Enfield 2 Northwood 0

Saturday 23rd November 2024

NORTHWOOD




1	Hafad Al Droubi
2	Harry McKenna
3	Kelechi Etienne
4	Balu Makumbi
5	Manny Folarin
6	Jack Smith
7	Samuel Folarin (65m)
8	Troy Perez-Duah
9	Alex Cathline (55m)
10	Archie James (55m)
11	Nnaemeka Anyanwu
Substitutes
12	Jack Empson
14	Chris Ozougwu
15	Stefan Powell (55m)
16	Cassius Joseph (65m)
17	Jack Timberlake (55m)

The Woods missed the opportunity to notch up back-to-back league wins for the first time this season with a series of missed chances before this first-ever league meeting between the two sides went the way of the home side in the final third of this fixture played in wet and windy conditions.

There were two new faces on the bench for Northwood, both joining from Slough Town, in defender Chris Ozougwu and forward Jack Timberlake while Samuel Folarin returned to the squad having missed last Saturday’s win over Stotfold. There was an issue in the warm-up for Gary Meakin’s side as Cassius Joseph, man of the match against Stotfold, pulled up with injury so was replaced in the starting line-up by Folarin.

Northwood were quickly on the front-foot despite playing against the wind. After nine minutes, Archie James did well to rob Myles John on the edge of the box and raced towards goal but with just St Lucia international goalkeeper Lamar Johnson to beat, he hit his left-foot shot straight at him. Four minutes later Kelechi Etienne enjoyed a good run from deep to the edge of the area but again the Enfield ‘keeper was behind it comfortably.

With the E’s over-hitting their attempted through-balls, the Woods continued to dominate and after 20 minutes they had another good opportunity as Jack Smith threaded a great ball through for James. This time he hit it with his right and tried to lift it over Johnson but the goalie was able to palm this one away.

Enfield continued to struggle with the wind behind them and didn’t notch their first effort on goal until the 39th minute when a shot from Brad McClenaghan flashed well wide of the post and the Woods finished the half strongly. On 43 minutes they should have been ahead as Troy Perez-Duah won possession the Enfield box and played it to Harry McKenna. His shot was pushed across goal by Johnson but straight into the path of Alex Cathline who somehow lifted his strike over the bar just eight yards out from the gaping goal. The half wasn’t over as Cathline was put through on goal again a minute later but Johnson was equal to his shot again, getting his left-hand to his shot which rebounded safely back to him off a defender’s foot.

PHOTOS by James Brown

The second half needed more of the same from Northwood, this time with the wind in their favour, and Sam Folarin headed an early free-kick onto the roof of the net before playing a neat pass inside to put McKenna into the box again but the result was the same with Johnson saving once again at his near post.

The Woods were the first to make changes after 55 minutes with Stefan Powell on for James while Timberlake made his debut as a replacement for Cathline. Just a minute later Enfield recorded their first shot on target but Hafed Al Droubi was quickly down to save comfortably.

Timberlake was soon into the action though as he beat his marker on the left and cut in to shoot but it took a slight deflection off a defender which meant it only dribbled through to Johnson in goal. Joseph had recovered sufficiently to be introduced as a substitute for Sam Folarin on 65 minutes and two minutes later he fed Timberlake. The Northwood newcomer did well again to find space for a good strike but the Enfield keeper was there again to dive to his left and push it round the post.

But three minutes later, it all went wrong for the Woods. Manny Folarin conceded a free-kick just outside the area on the Enfield left flank, picking up a yellow card and from the resulting free-kick, the ball was flighted superbly across goal to dip inside the far post by skipper Rob Clark.

Northwood had a free-kick of their own two minutes later but Perez-Duah’s effort dropped wide of the target and the visitors then struggled themselves to find the quality ball in the final third. Perez-Duah tried his luck again from distance but Johnson saved once more and after 83 minutes it was all over as Enfield took full advantage of a mix-up at the back to score a second through substitute Sami Bessadi.

It only got worse for the Woods as Manny Folarin was harshly given a second yellow card in early stoppage time which left them down to ten men for the closing-stages and Enfield held on comfortably for all three points.

REPORT by Alan Evans



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