Berkhamsted 5  Northwood 1

Tuesday 24th September 2024

NORTHWOOD
1	Ryan Hopping
2	Junior Paiva (4m)
3	Kelechi Etienne
4	Gabriel Ipanga-Mbambo
5	Balu Makumbi
6	Jack Empson
7	Archie James © (34m)
8	Yahara Kamara (60m)
9	Ade Gbolahan
10	Godlove Oppong
11	Harry McKenna
Substitutes
12	Prince Mbengui (34m)
14	Jack Smith
15	Jack Young (4m)
16	Kojo Gyimah
17	Jeremy Stewart (60m)

Northwood proved no match for title-favourites Berkhamsted on Tuesday night as the home side came from behind to maintain their 100% league record and inflict a heavy defeat on the Woods who remain rooted to the bottom of the table with zero points.

Following the last-gasp defeat at Kings Langley at the weekend, manager Scott Donnelly again rang the changes with Junior Paiva replacing the injured Samuel Odusoga at right-back, changed the whole midfield with Yahaya Kamara starting alongside the returning Gabi Ipanga-Mbambo while former Woods striker Godlove Oppong returned from a short spell at Biggleswade Town to start up front.

And it was Oppong who made an immediate impact to race into the box only to be taken down by goalkeeper Josh Bowler in the very first minute. Archie James took responsibility for the club’s first penalty of the season and he tucked the spot-kick away confidently to give the Woods the lead. Unfortunately, Paiva aggravated an injury in that very first move and had to be replaced by Jack Young with the defence and formation immediately reshuffled.

It should have been 2-0 six minutes later as Harry McKenna played in a great ball from the right and Oppong managed to get a touch in front of goal but it went wide of the post.

The Woods continued to work hard to keep the Comrades at bay but after 18 minutes Berko were level when the ball was worked across the area from the right and Louie Collier found space to fire low into the bottom corner to level things up. Ryan Hopping made a good save two minutes later as the home side began to dominate and then a cross from JJ Lacey was handled by Young’s outstretched arm and Collier tucked the resulting penalty away to put his side 2-1 in front. 

Northwood rallied well with Oppong hitting a good strike from distance which was only just over the top and then a long throw from Kelechi Etienne was headed out to McKenna who tried his luck from distance but again it was too high. On 34 minutes the Woods lost skipper James to injury, replaced by Price Mbengui but the rest of the half played out uneventfully.

That was also the case after the break. Jeremy Stewart replaced Kamara on the hour and a couple of McKenna free-kicks dropped into dangerous areas in the Berkhamsted box but there was no-one able to get a touch to them.

Then, the Comrades started to threaten again and Matt Bateman met a cross from the right with a first-time volley that crashed back off the inside of a post and into Hopping’s grateful arms. But just a minute later the Woods ‘keeper could do nothing to reach Luke Andrew’s angled drive into the bottom corner after the striker had been given too much space.

It got worse for Northwood five minutes later as a corner was headed back across goal by Lewis Thorpe and Andrews tapped home his second from close range.

A foul from Etienne, who was quicky shown a yellow card, led to a mass of Berko players surrounding him and after unnecessary pushing and shoving, a series of yellow cards were shown.

The Woods continued to work hard in the closing stages. Oppong had a shot that deflected and looped up for an easy take by Bowler and then Ade Gbolahan, who had a battle with Thorpe all night, managed to get the better of him but his shot hit the near post and went wide. The same player then had another effort which deflected for a corner.

But, as on Saturday, stoppage-time proved disastrous for Northwood as Etienne picked up a second yellow for a foul on substitute Simeon Olarerin and from the resulting free-kick, Hopping saved from Ben Walster but Kye Tearle was on hand to knock in the loose ball for a fifth goal.

REPORT by Alan Evans