The Woods were on a hiding to nothing in the Red Insure Cup tie against local rivals Uxbridge, with the visitors choosing to field a very inexperienced team and rest most of their first-choice side in advance of their FA Trophy clash against Histon this weekend.

Gary Meakin made a couple of changes himself, with Mitch Swain and Michael Peacock starting their first games of the season, but it was still a strong Northwood line-up and they, having had a series of exciting games in recent weeks, they failed to really raise their game for this cup contest.

The visitors were full of pace and enthusiasm and they had the early forages on goal with Swain making a comfortable save from a Hussein Warsame free-kick, while Nicke Kabamba’s adventurous shot from out wide flashed only just wide of the post.

However, the Woods looked more likely to score with goalkeeper John Peacock making a good save to deny Garry Senior and then Ben Alexander sweeping a Romaine Walker cross over the bar, before they eventually did take the lead after 21 minutes. Senior flicked on a header which saw Alexander get ahead of his marker and he showed his strength to hold off two challenges and fire inside the post.

Uxbridge reacted well with Swain saving comfortably from a Jake Girt long-range effort but then being beaten by a terrific Girt volley and being thankful for Walker’s clearance off the line.

Then the Woods hit back again. Peacock made a couple of good stops, keeping out a Scott Raper stinger and a Walker strike following another ball from Raper. Just before the break a great run from Walker saw him cross to the far post and James McCluskey looked likely to score but his volley flashed across the face of the goal and wide.

Northwood made two half-time changes with Ronayne Marsh-Brown and newcomer Jerome Federico coming on to give a rest to Lee Grant and Walker. It failed to ignite the game and after 65 minutes, Kurt Morlese replaced Alexander to complete the home team’s changes.
Just three minutes later, Uxbridge were back in the game when Warsame got his free-kick up and over the defensive wall and beat Swain despite the keeper getting a hand to the ball.

For the next fifteen minutes, it seemed more likely that the visitors might snatch an unlikely victory as Northwood were unable to find a cutting edge but in fact they defended solidly enough and with extra-time looming, they finally grabbed the goal that mattered after 88 minutes. McCluskey’s strike was too hot for Peacock to hold and both Liam Hind and Senior reacted quicker that the defence to reach the loose ball and it was Senior who steered it home.

The Woods then added a flattering third goal two minutes into stoppage-time when Morlese poked a shot under the diving Peacock from close-range and Northwood had booked their place in the third round.

Report by ALAN EVANS

Photos to follow...

Photos by James Brown