Northwood’s FA Cup hopes were cruelly dashed by a last-gasp goal scored by Ryan Campbell in the fifth minute of stoppage-time after a hard-working performance had failed to produce the goal that it had deserved. It was a huge blow to the side and a big disappointment to the sizeable band on Woods supporters that had travelled to Wiltshire.
With Harry Voss not permitted to play in goal as part of his loan agreement, there was a debut between the sticks for Mohammed Ayoub who had played for Beaconsfield last season. Harry Newman was ruled out after needing stitches in his head injury while Meshach Williams was unavailable so Antonio Walker made his first start and there was another debut given to ex-Watford academy star Mahlondo Martin, who had spells at Kings Langley, Salisbury and Hayes & Yeading in the last campaign.
 It meant Simon Lane’s side started with a very ambitious four up front and they had the home side on the back foot from an early stage. Evans Kouassi showed early pace to cut a ball back to Hakim Nyariki, another starting for the first time this season, but his strike was well wide. Just a minute later Kouassi centred again and Tayshan Hayden-Smith’s header was deflected off for a corner.
Supermarine had drawn their opening two games of the season and a quick break on just seven minutes gave them their first effort on goal as Joe Selman flicked a shot over the top and then another strike from the right flashed across goal and not far wide.
After that early excitement, both sides began to match each other more though the Woods went very close to taking the lead after 28 minutes. It was Kouassi again who did well to get past his marker on the right and his centre was met by an instinctive Walker flick that flew goalwards but crept just inches wide of the far post.
With the Woods defence staying solid and Pat Kelly keeping tabs on tricky danger man Campbell, they reached half-time still level and with all to play for. Northwood continued to impress into the second half and after 52 minutes a long throw from Marcus Rose was flicked on into the danger-zone and an overhead-kick from Martin would have troubled Marine’s debut goalkeeper Josh Hill had it been anywhere but straight at him. Just two minutes later, Ayoub was in action for the first time as Aaron Woodley floated a ball goalwards and the Woods ‘keeper had to be alert to claim it under the crossbar. He needed to do more almost immediately as Woodley got the better of Rose and hit a crisp shot on the turn that Ayoub pushed onto a post and wide.
At the other end, a long ball saw Kouassi speed through to beat the oncoming keeper to it just outside the area but he was unable to get an angle for a shot and the ball was cleared. Just on the hour, there was another great chance created by Kouassi with a great turn and cross. Again it was Walker who met it with a touch in the middle but again it drifted just wide of the upright.
Both sides made a change, with Josh Parsons replacing Brad Hooper for the home team while Nyariki made way for the introduction of Wilson Chingoka.
The Woods were still enjoying the upper hand. Rose got his head to a free-kick from Hayden-Smith but it was deflected wide and from the resulting corner the ball was knocked wide by Hayden-Smith to Walker but this time his first-time shot was straight at Hill in goal.
Another good move saw Hayden-Smith play a ball out wide to Martin who cut in and then delivered a fine cross but Hill was out to dive low and cut it out.
Into the last ten minutes and still the game was only going one-way. A quick break caught the home side with just two-on-two. Kouassi attacked and played the ball off to Martin who knocked it back and Kouassi’s fine volley flew just narrowly the wrong side of the post with Hill beaten.
A minute later a good ball from Hayden-Smith put Martin in on goal again. He looked certain to score but delayed a fraction too long and a superb defensive tackle blocked the shot. Another Rose throw into the box was met by Brad Hewitt’s firm header which Hill had to push over the bar and that corner was helped on by Kouassi to reach Hewitt on the edge of the six-yard box but again there was just a late block on what could have been a crucial goal.
After this spell of pressure, Supermarine rallied. Lee Marshall notched a shot on target but without the power to test Ayoub and then Campbell found the space for a shot that was straight at the Woods keeper.
Time was running out and a replay was looking most likely when a free-kick was met by a Rose volley which flew wide. At the other end, the home side probed around the box but a couple of efforts were blocked by a determined defence and into stoppage-time, substitute Jay Thorne battled for a ball to set up Chingoka for an effort on goal but the ball drifted wide of the target.
It was just into the fifth and final minute of added time that Swindon finally got a move right. A ball played was played down the right flank, Selman’s chip forward was volleyed across by substitute George Kellow and Campbell was able to let it drop before lifting a shot that dipped beyond the despairing reach of Ayoub and just under the crossbar. There was no time to recover and the Woods had nothing to show for their performance apart from the knowledge that they continue to progress as a team and can look forward to better results soon. | 
