Northwood 2  Kings Langley 3

Monday 21st April 2025

 

NORTHWOOD
1	Dan Hosier
2	Jack Empson
3	Jayden Ashbourne (60m)
4	Manny Folarin
5	Jordan Ajanlekoko
6	Jon-Jo Bates (76m)
7	Sam Folarin
8	Troy Perez-Duah
9	Alex Cathline (92m)
10	Devonte Totesaut (85m)
11	Josh Williams
Substitutes
12	Freddie Ford (85m)
14	Jack Smith
15	Rio Connell (76m)
16	Stefan Powell (60m)
17	Aidan Tarrant (92m)

A bumper Bank Holiday crowd witnessed a cracking contest that ultimately gave a lifeline to Kings Langley in their battle to avoid relegation but it was a close-run thing with the Kings only taking the points in stoppage-time.

Northwood had made it their own safety from the drop when winning at North Leigh two days earlier so were pretty relaxed going into the game and gave a rare start to both Alex Cathline and Devonte Totesaut as part of the attack with Hassan Jalloh ruled out and Rio Connell relegated to the bench. Jon-Jo Bates also came in for Stefan Powell. 

The visitors needed a win to put pressure on the chasing Leverstock Green who currently occupy the third and final relegation spot in the division but they arrived on the back of a dreadful 15 match winless run while their last success on their travels was way back in late October.

But they had held second-placed Berkhamsted to a 2-2 draw on Good Friday, leading 2-0 at half-time and they used that confidence to make a good start to the match. In the very first minute, skipper James Towell got forward on the left to hit a good strike which Dan Hosier did well to push wide of the far post with an outstretched left-hand. Things soon evened out as both sides tried to get a foothold in midfield but it produced little in front of goal apart from a couple of blocks from the Kings defence and an attempted overhead kick from Towell which was well over the bar.

Towell was next to go close again on 18 minutes though with a low strike from just outside the box which flashed only just wide of Hosier’s post, though he watched it all the way and the visitors were probably shading the half when they grabbed the lead on 34 minutes. A defensive slip from Jayden Ashbourne let in Danio Brown on the right and his shot was kept out by Hosier at the near-post but at the expense of a corner. That centre was half-cleared but Darnell-Joe Luke pounced on the loose ball just inside the box and sent a volley crashing into the roof of the net.

PHOTOS by James Brown

The Woods almost responded straight away as Troy Perez-Duah’s free-kick was only parried up in the air by goalkeeper Adi Connolly. Sam Folarin headed it back into the danger zone and Jordan Ajanlekoko hit a super shot on the turn that Connolly somehow managed to keep out instinctively.

Substitute Charne Lemba forced Hosier into another good save as the Kings looked for a second goal before the break while Perez-Duah had another go from a free-kick, again stinging the hands of the keeper who got good distance on his palming away of the ball.

Northwood came out for the second-half on the attack though and just five minutes after the restart, they got themselves level. Totesaut did well to win a corner on the right and when Perez-Duah centred, it was Manny Folarin who met it at the near-post with a firm header that beat the defender on the line for his first goal for the club.

Just two minutes later the Woods had turned the game around completely as Josh Williams exchanged passes with Sam Folarin and then knocked in a cross which led to a defensive slip and Totesaut pounced to fire home his first goal of the season.

Kings Langley responded with a double-substitution, bringing on Henry Dudley and Lucas Pedrozo while the Woods had a reshuffle by replacing Ashbourne with Stefan Powell. The positive effect went the way of the visitors as Pedrozo had a shot well saved by Hosier almost immediately and then latched onto a probing ball, ignoring offside calls to tap past Hosier as he raced out to block.

From there it was end-to-end stuff through to the finish. Sam Folarin had a deflected effort just kept out by Connolly while Manny Folarin did well to clear off the line after great work from Ekow Coker got him into the box to shoot.

The Woods kept pushing for a winner as another cut back from Williams saw Sam Folarin set up Cathline for a strike which was blocked and then a similar move presented Cathline with another chance and although his shot was a good one, Connolly pulled off a good stop. Williams also created an effort for himself, cutting in and firing for goal but again the keeper was equal to it.

After 89 minutes, Sam Folarin looked to have put Northwood back in front with a great low strike that beat Connolly but that came back off the post and although Perez-Duah put the loose ball back across the six-yard box, neither Williams or Folarin could force it home.

The Woods gave a debut to 16-year-old Freddie Ford and fellow 16-year-old Aidan Tarrant also made a late appearance; it was the Kings who went ahead in the first minute of stoppage-time. A header on presented a chance of a shot which came back off the crossbar but the ball dropped kindly and Edu Toiny-Pendred pounced to convert.

It wasn’t all over though and in the 96th minute as Jack Empson got forward from the left and let fly. Connolly didn’t judge it well and it deflected off his legs towards goal, trickling inches wide of the post. The final whistle led to jubilant celebrations for the sizeable number of travelling supporters who will now be supporting AFC Dunstable against Leverstock Green in their rivals’ final game next Saturday. The Woods travel to play play-off placed Barton Rovers to complete their season which has already brought its best month of a difficult campaign.

REPORT by Alan Evans