A penalty save from Mitch Swain followed by two John Christian strikes earned the Woods three valuable points from this big local derby fixture at Honeycroft as Uxbridge’s long eleven-match unbeaten league run came to a crashing end. Both sides were missing a couple of players with Northwood manager Gary Meakin sticking with the side that had drawn at Woodford United apart from bringing in Kurt Morlese for his first league start; Garry Senior rested to the bench. The home side had Mohamed Hashi and Howard Hall out so former Woods defender Max Howell was drafted in at right-back, while Hussein Warsame filled in on the left side of defence.

The Woods made the better start to the game with Romaine Walker quickly testing out Howell with a tricky run into the box but Uxbridge skipper Wayne Carter was across with a superb tackle before the youngster could get a shot at goal. Then a deep ball forward from Scott Raper saw Oliver Hawkins meet it with a firm header but the ball flashed the wrong side of the crossbar. Uxbridge had their first chance on 12 minutes when a defensive error allowed Michael Murray some space to poke a shot goalwards but Swain was across to save comfortably.

The home side worked their way back into the game which became more evenly balanced with the next goalmouth action seeing Morlese fire a shot just over the bar but then the Reds had a good opportunity as Murray pumped in a free-kick and Craige Tomkins had a free header which Swain pushed wide. On the half-hour, a low strike from Dave Lawrence had Swain diving again and though he wasn’t able to hold his shot, the ball ran loose to Ronayne Marsh-Brown and he cleared away the danger.

The Northwood skipper then turned provider himself when knocking in a good cross which had Hawkins leaning back to get a header on target but goalkeeper Liam Stone gathered the ball comfortably. The game was heading towards half-time when the Woods put together a good move which saw Walker and Christian work the ball forward to Hawkins, whose crisp shot was tipped over the bar by Stone. From the resulting corner, swung deep to the far post by Marsh-Brown, Hawkins headed down towards the near post and it went through the legs of Warsame to give Northwood the lead at the break.

Uxbridge came out for the second half keen to get things back on level terms and just two minutes in, Warsame looked to have made amends when a good run into the box ended when he went to ground under a challenge from Reece Yorke and the referee pointed to the spot. It looked a little harsh, and the division’s top scorer Murray was unable to take advantage from the penalty as Swain dived across to keep out his low shot. The Woods keeper had also denied Murray from the spot last season when he was playing for North Greenford!

Uxbridge never really recovered from that setback, with Northwood in complete charge from then on. Morlese made a good run which led to a corner and from that, Hawkins swept a low shot and Stone did well to keep it out.
After 51 minutes Jack Hutchinson cut in from the left but his shot lacked the power to beat the home keeper but just two minutes later, the Woods extended their lead. It was a run from Walker that was the catalyst as he jinked across from the left and he then set up Christian for a strike which swung away from Stone and just inside the post.  It was the midfielder’s first Northwood goal for fifteen months.

It has been a well-disciplined game up to that points but Uxbridge defender Tom Willment picked up the first yellow card on 57 minutes for a foul on Morlese as the Woods continued to turn the screw. A minute later Marsh-Brown got forward on the overlap to send over an excellent cross and Hawkins again got a flick on target but Stone made a neat stop to keep his side in the game. The home side responded by making a double-substitution; while Garry Senior replaced a limping Hawkins to bring some fresh legs up front.

Just three minutes later, the tireless Walker made another pacy run, this time down the middle and Willment rashly dived in to block him just outside the box. A second yellow left Uxbridge with ten men and Northwood had a free-kick in a dangerous position. It was Marsh-Brown who appeared to have wasted the chance as the ball rebounded off the defensive wall, but the ball rolled towards Christian who picked out the top corner with a thirty-yard screamer which gave Stone no chance.

From a now impossible position, Uxbridge did keep battling and a Murray free-kick tested Swain, who pushed the ball out and Danny Julienne had his shot deflected wide. But generally, it was a matter of whether Northwood could add a fourth, and Morlese went closest when a good turn and shot saw Stone push his shot wide and then when Senior’s flicked header put Morlese in again he blasted over the bar.

There was a blow when Yorke picked up a late injury but Liam Fowler filled in easily and it was the Woods who should have finished on a high. Walker’s continued torment of the Uxbridge defence led to him cutting the ball back to Craig White unmarked, but his shot was always rising and finished over the crossbar.

So, it is just two defeats in their last thirteen games for the Woods as they look to end the year on a high but they will have to maintain their form to improve in that as they now travel away to second-placed Bedworth United on New Year’s Eve for the final match of 2011.

Report by ALAN EVANS

Photos by James Brown