Northwood moved into the semi-finals of the Middlesex Charity Cup with this narrow and hard-fought victory over near-neighbours Harefield United. The Hares are not having the best of seasons in the Spartan South Midlands League and can take great credit from their battling performance in this cup-tie as they were always in the game and went close to forcing penalties in a late rally.

Woods manager Gary Meakin picked a strong side ,but gave starts to Kevin Ayodele and Harry Wright in the full-back positions while striker Garry Senior saw his first action in two months after recovering from a neck injury.

Northwood started brightly with some good approach work and there were early strikes from Senior, John Christian and Wright that all failed to hit the target. Unfortunately that set the scene for much of the match.  More good work from Wright saw him put Jonathan Constant into the box after 17 minutes but his effort was blocked and then a sweeping forward move saw Senior slip the ball through to Spencer Bellotti but his chip lifted over both goalkeeper Ben Goode and the crossbar.

Senior created an chance for himself a minute later but again some stout defending prevented him from testing the keeper and after 31 minutes the visitors notched the first shot on target as Jamie Enver clipped a Jack Reader goalwards but Mitch Swain was well placed to take it comfortably.

Young midfielder Jack Hutchinson started to make an impact and supplied a good cross which picked out Bellotti soon after but the striker was unable to get quite enough on his header to beat Goode. Hutchinson then skied a shot from distance but the Hares responded when former Woods youth striker Kemo Maphela drove a shot across the face of the goal with Michael Vincent close to getting a vital touch at the far post.

But the Woods did get their noses in front after 39 minutes as Hutchinson exchanged passes with Senior and then curled a 20-yard shot just inside the post to leave Goode stranded. It was the 17-year-old’s first goal for the first-team. It was also his last action as he was replaced at half-time by Warren Gladdy, while Wayne O’Sullivan came on for Sam Sharples and O’Sullivan was quickly into his stride. He had a shot blocked in the opening minute of the second period and then set up Bellotti with a good ball but he was lost control at the crucial moment.

It was O’Sullivan who finally forced Goode into a proper save on the hour getting on to the end of a long ball but Goode was equal to it, pushing the ball over the bar and the Woods then made their third and final substitution with Myles Stephenson replacing Bellotti. Harefield made a couple of changes as well and began to get back into the game with the impressive Reader steering a shot across the goal and not far wide before also picking out Joel Taylor with a corner but the defender headed over the top.

At the other end, Christian set up Senior for a chance but the rusty striker failed to get his shot in from six yards and then Reece Yorke got forward with an effort from distance that Goode held on to.
Wright had been quiet but got forward well on 77 minutes to supply the perfect cross to set up Senior with a free header but he steered it wide of the gaping goal and followed that with another strike that flashed over the bar.

Stephenson was next to arrive in the box for a chance but he chipped over the bar, and then Christian tried his luck but Goode plucked it down safely and with time ticking away it seemed that the Woods were not going to be able to make the game safe.

There is not extra-time in the Charity Cup this season and therefore just one goal for the Hares would have taken us into the lottery of a penalty shoot-out and that chance came with just two minutes remaining as Reader put in another cross and Maphela hit a volley quite well but not accurately enough as the ball soared over the top once again.

The Woods had sneaked through to the semi-finals where they will play at home to the winners of the Uxbridge v Bedfont Town game that takes place next Tuesday night and they will need to perform better that this against the in-form pair if they are to reach the final for the fourth time.

Report by ALAN EVANS