Northwood 1 Westfield 2

Tuesday 6th February 2024

NORTHWOOD




1	Andrew McCorkell
2	Harry McKenna
3	Deago Dunbar Bonnie
4	Sam Jenkins
5	Luke Tingey © (71m)
6	Harry Gallagher
7	Adam Laaref (81m)
8	Teddy Stacey
9	Lucas Sinclair
10	Kofi Anokye-Boadi
11	Harry McCorkell
Substitutes
12	Archie James
14	Dan Williams (81m)
15	Stephan Langley (71m)
16	Carl Stewart
17	-
	Westfield: Sonny Wheeler, Lewis Jackson (Quincy Rowe 9m), Manolis Gogonas, Alfie Huckle, Billy Nutbeam, Caleb Wright, Archy Taylor, Andrew Crossley, Jacob Breckon, Connor Cullen (Mayowa Adaje 86m), Jordan Alves (Theo White 60m )

Northwood suffered defeat in difficult conditions on Tuesday night at the Skyline Roofing Stadium as visitors Westfield strengthened their play-off hopes with a last-gasp winner to complete a hard-fought comeback success.

Manager Ben Bukowski made three changes to the starting line-up in their second home game inside four days with Harry McCorkell making his first start for two months in place of Carl Stewart while Lucas Sinclair came in for Dan Williams up front. Andrew McCorkell returned from his spell at Uxbridge to take over between the sticks in place of Roraigh Browne, who has returned to Watford.

In swirling and wet conditions, both sides made a very positive start with Adam Laaref cutting in from the left but firing well wide and then going close with another strike that was well blocked after a cross from Deago Dunbar-Bonnie led to Kofi Anokye-Boadi also having an effort kept out.

In between, the Field created a chance themselves as Archie Taylor tried a shot which deflected into the side-netting and there was still only ten minutes on the clock when one-time Woods loanee Connor Cullen found space in the box but chipped his shot well wide.

Andrew McCorkell saw his first action after 16 minutes with a comfortable save to deny another good strike from Taylor but it was Northwood who created the best chance so far three minutes later as Sinclair received a ball from Harry McCorkell, turned and ran past Westfield substitute Quincy Rowe and hit a powerful shot that was brilliantly pushed wide by ex-Woods youth goalkeeper Sonny Wheeler.

On 23 minutes the visitors went even closer though as ball from the left saw Breckon get a delicate flick to beat Andrew McCorkell but the ball came back off the base of the post and into the keeper grateful arms. Six minutes later Cullen again found a bit of space in the box but a timely tackle from Sam Jenkins stopped him getting a shot on goal.

PHOTOS by James Brown

After 33 minutes, with the rain at its heaviest, Harry McCorkell got a good flick on to a Luke Tingey throw but the ball dropped just too late and finished over the bar with Wheeler nowhere and six minutes later the same duo combined again but this time the Field keeper was down low to save and the half finished with Andrew McCorkell saving comfortably again at his near-post from Cullen.

Still all to play for in the second half and the Woods ‘keeper was soon back in action, saving another effort from Taylor and then racing out of goal to keep out an effort from Jordan Alves.

But after that early pressure from the visitors, it was Northwood who grabbed the lead after an hour when Teddy Stacey played a good ball through for Sinclair to race onto and this time, he took advantage of a slight hesitation from Wheeler as he came out of goal to take a touch and then knock it past him and into the empty net.

The Woods needed to hold that lead for a period of time but in fact, Westfield were back on level terms just two minutes later. Mayowa Adaje, only just introduced as a substitute, was able to knock in a high cross from the right and it dropped perfectly to an unmarked Cullen who headed home.

Skipper Luke Tingey was forced off with injury on 71 minutes, replaced by recent signing Stephan Langley and the visitors looked most likely to score though McCorkell continued to deal well with efforts from Adaje and Breckon in quick succession.

The Woods made a further change with Williams replacing a tiring Laaref but it was still Westfield who were pushing for a winner with McCorkell denying Cullen and then a Breckon header as the end of the ninety minutes approached.

Into six minutes of added time and it was Northwood who suddenly looked threatening with Sinclair causing problems and winning a couple of free-kicks and this brought about some last-minute corners. Jenkins curled in the first which was tipped over by Wheeler and then the second beat the flailing keeper but came back off the bar and then was scrambled away for yet another.

Time was running out but Jenkins was unable to maintain the pressure as the third one only found the side-netting. Westfield broke quickly down the right from the goal-kick, Adaje found enough space to send over a really testing cross at pace and it was Billy Nutbeam who reacted quickest to get ahead of his marker and flick it home from the edge of the six-yard box for a valuable winner for the visitors.

REPORT by Alan Evans