MATCH REPORTS 2007-08
 

HEMEL HEMPSTEAD RES. 2  NORTHWOOD RES. 1
 

The reserves fell to only their second defeat of the season, but there was no disgrace in this performance as the home side fielded a side which included six first-team squad players against a Northwood side whose most experienced players were Nicky Pearce and Liam O’Keefe.

The Woods almost shocked Hemel in the very first minute when Aryan Taj set up Rob Grant whose shot was well saved by Sam Styles in goal.

However, it was the home side who dominated much of the early exchanges, with Matt Gearing heading a Steve Sinclair cross over the bar and then firing another shot across the face of the goal.

Northwood goalkeeper Simon Dean made the first of many excellent saves after 22 minutes when he pushed a shot from Danny Nicholls round the post but he could do nothing about the opening goal three minutes later. Josh Sozzo made a powerful run down the left and then cross for Nicholls to score easily.

It became more open as the half progressed and after Dean saved again from Gearing, the Woods almost levelled as a Shane Campbell cross curled on and crashed against the crossbar, and when O’Keefe centred from the loose ball, Campbell found himself unmarked but directed his header straight at Styles.

Nicholls was denied a second goal soon after as Dean touched his shot onto the post but the Woods took full advantage by scoring an equaliser after 36 minutes.

Taj played a killer ball through to O’Keefe, who had timed his run to perfection, and he went past the ‘keeper before rolling it into an empty net.

Northwood were back in the game but they did lose Luke Lynam, playing his first game of the season, to injury just before the break. 

Hemel looked sharp again from the start of the second-half with Dean soon in action. When he raced out of goal to block a shot from the on-rushing Dwain Williams, he appeared to be badly injured but he recovered enough to carry on and need to make another good save from Williams soon after.

On 56 minutes, the Woods came close to snatching the lead when substitute Theo Ohene knocked in a good cross from the left which found O’Keefe, and he steadied himself before firing a shot which was wide of the near post.

It was after 63 minutes that the Tudors managed to regain the lead when Nicholls notched his second with a fine solo effort, giving Dean no chance.

Again, the Northwood side tried to lift their game, with Danny Brown starting to influence things in the middle of the park and Ohene making plenty of inroads down the flank. From a Brown corner, substitute Danny Boyle headed wide of the far post.

But the killer goal came after 68 minutes when the defence failed to clear a ball that bounced around the box and although Dean again saved a shot from Michael Gordon, it was the classy Nicholls that completed his hat-trick by poaching the loose ball.

After that, the Woods still kept battling away and enjoyed the better of the final twenty minutes. Nick Chrystanthou went close with a shot from a Taj cross and then Brown saw his shot well saved by Styles.

After 82 minutes, a ball from Campbell put Grant in on goal and Styles did well to save his crisp strike and prevent any late nerves or Northwood from making a late comeback.