The Woods notched their ninth away win of the season with this hard-fought victory at Chalfont St. Peter. It was a sixth win in seven games for the in-form Northwood side who are now just three points behind sixth place and six points off the lowest play-off position with six matches to play. It looks a tall order but momentum is with Scott Dash’s squad and the dream continues for another week.
Dash had striker Alex Witham unavailable for this tough contest but was fortunate that he could bring in Ben Pattie as a suitable replacement with the striker having regained some good fitness after missing three months with injury. Kweku Lucan was still missing, the consistent Sam Jenkins ruled out with a shoulder injury while Kieran Asumadu-Sakyi picked up an illness on the day. Following his four goals in a friendly on Tuesday night, 17-year-old Kyran Worrell was selected to start in preference to Zaied Sabti who is still working his way back to full fitness while Miguel Lopes De Matos kept his place despite Matt Cooper having advertised his readiness for a return in the midweek fixture.
It took little time for the Woods to threaten with Pattie lifting an inviting cross over from the left to the far post where Worrell did well to beat his marker but his header flew just wide of the post. That was after right minutes and just a minute later Northwood were ahead as Worrell poked a neat ball through to Chris Gosling and his square ball across the edge of the box saw Pattie beat goalkeeper Michael Anguzu’s attempt to block and the ball rolled on into an empty net.
It was a great start and the pressure continued as Yahya El-Khabouche sliced open the Saints defence with a ball that put Dan Pett down the right. He cut it back to Pattie who turned onto his favoured left-foot and let fly with a shot that crept just over the bar at the far post.
The home side began to make some inroads, mainly through the speedy winger Keaton August, but it was the Woods again who created a chance next as Worrell raced down the left and cut the ball back for Pett on the edge of the box but despite a clear sight of goal, his shot was always rising too high.
There was half an hour on the clock when Chalfont recorded their first real effort on goal as Charlie Mitchell found space to cross from the left but Adam Morris headed wide. Two minutes later August finally tested Luke Sheldrick in goal with a stinging shot but the Woods ‘keeper pushed it away with strong hands and the ball was cleared to safety. The Saints were then hit by the loss of one-time Woods striker Ryan Debattista as he limped off with an ankle injury. Despite a four minute hold-up for the injury, there was surprisingly only two minutes added at the end of the first-half but there was no goalmouth action to report and the Woods still held a narrow advantage at the break.
Trey Charles picked up an early knock in the second-half, replaced by the in-form Sabti but it was the Saints who notched the first effort on goal of the half with defender Mark Goodman trying his luck from distance and the ball flew not far wide of Sheldrick’s far post.
But on 62 minutes the Woods notched an all-important second goal. Gosling was fouled in the centre-circle but the Referee quickly acknowledged an advantage which allowed Pattie to play an excellent ball through to Sabti who had crept forward on the right. He raced in on goal and planted a shot past Anguzu who couldn’t keep it out despite getting a hand to his effort.
Five minutes later, Northwood were awarded a free-kick about twenty yards out and Sabti got the ball up and over the wall but not past the ‘keeper who managed to push the ball out. The game was drifting a little as substitutions were made. Leigh Stevens replaced the tiring Pattie after his goal and assist while the Saints introduced another ex-Woods player in Joakim Ehui for the final ten minutes.
It was game management time for the Woods but they just wobbled a little. After 84 minutes a cross from the left found Morris unmarked but thankfully his side footed shot flew well over. Then the Saints did score two minutes into stoppage-time when a long ball out of defence sent substitute Jack Read through on goal and he lifted the ball over the oncoming Sheldrick to spoil what would have been a second successive clean sheet for the first time this season.
Thankfully, the side held on from there and they now look forward to next Saturday’s visit from manager-less bottom side Egham Town who are fourteen points from safety with just seven matches to play and have lost all sixteen of their away league matches this season, scoring just seven goals and conceding fifty-three. Insert your own banana skin reference here! |