The Woods may have not had much luck in recent games where their performances may have deserved more, but these three valuable points were gained in more fortunate fashion as they notched their first away win since the August Bank Holiday. The home side, despite an excellent run in the FA Cup, were still looking for their first home league win of the season, but had also strengthened their squad in recent weeks so were expecting better things from this game.

The Woods were still without defenders Junior Osborne, Milton Elenge and Scott Raper but were able to welcome back Ronayne Marsh-Brown from suspension while the versatile Lee Grant switched to a central position as Shaun Wanklyn made his league debut at right-back. Ben Alexander was out with a fractured toe suffered against Sittingbourne so Garry Senior filled in up front, while Gary Burrell was preferred to Romaine Walker. Burnham had former Woods striker Kieran Knight in their starting line-up.

On a bumpy pitch and with a strengthening wind, there was very little of note in the early stages. Sam Sharples saw an up-and-under ball roll forward to home goalkeeper Jamie Jackson while, at the other end, Lee Togwell returned a Derek Lewis clearance with a shot which went well wide. Oliver Hawkins battled through a couple of tackles to get through on goal but had overrun the ball and then Lewis saved comfortably from the first effort on target; an Ashley Smith long-range strike after 12 minutes.

It continued as a scrappy affair, not helped by some over-officious refereeing which rarely let the game flow, but Burnham put the first good move together after 20 minutes with Adam Dickens getting the chance but failing to hit the target. Hawkins was proving the biggest handful for the Burnham defence, and a quick throw saw Senior knock in a sharp cross which the tall striker was very close to touching in at the near post but the ball was cleared. Just three minutes later, Senior was sent through on goal and got first run on a static defence but blazed his shot over the crossbar.

The Woods should have paid for that when Smith got past Wanklyn on the flank and knocked in a cross which neatly picked out Jordan Dowdican but the young striker directed his header straight at Lewis who gathered gratefully. As half-time approached, Dowdican blasted another effort well wide and then the Woods swung the game their way. A quick break saw Jonathan Constant race towards the area and he was blatantly blocked just outside the box by Chris Robinson. Constant took the free-kick himself and his low curler was only parried by the diving Jackson with Liam Fowler first to react and turn the ball home to give the Woods the lead. It was Northwood’s first goal scored by a defender this season.

Perhaps buoyed by his part in the goal, Constant was the early threat from Northwood after the break, with a 25-yard curler which was only just wide and then a quick break which led to Hawkins being played through; though his first-time shot was always rolling wide of the far post. After 51 minutes, the Woods looked likely to extend their lead as some good approach play on the left saw Burrell burst into the box but he saw Jackson pull off a great save to deny him.

The Blues hit back, with the dangerous Smith knocking in a tricky cross but Lewis managed to push it away, and Dickens was unable to get a shot in from the rebound. However, after 56 minutes Burnham were level as a ball played in from the right fell kindly to Knight and he made no mistake, crashing a shot into the roof of the net. It was Smith that had the chance to put Burnham in front, latching onto a long-ball flick from Dowdican but he shot over the top and after 63 minutes, the Woods took full advantage to regain the lead. Some sloppy defending saw Hawkins steal in, and his shot from outside the box bounced and spun in front of Jackson and the keeper could only help it up into the top corner. It was the striker’s first goal for two months, and a very timely one.

For once the Woods defence, ably assisted by a hard-working midfield, managed to repel the expected late surge from Burnham. It mainly consisted of heading away a barrage of long-balls and the Blues never really threatened to score. As time ticked away, it was the Woods who looked more likely to net again with substitute Jack Hutchinson having a late effort saved by Jackson, while Constant had another curling shot which flashed just wide of the upright.

There was just one last-gasp chance for Burnham as a free-kick was pumped in and it was allowed to drop on the edge of the six-yard box but substitute Kevin Mealor was unable to connect and the Woods held on to victory.

Apparently, there was more action to come, but only from the Referee who saw fit to red card Wanklyn for his part in an after-match exchange of banter with home manager Martin Stone. The report will make interesting reading I’m sure, but it does make you wonder at some of the pettiness of match officials nowadays.

The Woods remain in the top half of the table with this win and will look to build on that with two forthcoming games against other sides in the bottom six – Leighton Town and Fleet Town – but first they face a Red Insure League Cup-tie at home to Ashford Town (Middlesex) on Tuesday night.

Report by ALAN EVANS

Photos by James Brown