Northwood 3 Hanworth Villa 1

Saturday 23rd August 2025

NORTHWOOD




1	Hafad Al-Droubi
2	Henry Atkinson (76m)
3	Brian McGovern
4	Manny Folarin
5	Jack Empson
6	Ademide Baruwa (90m)
7	Reece Price-Placid (74m)
8	Jon-Jo Bates
9	Dylan Kearney (83m)
10	Jamie Kennedy
11	Hicham Bouchareb (81m)
Substitutes
12	Osa Otote (74m)
14	Jordan Ellis (81m)
15	Devonte Totesaut (83m)
16	Chama Torsiello (76m)
18	Jack Smith (90m)

The Woods notched their first win of the new season with this Isuzu FA Trophy success, their first win in the competition for four years while also ending a five straight defeats against their opponents over the last few seasons.

With two home games scheduled inside three days, the management team knew they needed to make full use of the available squad so changes were made with two teenagers coming in in the full-back positions. Brian McGovern, star of last season’s Under 18s, replaced the holidaying Mack
Miskin at left-back while current Under 18s player Henry Atkinson made his first team debut in the right-back position. There was also a first start of the season for Joint Manager Jon-Jo Bates in midfield with Carl Stewart rested, a debut for Hicham Bouchareb, after a patient wait for International Clearance, and a first start for another teenager as Jamie Kennedy came in, with Devonte Totesaut reverting to the bench.

The visitors had suffered a shock FA Cup defeat a week earlier, going out 3-2 to Step 5 side Soul Tower Hamlets so also chose to similarly make several changes to their own starting line-up but they started brightly enough and got the first effort on goal after 11 minutes when Marco Haigh forced Hafed Al-Droubi to push a shot wide. While the resulting corner was half-cleared, it was recycled and from a deep cross, George Wells headed back across goal and against the crossbar.

But just two minutes later, the Woods grabbed the lead with a great goal on the counter-attack. It was the two players making their debuts that combined with Atkinson supplying the perfect ball from midfield which allowed Bouchareb to run behind his marker and then finished clinically with a precise left-foot strike.

PHOTOS by James Brown

The Villains should probably have levelled on 20 minutes when a stray ball across midfield was seized upon by Guy Ansah-Palmer who rushed forward, exchanged passes with Sam Merson and his centre picked out Sam Mead but the striker miskicked in front of goal. It was sustained period of pressure from the visitors at this stage. A corner was headed out by Jack Empson and Abdullah Javaid attempted a first-time volley which flew well over. Then another deep cross to the far post picked out Merson but his header lacked the direction to beat Al-Droubi, who gratefully caught his effort.

After this, the Woods began to enjoy more possession but without threatening in the final third until half-time was approaching. Then, Atkinson started another attack, finding Dylan Kearney centrally. He arrowed a great ball wide for Bouchareb to race down the left and his excellent cross was expertly flicked past goalkeeper Mark Smith by Kennedy for his first goal in Northwood colours.

Two goals in front when the second half got underway, the Woods continued to defend solidly with Empson particularly strong in the air and Villa, who had been forced into one change at the break, made a further double-substitution ten minutes later. It had almost instant results as a corner was headed goalwards by the ever-dangerous Wells but Al-Droubi managed to push it away and Guy Hollis could only stab the loose ball wide of the post.

Another change followed for the visitors as Merson was replaced by Dylan Randall and this one did make an immediate difference as Javaid got down the left and sent over a fierce cross-shot that Al-Droubi could only parry and it was Randall who pounced to net from close-range on 64 minutes.

With hopes raised for Hanworth, they went in search of an equaliser but Northwood were still dogged in defence and ten minutes later they grabbed an all-important third goal. Ademide Baruwa won the ball in midfield and found Kennedy who provided another defence-splitting pass which allowed Kearney to burst through the centre and he raced into the box before crashing a shot into the top corner to give Smith no chance.

That was pretty much contest over as a series of substitutions saw the Woods introduce fresh legs which kept the Villa at bay and there were no scares despite the additional seven minutes at the end. Northwood had one late chance with a free-kick just outside the box which Jack Smith, on as a late sub, took responsibility for but it curled just wide of the post.

Northwood move onto the first qualifying round of the competition with another home game, this time against Isthmian South-East side Beckenham Town, opponents for the first-ever time, in two weeks’ time, on Saturday 6th September at The Skyline. Before that, they will be looking to maintain consistency and get their first Southern League win when Rayners Lane visit on Monday afternoon.

REPORT by Alan Evans



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