Northwood 1  AFC Dunstable 0

Saturday 28th December 2024

 

NORTHWOOD
1	Hafad Al Droubi
2	Jack Empson
3	Junior Paiva
4	Manny Folarin
5	Balu Makumbi
6	Stefan Powell (87m)
7	Harry McKenna
8	Troy Perez-Duah
9	Jack Timberlake (73m)
10	Hassan Jalloh
11	Samuel Folarin (75m)
Substitutes
12	Christopher Ozougwu
14	Jack Smith (75m)
15	Aaron Benn(87m)
16	Cassius Joseph
17	Alex Cathline (73m)

An early penalty, earned and scored by skipper Troy Perez-Duah proved just enough for the Woods to maintain their improvement under new manager Gary Meakin with three more valuable points the reward as the battle to climb the table continued.

Manny Folarin was a welcome return to the defence, having missed the defeat at Biggleswade a week earlier while other changes were made with Stefan Powell and Jack Timberlake also back in the starting line-up. Mid-table side AFC Dunstable arrived in reasonable form with only a narrow 1-0 defeat against title-challengers Real Bedford in their last three games.

Though it was the visitors that recorded the first effort on goal, Kyle Lynch firing well over in the very first minute, it was Northwood who started strongly. Just two minutes later, Timberlake cut in from the right and squared the ball to Samuel Folarin who jinked past his marker and hit a good shot which was palmed out by goalkeeper Matthew Bonsu. Folarin picked up the loose ball and returned the favour to Timberlake in front of goal but his stabbed effort deflected off a defender for a corner.

Almost immediately, good work from Harry McKenna saw him cut the ball back to the edge of the area where Hassan Jalloh hit the ball cleanly through the defence but saw his effort hit the far post. Timberlake then won a corner which was taken short, worked to Perez-Duah just inside the box and he was tripped for a penalty. Bonsu was sent the wrong way from the spot and Northwood had the lead after just five minutes. 

PHOTOS by James Brown

The pressure continued with Jack Empson and Junior Paiva both having good strikes well saved by the keeper and on nine minutes, a looping shot from Perez-Duah may have caught out Bonsu but he was able to pluck it out of the air.

Three minutes later, the ODs should have been level though when Rico Greco got in a cross from the left which found Tali Jallow unmarked in front of goal but he tapped his shot wide of the goal.

After the early onslaught, the visitors began to get a bit of a foothold in midfield but it was the Woods who went close again after 22 minutes when Jalloh hit a fine, low strike which saw Bonsu keep it out at the foot of the post. A minute later though, it was back at the other end after Northwood conceded a free-kick in a dangerous central area. Although Jallow got his strike up and over the wall and on target, it was well palmed away by the diving Hafed Al Droubi in goal.

Northwood had another penalty shout after 33 minutes. Perez-Duah’s free-kick was headed on by Powell and a visiting defender with Samuel Folarin bundled over from behind by Kwadwo Bugyei-Kyei as he looked to pounce but claims were waved away on this occasion. The half ended soon after Samuel Folarin had seen another effort from a tight angle fly across goal but well wide.

AFC Dunstable made a triple substitution during the half-time break but the Woods still held sway in the early stages. Timberlake was denied by the visitors' keeper and then a short corner led to another shot from Empson but this one flew well wide. After 55 minutes, a probing run from Jalloh saw him cut a ball back to Samuel Folarin but his shot was blocked.

The ODs did go close though when a free-kick was floated into the box to find Harry Riley but his header flew well wide. Two minutes later, Manny Folarin went down in apparent pain and needed a few minutes of treatment but was thankfully able to continue.

The Woods were still working very hard on a heavy pitch to ensure they kept on top though without creating much in the final third. They made a couple of substitutions with experienced pair Alex Cathline and Jack Smith introduced for the two youngsters up from, Timberlake and Samuel Folarin.

AFC had two efforts on goal in the final ten minutes with another Riley header being kept out by Al-Droubi and the Woods stopper also saved well to deny substitute Russell Berko from close-range. It ensured Al Droubi’s fifth clean sheet in nine league games since returning to the Woods.

That proved enough to secure the victory, though Cathline could have made doubly sure in the first minute of seven added at the end when he was put through by Jalloh, one-on-one with the keeper and although he beat him the ball rolled wide of the post.

It was an ideal result to end a difficult year for the Woods and the performance received plenty of deserved applause at the final whistle.

REPORT by Alan Evans