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 Northwood 3  Kidlington 0

Saturday 14th December 2024

 

NORTHWOOD
     
     
   
1 Hafad Al Droubi
2 Jack Empson
3 Junior Paiva
4 Manny Folarin
5 Balu Makumbi
6 Jack Smith (73m)
7 Harry McKenna (86m)
8 Troy Perez-Duah
9 Alex Cathline (68m)
10 Hassan Jalloh (78m)
11 Nnaemeka Anyanwu (89m)
Substitutes
12 Stefan Powell (73m)
14 Aaron Benn (86m)
15 Cassius Joseph (89m)
16 Samuel Folarin (78m)
17 Jack Timberlake (68m)
   

The Woods came out on top in this crucial clash against Oxford-side Kidlington who were just behind Northwood in the table and equally searching for points to climb out of the relegation-zone.

Manager Gary Meakin made changes to the defensive line with Junior Paiva, Jack Empson and Balu Makumbi all returning at the back; Jack Smith returned to bolster the midfield area and there was a debut in attack for Hassan Jalloh, an experienced ex-Hayes & Yeading player who has been playing at Rayners Lane previously.

With a rare bit of December sun shining, it was still a typically-low pre-Christmas crowd at The Skyline who missed the Woods’ best result of the season and the side soon settled on what was another testing pitch surface.

The Greens actually recorded the first effort on goal as Alex Costa found space for a shot which Hafed Al Droubi saved low down but Northwood were soon on the front foot and should have taken the lead after just five minutes when a cross from Nnaemeka Anyanwu was punched away by Kidlington goalkeeper Adam Dower. It dropped to Alex Cathline who had to stretch but still should have done better than blazing his shot well over the gaping goal.

A minute later, Harry McKenna did well on the right to cut in and create a shooting chance. It took a deflection but that only served to divert the ball straight at Dower in goal.

The early pressure paid off after 11 minutes when Anyanwu came across goal from the left and fed off an exchange of passes with Troy Perez-Duah to hit a right-foot chip into the top corner of the net and give the Woods a valuable lead.

PHOTOS by James Brown


Perez-Duah was next to go close himself with a shot that the visitors keeper kept out at his near-post as Northwood continued to probe but it was the Greens who were next to threaten as they were awarded a free-kick centrally not far outside the box. It was Nathan Opoku who was given the opportunity to go for goal and he did get the ball up and over the wall but it was straight at Al Droubi, who claimed it comfortably.

Just a minute later, Empson and McKenna combined down the right to give Jalloh an opportunity and his strike across the face of goal almost crept in at the far post and was just inches away from Anyanwu who was looking for a final touch.

It was after half an hour that any nerves were settled further as the Woods nabbed a second goal. Jalloh played a neat ball across the box where Cathline laid it into the path of Jack Smith and he drove it back across goal into the far corner for his first goal for the club.

There was just one scare for Northwood before the half-time break and that came of their own making with a rebound bouncing goalwards off of Makumbi but Al Droubi showed quick reactions to claw it back off the goal line and just keep it out.

Kidlington needed to make a quick impact after the break to get back into the game and they had their best move on 52 minutes as a good ball sent Charlie Bacon away down the left. He did everything right to cut in and test Al Droubi with a low strike but the Woods keeper did well to push it away with his left-hand and then recover to drop on the loose ball as Opoku raced in.

After 65 minutes, the Woods hit a third goal in a league game for the first time this season with Jalloh netting on his debut. Some clever footwork saw him beat his marker and, after his initial effort had been blocked, he curled a right-foot shot across goal and inside the far post.

Five minutes later, Anyanwu tried to get in on the act again with a fierce strike from the edge of the box but Dower was equal to it and kept it out. Jack Timberlake came on for Cathline, Stefan Powell for Smith and Jalloh was replaced by Samuel Folarin as the Woods introduced fresh legs for the closing-stages and with Aaron Benn and Cassius Joseph also introduced in the last ten minutes of play it allowed the side to cruise to victory with no further threat from the Greens.

The Woods now have a midweek break before one final pre-Christmas league game away to Biggleswade at Bedford Town FC next Saturday on their new 4G pitch. Biggleswade are one of a whole host of clubs that Northwood have in their sights as they look to continue their climb to safety.

REPORT by Alan Evans

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