Northwood 4 Sutton Common Rovers 1

Tuesday 28th November 2023

NORTHWOOD




1	Roraigh Browne
2	Harry McKenna
3	Deago Dunbar Bonnie
4	Carl Stewart (19m)
5	Luke Tingey ©
6	Harry Gallagher
7	Sam Jenkins (86m)
8	Harry McCorkell
9	Dan Williams
10	Godlove Oppong (66m)
11	Kofi Anokye-Boadi
Substitutes
12	Teddy Stacey (19m)
14	Reece Cameron (66m)
15	Romario Jonas
17	Matt Messer
18	Keagan Cole (86m)
	SCR: James Dillon, Tariq Straker, Bertie Lloyd, Daryl Coleman , Antonio Simeone, Matthew Feeney-Hill (Noah Africa 58m), Nabeel Ghannam, Courtney Swaby, Isy Nzelo, Aaron Jenkins (Lindell Stewart 73m), Charlie Martin

Having suffered their worst league result in two years at the weekend, the Woods conjured up a perfect response on Tuesday night with their best home league win in that same period as Sutton Common Rovers were well beaten at The Skyline Roofing Stadium.

Manager Ben Bukowski was back in the dugout after a one-match ban and there were a few changes to the starting line-up with Luke Tingey returning after injury and illness while Godlove Oppong started his first league game and Harry McKenna took up a new role at right-back. Teddy Stacey, Reece Cameron and Romario Jonas all reverted the subs bench.

And, in complete contrast to the weekend’s game, the Woods made a blistering start. In just the second minute, Oppong drove at the Rovers defence, jinked past several defenders and laid it into the path of Dan Williams, who sent a right-foot strike across goalkeeper James Dillon and inside the far post.

The visitors responded well and created room for a couple of shots from outside the box but both Nabeel Ghannam and Isy Nzelo were unable to keep their efforts down while Charlie Martin, who had bagged a hat-trick in Rovers win at the weekend, clipped a shot wide.

There was a blow for the Woods on 19 minutes as Carl Stewart hobbled off with a probable hamstring issue, replaced by Stacey who slotted into his old midfield role seamlessly.

Six minutes later, some sustained pressure from the Woods led to a flicked header dropping to Oppong at the far post but he hooked his shot wide of the upright from close-range. But on 26 minutes the Woods lead was doubled as Kofi Anokye-Boadi swept home a cross for his first goal in three months.

PHOTOS by James Brown

Buoyed by the second goal, Northwood pushed forward again, Sam Jenkins slipped a good ball into the channel for Williams and this time it was a left-foot drive into the other corner that beat both defender and keeper for his second of the game.

Harry Gallagher got his head on the end of a recycled Tingey cross but it looped over the top but towards the end of the first-half, Rovers showed plenty of spirit to get back into the game and after another effort had flown over the bar it was Ghannam who pulled a goal back, showing good skills to twist and turn on the edge of the six-yard box and fire a shot inside the near post.

The Woods showed good resolve as the second half began with Harry McCorkell creating a chance for himself but then shooting over while Gallagher looked to be getting on the end of another Tingey ball in but was denied by an excellent interception from Antonio Simeone.

Rovers were being well held, a tiring Oppong was replaced by Cameron after 66 minutes and then Jenkins supplied another superb ball which set up Anokye-Boadi for a great chance but he unselfishly chose to try to square the ball when he should have gone for goal, and the ball was cut out.

Thankfully, the Woods didn’t have to wait too long to find the net again though as Stacey strode forward down the centre unchallenged and let fly with a right-footed drive from 22 yards that beat Dillon to his right.

Roraigh Browne hadn’t had too much to do but dealt with a Bertie Lloyd header at a corner comfortably and just a minute later Williams completed the scoring and his hat-trick when he raced from the halfway line and tried his luck from distance, the ball spinning through Dillon’s hands and into the net.

There was still time for a short cameo appearance for assistant manager Keagan Cole as a substitute, finally making his 50th appearance for the club and completing a good night’s work for the Woods.

REPORT by Alan Evans