MATCH REPORTS 2007-08
 

HARROW BOROUGH RES. 6  NORTHWOOD RES. 2
 

The Capital League season is drawing to a close for the Woods, and it can't come soon enough if Wednesday's night’s performance at Harrow Borough is anything to go by. Mark Barnham's side was hit by the late withdrawal of defender Nick Pearce, who succumbed to a heavy cold and with Gary Edwards missing due to recent first-team action, the makeshift defence was always up against it, with Harrow particularly strong in that area.

The Woods did field first team squad members Rodney Hicks, Rico Grimm, Danny Brown, Prince Toku and Dwain Williams, the latter returning after a long lay-off through injury and that experience should have seen them do much better in midfield than they did.

Harrow took the lead after just 14 minutes with Mohammed Dikuiza, playing on work experience from Brentford, latched onto a long goal-kick from former Woods 'keeper Ben Harris to score easily.

But the Woods showed good spirit to recover from that setback with a Toku run and cross after 25 minutes setting up Andrew Harewood for a great chance but he miskicked in front of goal.

Three minutes later a Toku corner saw Jamie Tompkins head just over the bar and the pressure told after 32 minutes when Toku slipped a ball through to James Linehan who finished clinically to make it 1-1. The Woods were actually playing with ten men at the time as Grimm had picked up a foot injury when tackled in the act of shooting and he was then forced off, leaving the Woods very short of fire power as Marcus Sawyerr replaced him.

Just before the break, Northwood almost snatched the lead as Toku raced onto a Linehan ball, but Harris pulled off a fine save and the Woods winger then wasted the rebound, failing to pick out Hicks in front of goal.

Any hope of building on the finish to the first half vanished inside a few minutes after the break. Just three minutes in, the powerful striker Zimzon Lelo stormed past two ineffective challenges and fired past Bill Fishenden in goal. Then, within a minute, a long ball from Daniel Neilsen saw substitute Kurt Morlese steal in to lob the 'keeper.

Fishenden was seeing his first action since returning to the Woods a few weeks ago and, while he was entitled to be a little rusty, he would have hoped for more help from his defence. He made an excellent save to deny Dikuiza his second after 53 minutes but within a minute, the same player scrambled home a loose ball to make it 4-1 and it was game over.

After 59 minutes James Fraser scored a fifth with a clever lob and the sixth wasn't far away when Lelo headed his second of the game. In between, Harewood had seen one effort well saved by Harris and he was finally rewarded for his attacking play when he scored a consolation after 79 minutes.

Fishenden made another save late on from Lamine N'Dour, but Harrow had relaxed by then and the three points took them to the top of the Capital League table.

Plus points for the Woods was a solid performance from Tompkins, promoted from the Under 18s for his reserve debut, and some industrious play from Hicks in the first-half as he looks to improve his fitness level.