STADIUM SPONSORS
HOME SHIRTS & CLUBHOUSE SPONSORS
AWAY SHIRTS SPONSORS
WEBSITE SPONSORS
PREMIUM CLUB SPONSORS

 

 

 



Northwood 3  Brentford B 2

Tuesday 15th October 2024

 

NORTHWOOD
     
     
   
1 Dan Hosier
2 Harry McKenna
3 Kelechi Etienne
4 Jack Smith
5 Callum Morris
6 Jeremy Stewart
7 Archie James © (90+3m)
8 Danny Vincent (66m)
9 Ade Gbolahan
10 Godlove Oppong (90+2m)
11 Prince Mbengui (46m)
Substitutes
12 Junior Paiva (46m)
14 Sam Odusoga (66m)
15 Denislav Konstantinov (90+3m)
16 Mattheus Santana (90+2m)
17 Ryan Hopping
   

The Woods ended their search for a first win of the season with this narrow, last-gasp success over a youthful Brentford B side at the Skyline Roofing Stadium.

The Woods interim management team gave a starting debut to recent signing Callum Morris in defence while another new recruit, the experienced Danny Vincent took up a midfield role. There was also a change between the sticks as Dan Hosier, who has missed the previous six games through injury, was risked in goal with Ryan Hopping on the bench as cover in case of a problem.

Ryan Hopping returned in goal after Dan Hosier’s appearance in the Cup game while Junior Paiva started in place of the injured Price Mbengui. The Rams fielded an unchanged side from the one that had got a point at Ware the previous week.

The Bees played a number of Under 18s in their line-up alongside several more experienced B-team players and one of them, Max Dickov was first to go close with a good, jinking run into the box and a shot which was comfortably dealt with by Hosier in goal at his near post.

But with just nine minutes on the clock, the Woods took the lead as the ball was worked in from the right and when Archie James knocked it on to Godlove Oppong, the Woods striker nonchalantly swept the ball into the top corner from just inside the area for his first goal of the season and his first-ever at the Skyline.

Two minutes later, the Bees went close to hitting back as Ollie Shield threaded a ball down the right for Kyreece Lisbie. He beat his marker and got a shot in across the face of the goal but it was wide. Then, with 15 minutes on the clock, Dickov found space on the right again to knock in a first-time cross which saw Lisbie stretch to reach but the ball flew over the bar.

At the other end, Ade Gbolahan leapt on a loose ball to battle past a defender and get in a left-foot shot which young goalkeeper Connor Wolfheimer managed to block for a corner while both Vincent and Oppong had further shots on goal in the next ten minutes but were unable to trouble the Bees ‘keeper.

Brentford could have done better on 32 minutes as Kaya Halil played Lisbie in on goal, this time down the left but the striker should have done better than lift his effort over the bar.

Six minutes later, the Woods had doubled their lead. Again, the ball was worked in from the right, Oppong touched the ball off to Vincent who showed quick feet that left marker Beaux Booth on the floor before shooting low into the bottom corner from twenty yards, beyond the diving Wolfheimer who was beaten by the bounce in front of him.

With a solid two-goal lead the Woods did well to restrict the Bees after the break and went close to extending that lead on 55 minutes, On as a half-time substitute, Junior Paiva played a good ball into Gbolahan in the box and though he was unable to get a shot in, the half-cleared ball fell to Vincent and he sent a cracking strike inches over the bar.

Four minutes later, Brentford finally found a way through. From a free-kick awarded on the right side of the penalty-area, the ball was only helped on by Jack Smith at the near-post and when Shield headed it back across goal it looped up and over Hosier and Morris’s header dropped kindly for Lisbie to head home from a few inches.

It was the start of a mad few minutes for the Woods as almost immediately, Gbolahan, seeking to charge down a defensive clearance, over-stretched and caught a Bees defender with the Referee choosing to show a straight red card, leaving the Woods with ten men for the final thirty minutes.

Four minutes later, a quick break by the Bees down the right saw Dickov slip the ball forward to a triallist substitute who finished clinically to level things up.

It was no surprise that the young Bees had the better of the next twenty minutes or so but their final ball was lacking on several occasions. Booth did go close with a shot across the face of goal that flew wide of the far post but the prospect of a penalty shoot-out to decide the winners was looming as the final minute of normal time approached.

Then, Smith chipped a ball forward into the box, Oppong chased down a defender and hassled him into an error and as he headed goalwards from the right flank, he was hauled down. The Referee pointed to the spot and James sent the keeper the wrong way to put the Woods back in front.

The board shown suggested five minutes stoppage-time so when there was twelve minutes on the clock and the Bees won a last-gasp corner, the Woods supporters made it known that they disapproved but, with the ‘keeper up for it, a shot from Ollie Shielo flew wide and Northwood had battled through to victory.  The reward, an away game at Rayners Lane in the second round.

REPORT by Alan Evans



         
MENU