The Woods left it very late but showed great battling qualities to move into the next round of the FA Youth Cup with another high-scoring success. Just a week after winning their first game of the season when Staines Town were beaten 4-2 at Northwood Park in a Ryman Youth League game, they took on a Tring Athletic side who were yet to record a victory in their own Southern Youth League.
The Woods made a cracking start to the game and took the lead when Kyle O’Connor did well on the right, slipped a neat ball over to Davantay Hastings and he took it wide before slotting past goalkeeper Tyler Ing. If they thought things were going to be easy though, the visitors had other ideas and when they made a direct attack into the box, goalkeeper Alex Devereaux brought the attacker down and Ben Seaton levelled from the resulting penalty.
At the other end, Hastings was denied a penalty when he appeared to be brought down in the box and although he also managed to get a shot on target, Ing saved well. Tring had been buoyed by their equaliser and should have scored when Joe Naylor set up James Cullimore but he hit his shot straight at the keeper. However, they then took the lead after 38 minutes as a quick break and a neat passing move saw Joe Fitzgerald spot Devereaux off his line and his 35-yard strike flew over him and into the net.
The Woods had to battle hard to get to half-time without conceding again, and they made two changes at the break, which had a positive effect. Just a few minutes in, Hastings did well on the right and found O’Connor in front of goal but he shot straight at the keeper. A minute later, a poor defensive clearance gave substitute George Dalling a great chance but he blazed over from just five yards.
The pressure continued, and on 53 minutes a Hastings cross caused trouble in the box, and when it fell to Jamie Doolan on the edge of the box he struck with a firm drive that brought the Woods back level. Yet just two minutes later Northwood wasted their hard work by conceding another penalty; Seaton made no mistake again from the spot-kick and Tring were back in front.
The Woods needed to force their way back again, and they created plenty of chances but Hastings lifted a good opening over the top following fine work from Williams Thomas-Dawkins and then Dalling chipped another effort wide. Doolan looked dangerous from set-pieces and he headed an O’Connor corner just inches wide of the post but also had a couple of other efforts that flew wide.
Time was running out, though, and it was some relief all round when O’Connor knocked in another accurate corner and Doolan met it was an excellent header that gave Ing no chance.
It meant extra-time, and just five minutes after the restart a ball in from the right found the impressive O’Connor, and he finished neatly to put the Woods 4-3 ahead. Tring tried to rally again and James Hogg curled a free-kick only just over the bar on 102 minutes.
Hastings and Doolan both went very close to increasing the lead as the Woods finally managed to dominate in the closing stages, and on 119 minutes Hastings finally notched his second goal when a good strike could only be helped into the net by the diving Ing.
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