Hopes for a lengthy money-spinning FA Cup run were cruelly ended at Holloways Park as the Woods crashed out to a stoppage-time mishit shot that bounced in agonisingly off a post.

Both sides boasted some good current form going into this cup-tie and there was also the added spice of players lining up against former clubs with the home side including ex-Woods Ryan Tackley, Anthony Page and Yiadom Yeboah in their defence while Aaron Lansiquot and Jonathan Constant had both appeared in Sycob colours in the past.

The Woods had lost defender Liam Hind to a money offer at Walton Casuals during the week while Lee Morley had also left to join Hanworth Villa, but Junior Osborne was back in defence alongside Liam Fowler who was starting his first game after injury problems.

So, the stage was set and Northwood were clearly on cue from the start with Wayne O’Sullivan slipping a good ball through to Constant in just the second minute but his strike flashed over the top.
O’Sullivan was instrumental in the majority of the early attacks, knocking in a seventh minute cross to the far post which Fowler headed goalwards but saw it blocked for a corner.

After 13 minutes, the Rams defender Sam Grayley felled Constant just outside the box and O’Sullivan curled a trademark free-kick over the wall only to see the ball rebound off the top of the post, hit Aaron Lansiquot and bounce straight into goalkeeper Michael Simpson-Power’s grateful arms.  Just a minute later, Constant set off on a jinking run and after a neat exchange of passes with Oliver Hawkins, was in on goal when Tackley’s attempted tackle was adjudged as a foul. A penalty was awarded just before the loose ball was stabbed home and O’Sullivan stepped up to crack home his second spot-kick of the week and give the Woods a deserved lead.

The next ten minutes saw Northwood continue to threaten but the only chance came when Craig White seized upon a poor clearance from Fiston Manuella and slipped a ball through to Hawkins but he shot wildly over the bar. After 36 minutes Lansiquot made space for a shot from the edge of the box but was unable to hit the target and just before the break, the home side finally began to make some impact in the Northwood half.

On 42 minutes Tackley went on a run which saw him beat three players but then fire into the side-netting and then, in stoppage-time, Victor Osobu cut in from the same flank and saw his shot well-saved by the feet of Antony Russell at the near post.

That was forgotten at the start of the second-half as the Woods continued to enjoy the better of exchanges. Hawkins headed a Peter Lyall free-kick into the path of Lansiquot but his shot was blocked for a corner and then James McCluskey strode forward after winning a good tackle but his shot lacked the power to beat Power-Simpson.

Romaine Walker was introduced as fresh legs in place of Constant, who had drifted out of the game, and he got on the end of good move between Lansiquot and Hawkins but again the shot was weak; chances were not being taken.

And then they were punished as Osobu sped past Lee Grant and into the box where Fowler’s challenge saw the forward tumble to the ground for another penalty award. Lee Barney smashed the ball straight and high to beat Russell and Sycob were suddenly back on level terms.  Jack Hutchinson came on for Lansiquot and again the Woods pushed forward with a series of attacks. More good work from McCluskey led to a Grant cross and Hawkins came in with a free header but put it wide and then Hawkins got his head to a corner but the ‘keeper got down low to make a good save.

Hawkins was then replaced by Garry Senior who was immediately into the action, finding space for a shot from just outside the box but it curled over the bar. After 76 minutes, more good work from the impressive McCluskey saw him feed Senior but the substitute fired wide of the near post. Beaconsfield were even less accurate on their rare attacks with Osobu shooting miles over.

After 82 minutes a good ball sent Walker streaking into the box and when Grayley dived in to bring him down it looked like a third, and the most obvious, penalty could be the only result but the referee decided that he has reached his quota for the day and gave a goal-kick.

Still towards the end, with a replay looking likely, Northwood probed and Walker looked to threaten again. He persevered with a run that saw him bounce off a couple of challenges but he eventually knocked the ball across to Craig White who managed to find room for a good strike that Power-Simpson superbly pushed wide with a strong hand and a reflex save. From the resulting corner, the ball was half-cleared and Walker drove in the loose ball but it deflected straight at the ‘keeper.

That was in the last minute of normal time but just two minutes later, Beaconsfield launched an attack down the right and Ryan Upward drove a ball that flashed across the box with no-one there to apply the finishing touch. But it was knocked back in from the left and Barney played it back to Manuella, who sliced his effort but still saw it ricochet in off the post for a shock winner from which there was no way back.

Report by ALAN EVANS

Photos by James Brown