Football can be a cruel game. Having snatched a draw from the jaws of victory in the dying seconds of Saturday’s FA Trophy tie, the Woods will also feel extremely hard done by after losing this enthralling replay in the closing stages of extra-time despite having to play more than seventy minutes with ten men.

Star defender Junior Osborne, badly injured just before the leveller arrived at the weekend, was ruled out of this home game along with Craig White and Oliver Hawkins, but in fact Gary Meakin made five changes to the starting line-up. Scott Raper gambled on returning to the defence despite not being fully tested after a thigh strain, while Sam Sharples and Jack Hutchinson both returned to the midfield, alongside Rob Ursell who was home for a week’s break from his Cypriot Futsal commitments. Ben Alexander was also restored up front after missing Saturday’s trip to Kent. Sittingbourne were also missing their centre-half Jerry Nnamani, through suspension, who was replaced by caretaker manager Joe Dowley. 

The Woods started strongly and visiting goalkeeper Tim Roberts was soon in action, making a double-save to deny James McCluskey and Hutchinson in just the second minute. Six minutes later, Hutchinson set up Alexander for a chance but he fired wide.

The Brickies rallied, with Anthony Hogg latching onto a Raper clearance and firing well wide but it was mainly Northwood who were dominating. Alexander’s first touch let him down when Garry Senior played a neat ball into the box, and then Ursell combined with Sharples to find room for a shot which whistled just wide of the post.

Yet, after 22 minutes, the visitors grabbed the lead when a short free-kick teed up Hogg for a superb strike into the top corner which left Derek Lewis motionless. It was a bad patch for the Woods as McCluskey was booked for dissent and Hutchinson was forced off with injury, replaced by Jimmy Froud. They tried to respond with Sharples’ run past two players which ended by being felled just outside the box by Luke Girt, who was cautioned. Senior got a rare stab at taking the free-kick but the ball deflected off the wall for a corner.

Sittingbourne went close to increasing their lead after 37 minutes as Jaie Nuttall played a good ball down the line to Hicham Akhazzan and his centre looked likely to be tucked away at the far post before Liam Fowler acrobatically hooked the ball over his own crossbar. Still the Woods kept pressing, and the half finished with Ronayne Marsh-Brown having a strong shot deflected straight into Roberts’ arms and then Ursell curling his effort into the side-netting.

An injury to Froud meant an introduction for Romaine Walker at the start of the second half but the opening three minutes gave the Woods a mountain to climb. Firstly, Lewis conceded a needless penalty as he came out to block an attack and Joe Goldsmith put away the spot-kick with ease to make it 0-2. Then, within a minute, McCluskey was adjudged to have been high in a 50/50 challenge, despite getting the ball, and the referee, seemingly always keen to flourish his cards, left the Woods with just ten men.

There should have been no way back but Jonathan Constant replaced Alexander, the formation was switched to three at the back and after 58 minutes, Senior met a Marsh-Brown free-kick with a neat header which flashed past Roberts and reduced the arrears. An equaliser looked certain when Ursell slalomed into the box soon after and played a neat ball to Senior, but his shot was superbly kept out by the diving keeper. A minute later, Walker set up Raper for a shot but the defender was unable to keep his effort down.

The ten men were beginning to tire, though, so it was no surprise that the Brickies had the occasional chance but after 72 minutes, Akhazzan fired across goal and wide when he should have hit the target.
Walker was becoming more influential as the game wore on though and just a minute later his storming run into the box was ended by Dowley’s challenge and, the referee had no option but to point to the spot. Constant coolly sent the keeper the wrong way with his penalty and suddenly the Woods were level.

Marsh-Brown was revelling in his wing-back role, and a couple of penetrating runs down the left ended with dangerous crosses and Senior should have done better with his header, another found the side-netting, while a third was gratefully intercepted by Roberts. The Brickies' chance to win in normal time came after 84 minutes when a ball was slipped through to Elie Kayembe but he was denied by a timely tackle from Fowler. Then, Northwood should have secured the win. Walker hit a great shot which took a deflection to crash against the bar and over and then the same player threaded a fine ball through to Constant who had only Roberts to beat but fired well over the bar.

It meant extra-time for the weary Woods, and not many people would have given them much hope of surviving another fast-paced thirty minutes. But Marsh-Brown was first to go close though as he got forward and rifled a shot over the bar. After 97 minutes, to all in the ground, Raper was clearly pulled back in his own area as he went to clear his lines but it somehow went unseen by the man with whistle, who allowed play to continue. Inevitably the ball was played back towards the edge of the box, where Girt scored with a looping shot which flew in under the crossbar.

It was another kick in the teeth for the dogged Woods but they were still ready for a battle. A cross from Constant was almost turned into his own net by skipper Billy Manners and then Senior saw a header blocked as the home side finished the first period on top once again. After 108 minutes Walker shot wide but the youngster finally caught one right a minute later as Ursell slipped him in down the right and he fired past Roberts into the roof of the net.

Four minutes later a good ball put Senior into a good position and he did well to beat his marker before being caught by another defender. If he had gone down it may well have been a penalty but he stayed on his feet and could only lay it off to Constant who shot wide of the target.

Time was running out for both sides and it seemed as if a penalty shoot-out was on the horizon, but after 119 minutes Sittingbourne were back in front. Lee Grant fouled just inside his own half but the referee played a good advantage which saw substitute Josh West race towards goal. Lewis was out to block his shot but was unlucky with the rebound, which cannoned wide but into the path of Kayembe, who then showed previously unseen precision with an angled left-foot strike which hit the back of the net and proved to be the winner; at last.

It would have been too much for Northwood to rally again and equalise in the final seconds but they gave it a go and Roberts will have been relieved to have kept out a tired Ursell’s final effort just down by his near post.

With effort like this in league games to come, the Woods will surely experience a change of fortune soon but they have won just one of their last six games and now go to St. Neots on Saturday for yet another tough encounter.

Report by ALAN EVANS

Photos by James Brown