won no fans amongst the home crowd or players for his petulance on multiple occasions.

Photos by JAMES BROWN & LEN KERSWILL

Ibie continued to threaten and a good run and strike from the edge of the box took a deflection and bounced wide of the post and then Bees striker Adam Marriott was cautioned for a tackle from behind on the Woods tall striker soon after.

Taylor was forced off with injury shortly before the end of the half and the visitors were able to introduce their experienced defender and skipper Jamie Turley, back from a club suspension as a more than capable replacement.

It was in the final minute of the first half that Barnet finally notched the first shot on target for either side as Rob Hall curled a free-kick goalwards but goalkeeper Dan Hosier claimed it comfortably. Then Ephron Mason-Clark had a shot from a tight angle which was also claimed by Hosier. The break came with the two sides still in a stalemate.

The Woods needed to find a way to remain solid at the back while also finding a bit more flair in attack and on 50 minutes another run from Ibie on the left saw Turley pull him down right on the edge of the box. Another couple of inches and it would have been a penalty but Cole’s dangerous free-kick was cleared by the strong Barnet rearguard.

And it was Barnet that broke the deadlock three minutes later. Grego-Cox laid the groundwork with an attacking run and when his effort was blocked by Hosier, it fell kindly to Marriott, whose close-range effort found its way past a couple of defenders in the six-yard box.

It was the start of a five-minute spell which saw the game slip away for Northwood. Mason-Clark almost converted a low cross from Hall and it was another free-kick from Hall that presented Marriott with a second goal as it crashed back off the bar, took a deflection and landed at the striker’s feet. There was some confusion at first as the referee misinterpreted his assistant’s signal and gave offside at first but soon corrected it and gave the goal.

At that stage, it seemed Barnet might enjoy more goals but Marriott’s attempt at a hat-trick was cleared off the line by Gurteen, Ryan De Havilland fired well over and then Hosier made a good stop to deny substitute Louis Walsh. The Woods keeper’s good form continued with further stops to deny Serhat Tasdemir and Mason-Clark as the half wore on. Despite a triple substitution on 77 minutes, Northwood were unable to find the goal that would have made it interesting.

Report by ALAN EVANS



         
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