Dean Barker’s new-look side tasted defeat for the first time on Bank Holiday Monday as Middlesex rivals Uxbridge maintained their own unbeaten league record.

Miguel Lopes De Matos and Jerome Slew returned to the starting line-up in place of Matt Cooper and Emmanuel Melford-Rowe, who were unavailable.

It was the home side who started brightest despite an early yellow card for Yahya El Khabouche and they took the lead after 12 minutes with a well-worked set-piece. Dave Thomas knocked a free-kick to the far post and Brian Testolin, who was registered for the Woods last season without playing a competitive game, squeezed his effort in at Luke Sheldrick’s near post.

Northwood responded well. James Ewington looked lively up front for Northwood but had two strikes in quick succession blocked by some good defending while a good ball from Ben Pattie put Slew in on goal but a poor first touch meant goalkeeper Paul McCarthy was able to collect.

After 26 minutes Slew cut in from the left and hit a testing shot that bounced in front of McCarthy and he did well to push it wide for a corner. From that Pattie’s delivery picked out Hakim Nyariki but his header went the wrong side of the post.

So it was against the run of play that the home side notched a second goal on the half-hour as Testolin raced past Karl Stevenson down the left and fired across Sheldrick and inside the far post.

The home side could have added a third before the break as Craig Tomkins put a free header wide and Testolin had a similar effort to the goal which flew across goal and wide.

Yet Northwood made the best possible start to the second half as just 13 seconds had elapsed when Ewington converted a fine cross from Kweku Lucan after the winger had won possession in the right flank. Just two minutes later the pair combined again but this time Ewington’s volley rose over the bar.

The Woods were on the front foot, and a run from Wilson Chingoka brought a rare occurrence of a double-booking after advantage was played from the first challenge.

They went close to an equaliser on two occasions. On 63 minutes a corner was half-cleared to Lucan on the edge of the box and despite being impeded he got in a shot that was blocked and Chingoka’s effort had the same result.

Four minutes later, substitute Keir Dickson played a good ball through for Slew, who appeared favourite to beat the oncoming McCarthy to the ball but he faltered and the ‘keeper just got the touch required.

The Woods were still battling for at least a point when Uxbridge were gifted the chance of a third as Dickson was adjudged to have impeded Wiseman in the box during a corner routine and Tomkins made no mistake from the penalty spot. It was the third spot-kick conceded in the last three games by the side and something they need to avoid in future.

Ewington had another effort blocked which looped up and was comfortably taken by McCarthy as the game entered stoppage-time. And the score line was given a flattering look when Tomkins powered in a second goal from a Testolin cross just before the final whistle.