Hitchin Town 1 Northwood 1

Saturday 25th October 2025

 

NORTHWOOD
1	Hafed Al-Droubi
2	Nasir Sharifi
3	Mack Miskin
4	Manny Folarin ©
5	Gabe Cuthbert
6	Carl Stewart (88m)
7	Reece Price-Placid (96m)
8	Ademide Baruwa (80m)
9	Devonte Totesaut
10	Freddie Ford
11	Rahzir Smith-Jones (54m)
Substitutes
12	Bryan Mankumbani
14	Jon-Jo Bates (80m)
15	Dan Williams (54m)
16	Osa Otote (96m)
17	Harry McKenna (88m)

In front of a big crowd of 632, the Woods came close to returning home with all three points in a smash and grab raid at one of the promotion favourites, Hitchin Town.

Northwood fielded two debutants in their starting line-up. Bermudan international Rahzir Smith-Jones, who was at Binfield last season, came in for his first game of the season while 17-year-old defender Gabe Cuthbert, on loan from the QPR Academy, took his place alongside skipper Manny Folarin. Nasir Sharifi and Freddie Ford were also back as part of four changes from the previous week’s draw against Leverstock Green.

The Canaries were unchanged from their midweek goalless draw they had earned away at leaders Leighton Town in midweek and were unbeaten in their last five matches with former Woods goalkeeper Alfie Bonfield between the sticks.

With a big crowd and a strong breeze behind them, the home side started on the front foot and there was just six minutes on the clock when they forced a corner and from a good delivery by Josh Caldicott-Stevens, skipper Ciaren Jones steered a header over the bar.

Six minutes later, Callum Kane got forward down the left and whipped in a good cross but it was knocked wide at the far post and as Hitchin continued to dominate possession, a chip forward from Callum Nicholson almost picked out the diving header of Taylor Rhiney but he couldn’t quite make contact.

The Woods were struggling to make any impact up front and after 25 minutes Cuthbert picked up a yellow card for a mistimed tackle when covering a break from Fernando Bell-Toxtle on the left. From the free-kick, Coldicott-Stevens knocked in a well-flighted ball and Rhiney flicked on a header but it was just over the bar. Bell-Toxtle went off injured and was replaced by Will McNeill and the substitute could have made an immediate impact as Woods keeper Hafed Al-Droubi pushed a Kane cross into his path at the far post but he hit his shot wide of the post.

There was 36 minutes on the clock when Northwood registered their first shot on goal as Ademide Baruwa got forward and tried his luck from distance but his shot flew well wide of the target and the Canaries continued to hold sway.

PHOTOS by James Brown

A corner picked out Blue Joy for a header on target but it was also straight at Al-Droubi who claimed the ball comfortable and as the game entered stoppage-time another corner was only half-cleared and when knocked in again, Coldicott-Stevens had a great chance but his shot hit the post.

In the final action of the first-half, the industrious Freddie Ford was harshly penalised for what looked like a good tackle just outside the box but Kye Tearle put the free-kick over the bar and the Woods were still level at 0-0 at the break. With the wind now behind them, there was some hope that Northwood would enjoy a bit more attacking flair in the second half but the Canaries continued to probe without really threatening apart from one Tearle header which was safely held by Al-Droubi.

Dan Williams was introduced for Smith-Jones, who had been unable to make much impact on debut, after 54 minutes but Hitchin remained on top, knocking in several dangerous crosses which the Woods defence dealt with well. On 61 minutes, a centre from Jones found McNeill but his flicked header again went over the bar.

The Woods launched a promising attack after 65 minutes which saw Williams play Devonte Totesaut into the final third. The Woods striker had not had much joy all afternoon but this time he cut the ball back to Carl Stewart just outside the box and his ball picked out Williams in a dangerous position but he was adjudged offside.

Buoyed by this perhaps, the Woods stole the lead on 71 minutes when a good header forward from Williams on the halfway-line was missed by Nicholson and Ford pounced to race forward. He knocked it past Jones and then past a weak challenge from Joy before sliding his shot past Bonfield for the 17-year-old’s first league goal for the club.

If anything, the Woods defence strengthened their resolve after taking the lead. Nasir Sharifi was doing a good job keeping Kane quiet, Cuthbert had grown more assured as the match progressed and both home strikers were substituted as the Canaries searched for the equaliser.

Al-Droubi remained fairly untroubled as the Woods midfield engine of Baruwa and Stewart were replaced by Jon-Jo Bates and Harry McKenna and on 89 minutes, Northwood almost grabbed a second on the break when the hard-working Reece Price-Placid sped past Kane to knock in a great cross which Williams met with a header that deflected just wide of the post.

There were seven minutes added and it was in the second minute of those that Hitchin received a lifeline as Ford tripped a home player wide and close to the edge of the box and the Referee pointed to the spot. Substitute Diogo Freitas-Goveia was given the task of levelling the scores and although Al-Droubi dived to his right to keep out his spot-kick, he was unable to keep hold of it and the taker was quickest to the loose ball to fire home.

It was in the seventh minute of stoppage-time that the Woods were again penalised for a foul on the edge of the box, this time a free-kick but this was deflected wide and from the resulting corner another header flew over the bar to leave the scores level.

The Woods remain unbeaten away from home this season but also still second from bottom as they travel to play away at in-form Milton Keynes Irish on Tuesday night. The League newcomers have won their last two, scoring nine goals in the process.

REPORT by Alan Evans