The Woods extended their unbeaten away league record in 2014 to five matches as they picked up their ninth win on their travels this season. Top scorer Niko Muir returned to the starting line-up for the first time in five games at the expense of Michael Murray while James Burgess was back from holiday to take a place on the bench.

The wet spells of the start of the year have certainly subsided and for the first time for quite a while this was a fixture played on a firm surface which gave plenty of bounce, though often an inconsistent one. After the Saints recorded the first effort on goal as Alex Paine drove a shot not far wide of the post on five minutes, the Woods began to settle and play some good attacking football. Four minutes later, Muir latched onto an accurate pass and then hit a firm strike on the turn which goalkeeper Michael Power-Simpson kept out but only at the expense of a corner.

Four minutes later Oliver Sprague chipped a neat free-kick into the box and Steve Brown headed the ball on but Power-Simpson was out quickly to smother the chance before any forward could react. Northwood got closer after 19 minutes as Karl Oliyide made inroads down the left and played a perfect ball to find George Nicholas. He jinked past one man and then hit a shot which deflected onto a post with the ball scrambled away.

Chalfont were unable to hold the Woods at this stage and after much pressure, the opening goal arrived on 32 minutes as an excellent ball in from Joakim Ehui was met with an equally controlled close-range volley from Oliyide that took the youngster’s tally to fourteen for the season.

That lead could have been doubled before the break as a back-pass from Lewis Cumber to Power-Simpson had the keeper in trouble as Dave Lawrence closed him down and then blocked his clearance. The ball ran kindly to Lawrence who looked certain to score but he gave Power-Simpson a chance to recover as he rushed his shot and the keeper saved to retrieve the situation.

There was another talking point two minutes later when the Woods were awarded a free-kick and with Terrell Lewis standing in front of the ball, Sprague gently kicked it straight at him. There was no whistle and the ball rebounded straight into the path of former Woods favourite Scott Fitzgerald who raced on towards goal but thankfully Berkley Laurencin was quick to spot the danger and spread himself well to block his shot. The half finished as it started with a shot from lively midfielder Paine, this time more accurate but comfortably taken by Laurencin.

The Woods continued to press at the start of the second-half and Muir was put through on goal but he showed a touch of rustiness as he shot weakly and Power-Simpson blocked his effort. Ehui latched onto a Muir knock-down soon after but fired wide of the target.

After 56 minutes Muir played a neat ball wide to Lawrence who knocked in a cross which was crying out for a finishing touch but the Chalfont defence scrambled it away for a corner. From that, Nicholas headed on at the near post and Oliyide came in with his head only for Power-Simpson to pull off a superb block save, almost scooping the ball back from the line and away.

The home keeper made another save from a low Oliyide drive soon after but on the hour mark the Saints, having ridden their luck for much of the game, began to find some joy in attack. Alan Hedley played a neat ball that put Fitzgerald into the box and he did everything right by taking it past Laurencin and then firing goalwards but Sprague was covering and he did well to clear the ball off the line. It lifted Chalfont, though, and a minute later a Lewis cross saw Fitzgerald head the ball down and Hedley’s strike was deflected wide for a corner.

Ehui was replaced by the fresh legs of Jerome Federico but it was unable to revitalise the Woods and another good cross from Lewis found Hedley but this time Laurencin made a good save to deny him. The Woods ‘keeper also saved from a low strike from Remmel Clarke after a good run from the winger as he looked to keep his first clean sheet in Northwood colours. Though Chalfont were enjoying more possession in the closing stages, Northwood’s defence held out strongly and after a Clarke shot was blocked and a Fitzgerald header spooned up for an easy take by Laurencin, they had held on to their narrow victory.