Rob Ursell’s brief return to the Country to play for the England Futsal side in France may not have brought international success but he certainly played his part in the six points picked up by his Northwood side in two weekend appearances before returning to Cyprus. Having made a good impression in a forty-five minute cameo that saw the Woods come from behind to beat Ashford Town last Saturday, he played from the start at Daventry Town and starred in a sublime first-half performance despite a very heavy pitch.

With skipper Ronayne Marsh-Brown starting a three-match ban, Lee Grant moved across to cover the left-back spot while Liam Fowler partnered Reece Yorke in the centre of the defence against a Daventry Town side who had been bolstered by the return of their hotshot record scorer Tom Berwick following stints at Premier Division sides Leamington and Redditch United.

With just nine seconds on the clock, Ursell had found space to jink past one man and fire a shot just wide of the target, so perhaps the hosts should have heeded the warning. After 12 minutes, a similar move saw him shoot more accurately this time with the ball bouncing just in front of Joe Mellings but the home goalkeeper did well to adjust and take the ball cleanly.

The home side’s first attack came after 14 minutes when a trademark headed flick-on by veteran striker Howard Forinton gave Berwick his first opportunity and he saw his effort pushed wide by Mitch Swain for a corner. From that, the striker had another effort blocked but four minutes later he showed another side of his character by picking up the first booking of the game for a late challenge on Grant.

The Woods gradually got back on top again with Ursell pulling the strings in most attacking ventures. After 30 minutes he threaded a ball through to Craig White, whose shot was deflected just over the bar and from the resulting corner, Oliver Hawkins couldn’t quite get his head to the ball and then Grant miskicked from the edge of the box.

Three minutes later Ursell slipped another ball that split the defence and Hawkins touched it on for Romaine Walker who raced into the box but Mellings was equal to his shot, spreading himself well and keeping it out with a save low to his right. The pressure continued with Ursell’s clever free-kick which presented James McCluskey with a great chance but the young midfielder fired over the bar.

On 39 minutes Scott Raper got forward and then combined with Ursell to put Jonathan Constant ahead of into the box. He immediately had his heels clipped by the beaten defender but penalty appeals were surprisingly waved away.

But just two minutes before the break, Northwood had their constant pressure rewarded when a short corner was played to Ursell and he skipped to the edge of the box before curling a low shot across the goalkeeper and inside the far post. The Woods almost added a killer second goal just seconds before the break as Ursell put in another excellent cross and Hawkins rose well but put his header wide of the target.

The visitors had the first chance of the second half as well, as Constant was put in down the right but when Mellings could only parry his shot, there was no-one following in and the ball was cleared. Daventry made their first change, bringing on Josh O’Grady, who had scored twice in the corresponding fixture last season, for the ineffective Tyrone Amory, and it seemed to have a positive effect as he quickly knocked a ball to Berwick though he hooked his shot well wide.

After 56 minutes Constant had another great chance to increase the lead as a rare long-ball put him through on goal. He chose to hit the ball early and while giving Mellings no chance, the ball also sailed over the crossbar. Suddenly the home side began to make inroads and started to force the Northwood defence deeper and Berwick was beginning to find his feet. He had one effort cleared off the line by Fowler and from the rebound had another shot blocked.

There was plenty of good defending that followed with Reece Yorke looking particularly solid but Raper blocked another Berwick strike and then George Thompson fired well wide. Jason Lee went close with a run and drive across the face of goal but the Woods still looked like wrapping things up on the break as Walker latched onto a Hawkins ball but his shot on the turn flashed over the top.

White should have scored having won possession on the edge of the box but his shot was parried by Mellings and following a series of poked efforts and deflections the ball was eventually scrambled clear by a relieved home defence. With time running out Daventry’s Paul Dempsey tried his luck from distance but Swain got down low to save comfortably and substitutes Kyle Matthews and Myles Stephenson were introduced as the Woods looked to bring in some fresh legs.

It worked as Northwood kept possession for long periods but in the third minute of stoppage-time a free-kick was conceded out wide and when the ball was pumped in it fell to substitute Adam Confue and he blasted a shot wide with the goal at his mercy. Daventry’s goalless period in league games, which stretches back five games to Boxing Day, was set to continue.

With the final kick of the game, Matthews was brought down right on the edge or possibly just inside the penalty-area; which one we will never know as the Referee chose to blow for full-time instead!
Northwood had picked up another three points on their travels and maintained sixth place in the table.

Rob Ursell is keen to play a further part in the Woods season, and said: “Hopefully I’ll be back for the play-offs”. There is still plenty of work to be done in the remaining fourteen league matches if that is to be possible!!

Report by ALAN EVANS

Photos by James Brown