Real Bedford 5 Northwood 0

Saturday 15th March 2025

NORTHWOOD




1	Aymen Azaze
2	Jayden Ashbourne
3	Junior Paiva
4	Manny Folarin
5	Jordan Ajanlekoko
6	Stefan Powell (76m)
7	Nnaemeka Anyanwu (80m)
8	Jon-Jo Bates
9	Devonte Totesaut (46m)
10	Hassan Jalloh
11	Samuel Folarin
Substitutes
12	Jack Empson (46m)
14	Jamie Dwyer (76m)
15	Jack Smith
16	Josh Williams (80m)
17	Harry McKenna

Leaders Real Bedford maintained their title-battle with Berkhamsted, who were playing just a few yards away against Biggleswade on Bedford Town’s ground, with this clinical demolition of the Woods in the first half at the Ledger Stadium.

There were enforced changes to the Northwood line-up, missing midfield talisman Troy Perez-Duah as well as Bradley Clayton and the suspended Alex Cathline. Back came Stefan Powell after illness, Jon-Jo Bates into the centre of midfield and Hassan Jalloh having missed the midweek defeat against Hertford Town with injury while Devonte Totesaut started his first game since his return to the club.

The home side went into the game on the back of a six-game winning run and could also boast an unbeaten home run stretching back to mid-August while the Woods, following three successive narrow home defeats, had lost six of their last seven matches.

And that form showed immediately in just the second minute of the game as Ben Stevens cut open the defence and Josh Setchell, though scuffing his shot, was able to beat Aymen Azaze in goal and give the Pirates an ideal start.

The Woods were working hard, looking for a way back into the game but hadn’t really threatened while Real Bedford went close a few times, Isaac Galliford shooting well over and Archie Jones well wide before Jones had another flick at goal kept out by Azaze.

PHOTOS by James Brown

Northwood finally broke into the final third after 18 minutes as a good ball from Bates gave Nnaemeka Anyanwu the opportunity to run at his marker. He got a bit lucky as an attempted tackle ran his way and he managed to get a shot in on goal but it flashed just wide of the far post.

Having finally made some breakthrough, the Woods then found themselves two goals behind on 20 minutes when a cross from the left took a deflection that merely directed straight to Archie Jones who flicked it home at the near post.

Three minutes later it was pretty much game over for the visitors as Jayden Ashbourne barged into Jones in the box and the Referee pointed to the spot with top scorer Joey Evans firing home the penalty to make it 3-0.

A good move from the Woods created a half-chance after 26 minutes with Anyanwu chipping the ball forward to play Totesaut into the box. He opted for a first-time strike, probably correctly, but mishit it and the ball was able to cleared.

Once again, the Woods defence found themselves unlocked on 35 minutes as Jones was played through again. His initial shot came back off the crossbar, with Azaze perhaps getting a touch, but it rebounded straight to him and he headed home despite a gallant attempt by Junior Paiva to clear off the line.

Azaze made a comfortable save to deny Evans soon after but the Woods were certainly pleased to hear the half-time whistle where there was a change made, striker Totesaut making way for defender Jack Empson also leading to a change in formation.

That didn’t have any immediate effect as Real Bedford continued to threaten with Setchell firing well over from an early chance but he had better luck on 52 minutes as some excellent approach work by the home side again found a gap for Setchell to run in and fire home his second of the game.

It was close to a sixth five minutes later as Azaze got across to push a close-range strike from Evans around the post but from there the game slowed with the Pirates dropping their levels just a shade while also making a series of substitutions. After 66 minutes Stevens tried his luck from distance but Azaze dealt with that comfortably.

The Woods were defending in numbers, looking to counter but there was little action in the final third and Under 18s skipper Jamie Dwyer was introduced from the bench after 76 minutes, replacing Powell. It was after 79 minutes that Northwood finally made some inroads as Jalloh played a neat ball to find Bates who had ventured forward and he did well to get a shot on goal under pressure but it didn’t have quite the power to beat diving keeper Tyler McGregor who made his only save of the match.

Josh Williams came on for Anyanwu with ten minutes to play and with three minutes left, Samuel Folarin got in down the left to try a shot but it only found the side-netting.

The final whistle signalled a heavy defeat for Northwood, their biggest of the season so far and of any game since September 2021 while the last away league defeat by more than at least four goals was back in October 2019 at Chertsey Town.

REPORT by Alan Evans



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