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Hertford Town 1  Northwood 2

Saturday 20th September 2025

 

NORTHWOOD
     
     
   
1 Sam Morris
2 Nasir Sharifi
3 Mack Miskin
4 Manny Folarin © 
5 Chama Torsiello
6 Carl Stewart (84m)
7 Jordan Ellis (55m)
8 Ademide Baruwa
9 Dan Williams
10 Jon-Jo Bates (64m)
11 Hicham Bouchareb (60m)
Substitutes
12 Jack Empson (84m)
14 Freddie Ford (64m)
15 Reece Price-Placid (55m)
16 Osa Otote (60m)
18 Devonte Totesaut
   

The Woods claimed their first three points of the Southern League season with a hard-fought victory at Hertford Town, the home side’s excellent start to the campaign, including a 100% start from their two previous league games, coming to an end.

Unbeaten from their own two previous away games this season, the Woods management rang the changes on the 3G surface with first league starts given to four different players – Chama Torsiello at the back and Jon-Jo Bates in the centre while Hicham Bouchareb and Jordan Ellis supported Dan Williams up front.

Hertford’s impressive cup form had come to an end over the two previous weekends, losing to Felixstowe & Walton in the FA Trophy and Step 2 side Chelmsford City in the FA Cup so they were looking to get back to the bread and butter of league football after four weeks of cup competition.

The Blues made a good start to the game, knocking the ball around in swift fashion and they took the lead with the first effort on goal after just eleven minutes when Albert McGregor chipped a good ball into the box to pick out the unmarked Lawrence Ajong and he steered his header back across goal for an easy opener.

The Woods had to reset and although Bouchareb was getting some success on the left, it was after 22 minutes that they got their first sight of goal. Dan Williams found a bit of space in the box but was well tackled just as he was about to pull the trigger and then Bates saw his effort from the edge of the box blocked by some good defending.

But eight minutes later, Northwood did manage to find an equaliser when Ellis got the better of his marker on the right and sent over a cross which a combination of Williams and defender Joe Nardelli managed to steer the ball under goalkeeper James Callan.

Hertford responded well though and six minutes later a good delivery from debutant Isaac Evans picked out skipper Billy Mardell-Smith and his goalbound header was brilliantly tipped over by Watford loanee keeper Sam Morris.

After this it was the Woods who finished the half on top. On 41 minutes, Carl Stewart, playing his 100th league game for the club, won a good ball in midfield and Williams was played through on goal but his first touch was too heavy and it ran through to Callan in goal. Two minutes later some more good approach work set up Bates for a shot but that flew well wide.

PHOTOS by James Brown

Bates was enjoying a dominant spell in midfield and another burst forward saw him find Williams in a dangerous position. He caught it well but the ball again cleared the crossbar. Three minutes into stoppage-time, it was Bates again who found space and this time he played Bouchareb in on goal with just the ‘keeper to beat but he went near-post and hit his shot just wide.

The home side came out strongly for the second-half and three minutes in, Manny Folarin took a ball in the face which needed treatment. While he was off the field, the referee dropped a kind ball to Hertford for the restart and the chip across goal saw Ajong up for another free header but thankfully this one flew over. Two minutes later, Ellis picked up a third yellow card of the game – Bouchareb and Bates had erred in the first-half – and from the resulting free-kick, player-manager Ben Herd picked out Nardelli but his header down was comfortable for Morris in goal.

On 54 minutes, McGregor fired over from a good position just outside the box but the Woods were finally getting back into the game and then an excellent cross from Williams picked out Stewart who perhaps should have hit it first time but took a touch and then saw his effort just blocked for a corner by Callan in goal.

Northwood rang the changes at this stage with all three players on yellow cards withdrawn and replaced by Reece Price-Placid, Osa Otote and Freddie Ford but the game continued to be open and entertaining, the Blues next to go close when Ollie Porter drove forward and got in a good shot but it was at Morris who was equal to it.

After 67 minutes Williams tested Callan at the other end with the keeper scrambling to his left to save low down and six minutes later came a talking point as Hertford had the ball in the net, McGregor netting from a close-range header after his previous headed effort, following a knock-down by Ajong, had been tipped superbly onto the bar by a stretching Morris. An assistant’s flag was up though for offside.

Northwood responded well again with Price-Placid and Ford combining on the right to get a ball cut back to Stewart who took a touch and fired near-post with Callan just getting down to push it wide. The all-important second goal came the way of the visitors though after 80 minutes. Williams closed down Callan on the ball quickly and his attempted clearance into the wind dropped kindly for Otote who volleyed the ball first-time straight and true into an empty net.

Still, plenty of time for the home side to get back into the game of course but the Woods made a further change with Jack Empson replacing Stewart to bolster the defence with Torsiello pushed into a role in front of the two central defenders and it had the desired effect.

The Blues made several substitutions in those closing stages but none of them proved to be the catalyst to an equaliser and it was Northwood who held on to the much-needed victory that takes them out of the bottom three.

With a Middlesex Senior Cup game away at Edgware & Kingsbury coming up on Tuesday night, the squad will be looking to build on their current run of form before they start a run of four successive home matches at the Skyline Roofing Stadium.

REPORT by Alan Evans

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