The Woods moved comfortably into the quarter-finals of the Middlesex Senior Cup disposing of Combined Counties side Bedfont Sports who competed well for much of the tie. It was a repeat of the Middlesex Charity Cup game competed for a couple of months earlier and while Northwood had won that too, Bedfont had thrashed the Woods reserves 7-1 a night earlier in the Middlesex Premier Cup.

Ryan Phillips, Dean Worman and James Fraser were given a starting place while manager Mark Burgess also played himself but it was a strong Northwood side that went out to do battle on a cold and increasingly frosty night.

The Woods started quickly with Brad Hewitt heading a Romaine Walker free-kick over the bar and then Walker feeding Oliver Hawkins who saw his strike well saved by oncoming former Uxbridge ‘keeper John Peacock.
Bedfont’s young forward line of Edon Mejzini and George Baldock combined well to provide the former with a first-time shot which was always going wide but the Woods were dominating and Worman did well to cut in but then shot well wide.

After 18 minutes a neat, flowing move involving Hewitt and Hawkins put Walker in on goal and his shot was deflected just wide of the near-post but the opening goal was not far away. Another Hewitt ball forward was flicked on by Hawkins and a slip by George Marks let Spencer Bellotti through on goal. His shot took a deflection out of the reach of Peacock and nestled just inside the post.

As Hawkins had risen to flick the ball on his arm had collided with Sports skipper Adam Turner and the after-effect of that knock caused a delay of some fifteen minutes while he received initial treatment and an ambulance was called. He was ultimately stretchered off and the game continued. There was good news from the Hospital later when he was released with no lasting damage.

From the restart, the Woods seemed to go into their shell a bit and Bedfont started to create a few chances with some neat football. A flick header from Dan Lucas put Baldock in with an opportunity but he lobbed his shot well off target. Then a well-flighted free-kick saw Lucas head for goal and the ball flashed only just wide of the far post.

Burgess replaced himself with John Christian for the second-half but the Sports notched their first effort on target after 56 minutes when a Jack Beadle shot was comfortably held by James Reading.

Just a minute later the Woods killed off their opponents’ spirit with a second goal. Walker’s corner was half-cleared to just outside the area and Reece Yorke swivelled to hit a clean half-volley that flew past Peacock.
Adamson Ajayi and Adam Pepera got a run-out in the final twenty minutes and Pepera drove a shot not far wide after latching onto a Bellotti flick.

Ajayi and Walker began to stretch the Bedfont defence with some pacy attacks down the flanks while Christian enjoyed a mazy run down the middle but none produced the final ball or the clinical finish that was hoped for.
But a third goal did arrive in the final stages as Ajayi stormed down the left and his cross was neatly dummied by Pepera for Bellotti to fire home his second of the game.

The Woods move into the quarter-finals where they now play at home to either Conference South side and holders, Hampton & Richmond Borough, or Spartan South Midlands neighbours Hillingdon Borough.