Biggleswade 5 Northwood 2

Saturday 21st December 2024

NORTHWOOD




1	Hafad Al Droubi
2	Junior Paiva (90m)
3	Kelechi Etienne (78m)
4	Jack Empson
5	Balu Makumbi
6	Jack Smith (63m)
7	Harry McKenna
8	Troy Perez-Duah
9	Alex Cathline (63m)
10	Hassan Jalloh
11	Samuel Folarin (90m)
Substitutes
12	Chris Ozougwu (90m)
14	Stefan Powell (63m)
15	Joe Booth (78m)
16	Freddie Peploe (90m)
17	Jack Timberlake (63m)

There was no pre-Christmas cheer for the Woods by the end of this closely-contested fixture after they let slip the narrow lead that they had worked hard to earn early in the second half.

After their convincing victory over Kidlington a week earlier, Northwood were looking to finally record back-to-back wins for the first time this season but there was a setback with four players missing from the line-up through illness and unavailability. This included defensive lynch-pin Manny Folarin and overall, there were three positional changes to the back-line. Nnaemeka Anyanwu, Cassius Joseph and Aaron Benn were the other absentees.

The home side had dropped points in a midweek draw against bottom club North Leigh but the Woods were unable to exploit any lack of confidence in the early stages of the contest as Biggleswade were in front after just 10 minutes. Former Woods midfielder Charlie Hayford recycled his own corner to knock in a low ball and Lawrie Marsh managed to squeeze a shot in at the near post.

The Woods continued to struggle to get a hold in the game as the home side continued to threaten and there was 19 minutes on the clock when the visitors first recorded an effort on goal as Alex Cathline chipped goalkeeper Charlie Crowley but the ball dropped just over the bar. It seemed to act as a catalyst for Northwood to finally settle and three minutes later a free-kick just outside the box saw Jack Smith curl an effort just wide of the near-post.

It got better for the Woods who were level after 26 minutes as Troy Perez-Duah and Harry McKenna combined to set up Junior Paiva for an excellent cross which dropped perfectly for Samuel Folarin to convert neatly at the far post.

After another spell where the home side had more of the ball but without threatening, Northwood finished the half well. After 40 minutes, a loose ball ran kindly to Hassan Jalloh in the box but he was denied by an excellent reflex save from Crowley. Folarin pounced on the half-cleared ball from distance but his strike was inches wide of the target.

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PHOTOS by James Brown

The half finished with the Woods on top as McKenna raced onto Paiva’s through ball and knocked in a fierce cross and although Cathline managed to stretch and get his head to it, he was unable to get it on target.

The request would have been more of the same for Northwood after the break and they made the ideal start as a big, headed clearance from Balu Makumbi was taken down by Cathline who turned and played a neat one-two with Perez-Duah before slotting past Crowley and in at the far post.

Biggleswade created a good chance on 53 minutes when Jordan Brown and Rio Martucci combined to send Randy Bulakio through but he shot high and wide of the target. In return, Cathline went close again but also fired over the top.

Biggleswade turned the game around again with two goals in four disastrous minutes for the Woods. Hayford was the provider again on 59 minutes with a testing cross from the left and Brown twisted to head home from close-range. Three minutes later they were ahead when a free-kick from the halfway line somehow picked up Marsh all alone in the box and he thumped a shot into the roof of the net for his second of the game.

It brought changes immediately from the Woods with Smith and Cathline replaced by Stefan Powell and Jack Timberlake and the latter had the ball in the net on 70 minutes, sweeping home a cross from Kelechi Etienne but an offside flag quickly cut short the celebration. Folarin then found a bit of space around the edge of the box but skied his effort.

The Northwood resurgence was brought to an abrupt end after 77 minutes as a good ball from Adam Wedd picked out Martucci and although his strike wasn’t the best, it somehow squirmed through Al Droubi and his near-post to make it 4-2.

Northwood blooded a couple of Under 18s players in the final stages with Joe Booth and Freddie Peploe making their debuts but a further comeback never looked likely, and it was Biggleswade who rounded off a good day for the home side when Brown broke free and slotted past Al Droubi for his second of the game.

With no game on Boxing Day, Northwood now have a full week to recover before they return to the Skyline Roofing Stadium for the visit of AFC Dunstable next Saturday.

REPORT by Alan Evans



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