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Northwood 0  Aylesbury United 2

Saturday 24th August 2024

 

NORTHWOOD
     
     
   
1 Dan Hosier
2 Jack Empson
3 David Agyemang
4 Yahara Kamara
5 James Taylor
6 Harry Gallagher ©
7 Harry McKenna
8 Archie James
9 Jordan Brown
10 Bradley Clayton (85m)
11 Ibrahim Lukulay (76m)
Substitutes
12 Greg Wright
14 Prince Mbengui (85m)
15 Sam Odusoga
16 Gabriel Ipanga-Mbambo (76m)
17 Jemale Olayinka
   

This Southern League game pitted a Woods side still looking for their first point of the new season against the Ducks of Aylesbury United who had the confidence of two wins from two behind them but it proved to be a close game won by a more clinical visiting side.

Scott Donnelly continued to ring the changes to his side, giving three players their Northwood debuts. Two have arrived on dual-registration from Chesham United for game time after injury issues, with James Taylor strengthening the back-line and Bradley Clayton in a more attacking role. Yahaya Kamara slotted into the centre of midfield having dual-registered from Southall. 

There were early afternoon concerns about the pitch following several hours of heavy rain but thankfully there was just about a let-up for sufficient time to allow the drainage to do its work and the game went ahead.

And it was Northwood who started brightest with Harry McKenna testing goalkeeper Jack Hopwood with a good strike which he kicked away and Jack Empson fired over from the loose ball just outside the box. Then, good work from Ibrahim Lukulay put Clayton into the attack but his first touch was just too heavy and Hopwood was out to clear the danger.

After 10 minutes, an Archie James free-kick picked out Harry Gallagher whose header was fumbled by Hopwood. Empson, playing against a former club, was again quickest to the rebound but his header was over the bar.

Aylesbury were yet to get into gear but when they did, after 15 minutes, they went very close to taking the lead. A corner dropped to Mo Hashi, who had netted four times in the club’s opening two league matches, and showed good skills to swivel and strike across goal but just wide of the far post with goalkeeper Dan Hosier only able to watch with relief.

PHOTOS by James Brown

From there it was more even as the half progressed without any goalmouth action but on 37 minutes Kwai Marsh-Brown did get a low shot on target but without the power to beat Hosier. Just a minute later, Lukulay did well on the left again and sent over a cross-shot which was only parried upwards by Hopwood but it evaded Jordan Brown and there was no-one there to convert the ball as it continued across the area.

The Ducks threatened again though on 39 minutes as Hashi broke free down the left but his strike was well blocked by Hosier. The loose ball ended in a free-kick being awarded just outside the box and although that was blocked by the defensive wall, it eventually fell to Marsh-Brown who sliced his effort well wide.

There was all to play for still as the two sides returned for the second half and it was Northwood who again enjoyed the better start. Just six minutes in, Clayton played an excellent ball through into the patch of Brown with just the keeper to beat and he knocked it low but Hopwood just got his left hand to it to deflect it wide of the gaping goal.

The Woods continued to push for the elusive opening goal and a recycled corner led to Brown cutting a ball back towards Gallagher on the edge of the box and he hit an acrobatic shot on the turn that flew just over the bar. A minute later and Empson drove forward from his own half before playing it wide to Lukulay. He returned a good cross into the box where Empson dived to head what would have been a great goal but it crashed off the crossbar and spun over the top.

After 64 minutes, Northwood continued to threaten and Brown was next to go close as he worked his own space to hit a snapshot that was awkward for Hopwood at the near post but the keeper managed to block it with his knees for a corner which came to nothing.

And just a minute, completely against the run of play, Aylesbury got their noses in front as Liam Batchelor-Morgan sent a throw-in towards Kamil Zielinski on the edge of the box and he managed to show quick feet on a turn between two defenders and fire past Hosier to score.

The Woods needed to get back on top quickly but they looked a bit shell-shocked and it got worse after 72 minutes. Charlie Tuttle played a cross-field ball to Hashi on the left flank and when he delivered his cross, there was Zielinski again to prod the ball for his and the Ducks second goal.

Northwood made a couple of changes to try to get back into the game with another newcomer, Gabriel Ipanga-Mbambo replacing Lukulay and then Price Mbengui came on for a tiring Clayton but there was little to suggest that they could get back into the game.

The one exception to this was when McKenna picked out Mbengui just inside the box and though he didn’t strike it well, his poked effort actually clipped the post and went wide with Hopwood relieved.

The final whistle signalled a third successive league defeat for the Woods while the Ducks can still boast maximum points but there was a clear improvement in the performance from the new squad and something to build on as they quickly move on to Bank Holiday Monday’s trip to Welwyn Garden City.

REPORT by Alan Evans

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