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Ashford Town Under 18 1  Northwood Under 18 3 

Monday 21st March 2011

Northwood U18
Ryman Youth
League

Short Lane, Stanwell
Chezney Cassell
1
Kick Off
Reece Fallon
2
7.45 p.m.
Gbenga Adelana
3
H/T
Jonas Charles
4
1-1
Sean Hollowed
5
Scorers
Liam McGrath
6
Northwood
Julian Smith
7
Walker 3
Jack Hutchinson
8
 
Romaine Walker
9
 
Jordan Douglas
10
 
Zain Khan
11
 
   
John Uche
12
 
Julian Cole
14
 
Tommy Day
15
 
-
17
 
-
18
 
 

For the third time this season the young Woods travelled to Ashford Town to resume combat, this time in the league. The tally of games had Ashford ahead with one league and cup victory against Woods, and Woods with one cup win. This game was the most important as either team losing would struggle to maintain a serious challenge to the top teams in the league. It was touch and go whether the game would go ahead, as the pitch had some unsafe areas, but after adjustments the game went ahead at 7.50pm.

The Woods squad for the game was limited but substantial and strong in all areas. Both teams started with the urgency that the game demanded, and it was Woods who came closest in the first ten minutes, with Jordan Douglas slipping the ball through to Zain Khan who struck wide, after strong pressure from the Ashford defenders. Minutes later Romaine Walker, glanced into the box and struck a fierce shot across the face of the goal, which just flew past the post.

The next fifteen minutes the game settled with Woods looking the most likely to create the opening to score, but is wasn’t to be, as in the 30th minute, a hopeful strike by Conor Moody from outside the box, was deflected high hitting the underside of the bar and off the keeper Cassell’s back into the net to give Ashford the lead.

This stunned Woods into action as captain Jonas Charles and Jack Hutchinson stepped up in central midfield, and started to force the pace both in the air and ground, and spraying passes through to the industrious Douglas and dangerous Walker. The Ashford defence finally cracked with yet another foray into their box by Khan, who was blatantly chopped down to earn a penalty for Woods, which top scorer Walker neatly slotted in sending the keeper the wrong way to level the score at 1-1.

In and during the second half Woods were forced to makes changes to the team as Charles was replaced by John Uche and Hollowed replaced by Julian Cole, but this did not deter the side as outstanding Liam McGrath marshalled the defence superbly with Uche and Julian Smith stepping up and he showed signs of his true form in the centre of midfield, while Hutchinson started to dominate the ball in the centre. The Woods emphasised their dominance in the second half when a well fed Walker tantalised and tormented the Ashford defence until they conceded and took him down in the penalty area in the 70th minute. Walker stepped up and effortlessly converted past a stranded keeper for his second and a 2-1 lead.

With still 20 minutes to go Ashford strained to get back in the game but Woods were too strong in all departments and sealed a comprehensive victory in the 84th minute when Reece Fallon planted a pinpoint defence splitting 40 yard pass to the feet of a running Walker who darted into the box and blasted past an advancing keeper to seal his well earned hat-trick, and secure a crucial three points for the ever progressive and entertaining Woods U18 side.


Report: TREVOR CHARLES



         
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