High-flying Royston maintained their excellent start to life at a higher level with this narrow victory at Chestnut Avenue after the Woods had dominated for much of the contest. The visitors began quickly and after a long-effort from Tom Malins failed to test James Reading in goal, Joe Delasalle headed a corner wide at the back-post. After that, Northwood took control of the first-half with Leon Osei and Jack Hutchinson making inroads deep into the Royston defence. Hutchinson had a shot that went wide and then a Christian free-kick picked out Oliver Hawkins but his header down went straight at goalkeeper Will Norris.

Osei hit a free-kick from a similar distance which forced Norris into a similar save and then some great work from the same player out wide led to a terrific cross which somehow evaded all the Northwood attack. The pressure finally told after 37 minutes when Lee Grant got forward well and fed the pacy Adamson Ajayi down the left. His chip to the far post was perfect and Hawkins looped a header over Norris to put the Woods in front.

The second-half started more evenly and Royston made what proved to be a telling substitution after 57 minutes with Ryan Lockett replaced by Luke Robins. Just four minutes later, Lee Wilson drove in a corner, full-back Taylor Parr flicked it at the near-post and Reading was unable to keep the ball out. Suddenly the Crows were on the front-foot and five minutes later Ricky Rogers lost possession when perhaps fouled by Robins but the winger took full advantage to slip the ball through to top scorer Kaan Fehmi who swivelled and planted a firm shot across Reading and into the far corner.

It got worse for the Woods on 72 minutes as the defence became completely stretched as Matt Standen combined with Malins to square a cross and the unmarked Robins swept home a third goal in twelve disastrous minutes.

Gary Meakin made a couple of changes to try to turn the game round with Spencer Bellotti and Dean Worman replacing Rogers and Craig White and it had an effect as Worman netted with his first touch, a 20 yard drive after Ajayi had worked the ball across from the flank.

There were still ten minutes to retrieve a point and the Woods continued to storm forward but it wasn’t until the final stages that they were almost successful. A Worman corner led to a scramble in the goalmouth that saw Norris fling hands and legs in several different directions as he blocked several efforts. The ball eventually rolled out to Reece Yorke who drove the ball goalwards and despite beating the ‘keeper, Lewis Endacott was well-placed to head off the line.

Hawkins headed over from another stoppage-time corner but Royston just held on to all three points thanks to their three-goal burst in the second-half.