The Haule brothers have combined to put quite a dent in Northwood’s hopes of a play-off place over the last couple of weeks as Davis Haule headed in what proved to be the winner in this game, just eleven days after Brian Haule had done the same for Aylesbury. Ronayne Marsh-Brown returned from suspension for this tough trip to Bedfont Town and replaced Wayne O’Sullivan who was not playing against his former club as part of the transfer agreement.

The Woods started like a train with James McCluskey getting forward well from the start. He set up John Christian for an early shot which flew just wide and then drew a booking for centre-half James Walters. Walters also got away with a possible handball in the box from the resulting free-kick which was scrambled away for a corner. From that Oliver Hawkins headed a Romaine Walker cross down and goalkeeper Gary Ross kept it out with no-one to turn the ball in.

Bedfont’s first effort on goal came after 13 minutes when Reis Stanislaus shot straight at Mitch Swain and the home side did start to look dangerous on the break with a Byron Bubb free-kick also being collected by Swain at the second attempt. The Woods continued to edge the game but after 26 minutes Marsh-Brown’s run down the right was ended by a poor tackle which left him hobbling for a couple of minutes and then substituted with an ankle injury. He was replaced by recent signing Adamson Ajayi, who made an impact when coming on as a substitute at the weekend.

Five minutes later McCluskey curled a free-kick round the wall but without the power or precision to beat Ross and then a Walker corner picked out Ajayi, who headed wide. The Peacocks were still struggling to get into the game but a wayward ball from Christian almost presented Tom Kanek with a chance but he slipped at the crucial moment and ended up firing well wide of the target. However, just three minutes into the second half a snapshot from Shaun Lucien was pushed round by Swain at the near-post and from the resulting short-corner the ball came across and Haule stooped to head Bedfont in front.

Gary Meakin immediately made a change to try to revive the Woods fortunes, with Spencer Bellotti coming on for Craig White, increasing the attacking options. Within a few minutes, Ajayi made a good run down the right and knocked in a cross which found Bellotti unmarked and the striker looked sure to net his first Northwood goal but he glanced his header across the face of the goal and wide. Myles Stephenson came on for the out-of-sorts Hawkins and the Woods continued to look for an equaliser but Lee Grant had his effort saved by Ross and then Stephenson blasted miles over from a good position.

After 67 minutes Swain was studded in the shoulder by Stanislaus as he followed through late on a long-ball. He needed treatment for some time and the yellow card dished out by Referee Sasa Ihringova was very lenient in most spectators’ eyes. Romaine Walker continued to cause problems and his dribbles brought  forth a series of fouls around the box, some given, some ignored, but only one punished by a yellow card. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Ross wasted considerable amounts of time without once being spoken to by the official. It was frustrating for the Woods who kept their cool well, but with the game not flowing, they created very little in front of goal.

After 84 minutes a cut back found Christian running in and he headed for goal but again it failed to it the target and a few minutes later a fine move saw Stephenson shoot wildly over the top when Ajayi was well-placed to be in on goal. That wasted chance proved to be the last for the Woods who then lost defender Reece Yorke to a red card in the sixth and final minute of stoppage-time for what again to most looked like a fair challenge. Bedfont substitute Zeby Cole came from behind him chasing a through-ball and bounced off the defender, collapsing in a heap and the Referee came from miles away to brandish a red card without consulting her better placed assistant.

The Woods can, and did, feel hard done by from this defeat but they need to put that behind them as they travel to title-challengers Slough Town on Saturday.

Report by ALAN EVANS

Photos to follow...

Photos by James Brown