Northwood 1 Metropolitan Police 0
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Tuesday 9th January 2024
| NORTHWOOD | |||
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| 1 | Roraigh Browne | ||
| 2 | Harry McKenna | ||
| 3 | Deago Dunbar Bonnie | ||
| 4 | Luke Tingey © | ||
| 5 | Romario Jonas | ||
| 6 | Harry Gallagher | ||
| 7 | Carl Stewart (87m) | ||
| 8 | Teddy Stacey  |
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| 9 | Reece Cameron (88m) | ||
| 10 | Godlove Oppong (62m) | ||
| 11 | Kofi Anokye-Boadi | ||
| Substitutes | |||
| 12 | Sam Jenkins | ||
| 14 | Josh Helmore (62m) | ||
| 15 | Keagan Cole (87m) | ||
| 16 | Harry McCorkell (88m) | ||
| 17 | Sam Jenkins | ||
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The Woods kicked-off the New Year with a much-needed home victory over an in-form Metropolitan Police side thanks to a solid defensive performance at the Skyline Roofing Stadium.
On a freezing cold evening, the Woods were happy to get this game played at the third time of asking after issues with the weather though only 82 people ventured down to the ground to brave the conditions; the lowest home league crowd in nearly six years.
The Mets had lost just one of their last five league matches, climbing 
out of the drop-zone over the last month so Northwood knew they had to be at their best to get something out of the match and they began positively, enjoying the better of the opening twenty minutes.
There was plenty of sustained attacking play from the Woods but the final ball or shot was lacking.
Teddy Stacey fired one over from distance in the tenth minute after a corner was half-cleared and on 23 minutes, Reece Cameron fed Harry McKenna who excellent cross presented Kofi Anokye-Boadi with a great chance but he was unable to wrap his foot around it in front of goal.
The visitors had been restricted to just one speculative effort from Charlie Brown which Roraigh Browne dealt with comfortably in goal.
The Woods threatened again after 33 minutes as Cameron played a neat ball through to Godlove Oppong but the Woods forward saw his strike well saved by a diving Liam Beach in the Mets goal.
But the crucial goal came on 34 minutes and as has been a common theme in recent weeks, arriving as it did from a Deago Dunbar-Bonnie corner. This time he swung it into the six-yard box, goalkeeper Beach got his fists to it but could only punch it downwards. An attempted clearance from Kjonte Gilfilian-Waul sliced back towards his own goal and with both goalkeeper and a defender on the post watching almost transfixed, Romario Jonas jumped high and maybe just got a touch as the ball bounced up and into the net.
PHOTOS by James Brown
The visitors took time to recover but showed signs of life just before the break. Firstly, a free-kick from out wide on the left by Mason Galloway curled in and forced Browne into pushing the ball wide for a corner and from that Galloway hit a crisp shot that was only just wide of the post. REPORT by Alan Evans
So, still much to do in the second half but the Woods looked solid at the back and the Mets were kept at bay for much of the first twenty minutes and Josh Helmore was introduced for Oppong on 63 minutes. Two minutes later, the first chance of the half arrived as Harry Gallagher got forward and sent a good ball across to Anokye-Boadi in space. He took a stride forward and let fly from just inside the box but it was always high of the target.
Four minutes later a cross from Dunbar-Bonnie was met by a flicked header from Cameron but it flashed across the six-yard box and was cleared and it was only in the final five minutes or so that the Police came close to levelling the scores. On 85 minutes, a long-throw was touched on and Galloway tried a clever back-heel which gave Browne and his defence a few nervous seconds as it skirted across goal and wide.
The Woods were still also pushing for a second goal on the break and when McKenna won a tackle, he fed Cameron who hit a good strike from distance which was only just over the bar while the impressive Galloway forced Browne into another save just as the game entered four additional minutes.
But, in the end Browne kept his deserved first clean sheet since joining the club on loan from the Watford Academy and Northwood could celebrate their third home win in their last four home games as they climbed a couple of places further away from the danger-zone.
