The Woods pressed the self-destruct button in the closing-stages of this mid-table clash and threw away what should have been a simple victory. Gary Meakin had pretty much a full-squad to choose from and selected a side designed to gain revenge against a Saints side that had won 5-1 at Chestnut Avenue back in August. Chalfont didn’t have the same luxury with Terrell Lewis unavailable and former Woods defender Michael Peacock ruled out during the warm-up having not recovered from a groin strain.

The Woods dominated from the start with Romaine Walker causing full-back Lewis Cumber problems and drawing a couple of early free-kicks in dangerous areas but the opening chance only arrived after 13 minutes. Craig White won a tackle in the centre and played the ball to Oliver Hawkins who slipped it through to Walker. He raced past his man and fired a shot narrowly wide of the target from just outside the box.

Five minutes later, goalkeeper Mark Oliver tipped a James McCluskey free-kick over the top as a safety measure and on 20 minutes, the Saints were further depleted when Jerome Okimo succumbed to injury and Kyle Jeffrey came on as substitute.
Northwood continued to press and Hawkins fired wide from one chance before they took the lead after 27 minutes.

McCluskey played in another free-kick towards the far post, Hawkins headed back across the face of the goal and Jonathan Constant headed home from just a few yards. It was the wingman’s first goal from open play since mid November.
Chalfont had nothing to offer in response as the Woods set about adding to their lead. Hawkins got his head to a Scott Raper cross deflected wide and from the short corner that followed, Constant fed Walker who hit a stunning angled strike which crashed in under the crossbar.

Walker had another good shot well-saved by Oliver soon after but other opportunities were wasted through a lack of accuracy with the final ball and, just before half-time the Saints recorded their first effort on goal with Mitch Swain saving a long-range effort from Adam Louth and then also keeping out a Jeffrey header from the resulting corner.

Chalfont continued that resurgence after the break with Charlie Strutton heading wide from a Chris Mills cross while at the other end, Hawkins got his head to an excellent cross from Ronayne Marsh-Brown but Oliver kept it out. The Saints pulled a goal back after 56 minutes. Craig White was caught in possession on the edge of the box as he was about to clear by Adamson Ajayi whose first-time shot found the back of the net.

Northwood stepped things up again in response. Lee Grant saw a big clearance from the halfway-line test Oliver as he took it high just under the crossbar but then one of the first contentious issues came after 64 minutes as Walker burst through the centre and was taken down in the box from behind by Jeffrey as he was about to attempt to beat Oliver. The penalty was obvious as should have been a red card for the errant defender yet he somehow escaped with a yellow. Constant fired home from the spot to restore the Woods two-goal advantage and it should have been game over.

Chalfont made a quick substitution with Jamie O’Donaghue replacing the ineffective Daniel Hughes and within two minutes they were back in the game as Strutton knocked in a near-post cross and Bedel Guei’s downward header could not be kept out by the diving Swain. Suddenly it was the home side who had their tails up and the Woods who began to lose their discipline. Swain made a good save to deny Strutton and Ajayi fired over from a good position but there were bookings in quick succession for Hawkins and Raper as the Saints began to threaten.

But it seemed as if the visitors had weathered the storm and they should have wrapped things up when Walker was set free again but despite taking the ball past the oncoming Oliver, he failed to get a shot in on the empty goal.

A minute into stoppage-time, skipper Marsh-Brown, clearly having not learnt from his previous indiscretion a few months ago, launched a volley of abuse after being on the wrong end of a decision and another red card left the Woods with ten men. Liam Fowler replaced White to bolster the defence in the remaining minutes and it had appeared to have done the job until the fifth minute of time added on. A ball was pumped into the box, Raper made an excellent block tackle but the ball ricocheted off of Reece Yorke and straight into the path of O’Donaghue who gratefully smacked the ball home from just a few yards and rescued his side from what should have been certain defeat.

There were surreal scenes after the match when somehow, in a crowd given as just 88, there proved to be enough of a Neanderthal element within a howling mob to briefly turn nasty but thankfully it soon calmed down.

Report by ALAN EVANS

Photos by James Brown