The Woods romped to their best win of the season, notching their biggest win for over a year and scoring four goals for the first time since a 5-4 victory away against the same opposition last March. With Jordan Lawal unavailable, Perry Dicker came into the midfield and there was a bit of minor adjustment to the formation that gave the starting line-up a more attacking feel to it.

It meant Northwood started well with Rob Hastings cutting in from the right and getting a shot in which goalkeeper Tim Trebes held well at the near post. Soon after, Ismael Ehui played a neat exchange of passes with Joakim Ehui and was through on goal but the ball ran just too far and Trebes collected it comfortably. After 11 minutes, the Woods took the lead as Omar Vassell got forward on the overlap and jinked past two defenders before firing an angled shot which Trebes was unable to hold. Michael Murray pounced to knock in the loose ball and put the Woods in front.

St Ives responded well and Jack Higgs went very close with a free-kick which dipped and flashed only just over the bar before a half-cleared corner was drilled goalwards by Higgs, partly blocked and then the loose ball was flicked just wide by Charlie Death. Yet, the Woods looked capable of scoring on the counter-attack and a quick break saw Dicker play a wide ball to Vassell again and his excellent cross looked sure to be a second goal but Murray was just unable to connect.

Ben Seymour-Shove was causing the Northwood back-line most problems and he was onside when chasing a channel ball down the right. He did everything right to cut in and then slide a shot past Berkley Laurencin as he narrowed the angle but the ball trickled just the wrong side of the post. Just a minute later, another free-kick was well flighted to the far post by Jon Stead and met by the head of Stuart Eason, whose neat header forced Laurencin to move back across goal to push it wide of the upright.

Burgess picked up a booking for one foul too many on Seymour-Shove but it was Northwood who finished the half better. A defensive mix-up with a back-pass and a poor clearance from Trebes gave Murray a great chance for a second goal but instead of shooting, he played in Joakim Ehui who was offside.

Then, on 40 minutes, St. Ives were further knocked by a second goal, with Nana Asamoah making ground from midfield before slipping a simple pass to Ismael Ehui who rolled the ball home for his sixth goal in six starts for the club. And it was almost 3-0 as another defensive error saw Murray gifted a shot on goal but he curled his shot wide of the post.

The visitors made a positive change at the break, introducing attacker Will Muzuimbiri for defensive midfielder Jimmy Dean, but their hopes were dealt a fatal blow just six minutes into the second half when a well-worked corner saw Murray pick out an unmarked Asamoah who drilled home a third goal; the sixth of the season for the Woods midfielder.

St Ives remained spirited, though, and Laurencin had to keep out a cross-shot from Seymour-Shove soon after and then Muzuimbiri sliced a shot well over when well-placed. After 55 minutes, Laurencin made the save of the match when he acrobatically pushed wide an excellent strike from Higgs. This may have deflated their opponents somewhat as the game slowed a little, and the usual yellow cards started to appear.

However, after 79 minutes a long ball from Death seemed to have put Seymour-Shove in on goal but Burgess came to the rescue with a timely tackle which saw the ball travel only just wide of his own goal.

Dave Lawrence replaced Asamoah for the closing stages and the introduction of fresh legs meant that the Woods came back on the attack. Lawrence should have had a goal within a minute as Murray’s chip put him through on goal but he shot straight at Trebes who saved with his legs.

Just two minutes later, a good move saw Murray play a neat one-two with Lawrence around the edge of the box and it was all he needed to create enough space for an accurate strike that went in off the post for his second of the game. A four-goal difference did flatter the Woods but Laurencin was determined to keep his first clean-sheet for over a month and got back to push a late Seymour-Shove header over the bar in stoppage-time.

Northwood now face a tough away game at Aylesbury on Tuesday night before next weekend’s FA Trophy clash against Guernsey.