Northwood 2 Tooting & Mitcham United 2
Saturday 5th February 2022
| NORTHWOOD | |||
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| 1 | Daniel Hosier | ||
| 2 | Ryan Young (65m) | ||
| 3 | Andy Lomas | ||
| 4 | Keagan Cole © | ||
| 5 | Tommy Boxer (85m) | ||
| 6 | James Gurteen  |
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| 7 | Micah Jackson (77m) | ||
| 8 | Teddy Stacey | ||
| 9 | Josh Helmore | ||
| 10 | Sydney Ibie | ||
| 11 | Carl Stewart | ||
| Substitutes | |||
| 12 | Kyal Williams (77m) | ||
| 14 | Alex More (65m) | ||
| 15 | Yiannis Constantinou | ||
| 16 | Matt Surmon | ||
| 17 | Luke Tingey (85m) | ||
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, Cory Walters-Wright, Baye Ndiaye, Samuel Faniyan, Jordan Clarke Northwood staged a spirited second half recovery to earn a share of the spoils and extend their unbeaten run to five games in a keenly contested mid-table clash at the Fenton.
Woods took to the field with a couple changes from the previous week’s impressive win at Uxbridge, the unavailable Sam Jenkins being replaced in the right wing-back role by Ryan Young, while Micah Jackson returned to the forward line in place of Alex More who reverted to the bench.
Northwood made a positive start by winning an early free kick in a dangerous position after Sydney Ibie was impeded, Keagan Cole’s deflected effort being gathered by goalkeeper Oliver Pain. And Woods maintained the early pressure forcing a corner from which James Gurteen’s flick, following Carl Stewart’s delivery, just evaded Cole in the six-yard box.
The Terrors were struggling to break out of their own half as Woods continued to press and the hosts had a wonderful opportunity to open the scoring as Josh Helmore latched onto an Andy Lomas ball from deep, holding off the defender before shooting slightly off balance with Jackson available as an option, the shot being blocked.
The visitors began to settle and strung some constructive moves together, Samuel Faniyan heading over the crossbar unchallenged following Marco Figueiredo-Correta’s cross. And they opened the scoring with a little help from Northwood as possession was lost in a dangerous position allowing Mark Waters to fire in a low cross which keeper Dan Hosier failed to gather, Michael Dixon reacting quickest to convert on 24 minutes.
Tooting were buoyed by the goal and continued to a pose questions for Northwood as Nathan Daly headed narrowly wide. But Woods finished the first period on the front foot as another Cole free-kick found the head of Teddy Stacey who headed narrowly before Stewart tried his luck with a shot which failed to trouble Pain.
Photos by JAMES BROWN
The second half was only two minutes old when Tooting were fortuitously awarded a throw-on and broke away to extend their lead with Waters applying the finish. And Hosier was called into action as he foiled Faniyan before the Woods stopper dealt with a Jordan Clarke a half-volley effort from the edge of the box. At the other end, Teddy Stacey tried his luck from 25-yards but his effort was gathered by Pain.
Northwood managed to reduce the arrears with a wonderfully well taken goal on 62 minutes, Jackson sublimely taking down another ball over the top from Lomas before coolly rounding Pail and rolling the ball home for his fifth league goal.
Woods were forced into a change on 66 minutes as Young succumbed to a thigh injury with More his replacement. And play continued to ebb and flow with Hosier parrying substitute Billy Brown ‘s low shot and Boxer clearing the loose ball. At the other end, Helmore spun smartly in the box before firing in a cross-shot which just evaded the on-rushing Ibie.
Kyal Williams made his first appearance for a couple weeks as he replaced a tiring Jackson on 77 minutes, but the game was almost put beyond the hosts as Dixon latched onto a misplaced pass on the edge of the Northwood box, but he dragged his shot wide of the far post.
Woods resumed their search for the leveller and they came close as More’s curling shot from just outside the box rattled the upright before being scrambled clear.
New signing Luke Tingey was added to the fray with five minutes left on the clock as Tommy Boxer made way.
And with the clock ticking down and the Terrors using every trick in the book to slow down proceedings, were finally rewarded for their endeavours with a 90th minute equaliser – Cole heading in after Pain had failed to punch clear More’s freekick, the assistant referee well placed to adjudge the ball had crossed the line despite vociferous appeals to the contrary from the visitors.
And Woods almost took the points in stoppage time as Tingey’s long throw caused panic in the Tooting box, but Helmore just failed to connect from close range – Northwood ultimately happy with the point but Tooting letting their frustrations boil over as Jordan Clarke and Nathan Daly saw red.
Report by ROBIN PIPER
