MATCH REPORTS 2008-09
 

NORTHWOOD RES. 8  LEIGHTON TOWN RES. 3

Northwood were out for revenge after their recent league defeat at home to Leighton Town, when the sides met again at Chestnut Avenue – this time in the first round of the Suburban League Cup. The home side started the game very brightly, with some fast free flowing football.

But, as in recent games, chances seem to come and go, then with eight minutes on the clock, totally against the run of play Leighton Town scored. A long clearance from the Town defence was not dealt with by the Woods’ defence and the visiting centre forward finished calmly.

This rattled Northwood, who then started to up the pressure and within two minutes were level when a shot came off of the crossbar and was followed home by a Leighton defender off balance, with Otis Williams getting a final touch.

In the 15th minute James Linehan turned the Leighton defence inside out and finished with a goal of pure class, to give the Woods the lead.

Northwood were by now creating chances for fun but once again failed to take them – and then suffered again from exactly the same move  as previously – a big clearance that the defence failed to deal with: same forward there, same result.

There were now about fifteen minutes to go to half-time when Northwood went goal crazy and scored four goals in the space of ten minutes the impressive James Linehan made it 3-2 with his second of the afternoon on 27 minutes, and two minutes later Scott Purdue fired home number four. Northwood continued to push for goals, and in the 33rd minute Otis Williams netted again, and he competed his hat-trick five minutes before the break, to leave the home side with a remarkable 6-2 half-time advantage.

The second half was a much more tame affair, though going much the same way as the first. It was all Northwood, with loads of chances (mostly missed) but the game was never in doubt. Laurie Walters was next on the scoresheet, getting Woods’ seventh on 52 minutes, then Danny Power made it 8-2 on the hour mark. The game then seemed ready to peter out until the Northwood defence decided that they wanted to concede a hat-trick of goals to the Leighton Town centre forward – and duly obliged with fifteen minutes left!

All in all a good performance!