Northwood 2  Leverstock Green 2

Saturday 28th September 2024

 

NORTHWOOD
1	Ryan Hopping
2	Harry McKenna
3	Jack Young
4	Jack Smith
5	Jeremy Stewart
6	Jack Empson ©
7	Prince Mbengui (90m)
8	Yahara Kamara
9	Ade Gbolahan
10	Godlove Oppong (76m)
11	Gabi Ipanga-Mbambo (90m)
Substitutes
12	Kojo Gyimah (90m)
14	Archie James (76m)
15	Denislav Konstantinov
16	Michael Kelly (90m)
17	Henry Atkinson

The Woods matched up against fellow strugglers Leverstock Green for their first home game in a month having parted company with manager Scott Donnelly after a midweek thrashing at Berkhamsted left the club with a record sequence of defeats. An interim team of coaches was brought in to oversee the transition under Director of Football Steve Ringrose with Richard Elderfield and Mark Chandler joining Ryan Young, who remains at the club.

The visitors, under the management of former Woods defender Fergus Moore were also looking for their first league win at Step 4 having been promoted last season but had enjoyed a couple of excellent cup wins in both FA Cup and Trophy already.

With Balu Makumbi called back by Slough Town to be part of their FA Cup squad and Kelechi Etienne unwell, there needed to be a couple of tweaks to the defensive line-up for the Woods with Jeremy Stewart slotting into the centre and Jack Young starting at left-back. Top scorer Archie James was also struggling with injury so dropped to the bench with Jack Empson taking the armband.

And the Woods started quite brightly with Godlove Oppong quickly into the action, heading a cross goalwards but it dropped over the bar. On six minutes, Oppong, who returned to the club the previous week, drove into the box unimpeded and went for goal but it was blocked by a defender before Harry McKenna crossed from the loose ball but was unable to pick out a teammate.

The visitors gradually settled into the game, had one headed goal ruled out by an offside flag and then had their first effort on goal after 16 minutes as former Woods attacker Radu Stefanoaica was slipped through by Rio Beach but Ryan Hopping blocked and Ethan Mooney put the rebound high and wide.

PHOTOS by James Brown

There was a lucky rebound that put Stefanoaica in down the right after 21 minutes and he squared the ball to Mooney but again he slotted over the bar as the Green threatened to break the Woods defences.

Northwood hit back with another good run from Oppong, cutting in from the left and firing goalwards. One-time Woods keeper Alfie Bonfield pushed the ball out and it proved enough as it was cleared away. Soon after, Gabi Ipanga-Mbambo, playing in his natural attacking position for the first time, sent over a cross from the right which was just too high for Oppong arriving at the far post.

The entertaining, open game continued as a good passing move around the Northwood area after 35 minutes saw Beach set up Guiseppe Delgaudio with a great opportunity but his shot lacked power and Hopping was able to dive to his left to save and hold.

But it was the Woods who finished the half strongly. Firstly, Oppong combined with his strike partner Ade Gbolahan and turned to shoot from six yards but Bonfield kept it out and then Oppong turned provider with a cross from the right but Prince Mbengui headed wide of the far post.

With the scores still level at the break, there was a slow start to the second half with the first goal action coming after 56 minutes when a Jack Smith free-kick was headed on by Stewart and recovered by Young but his shot was always going wide.

Just a minute later the ball was at the other end and a cross from Stefanoaica found Delgaudio in space but his shot was pushed across goal by Hopping and then cleared off the line by Young.

It was after 59 minutes that the Woods took the lead. A clever back heel from Gbolahan put Mbengui into the box on the left and his cut back was swept first-time inside the post by Ipanga-Mbambo for not only his first goal for the club but also Northwood’s first goal at The Skyline all season.

Sadly, the lead only lasted three minutes as Mooney put over a pinpoint cross which found Delgaudio unmarked and he headed neatly into the corner to give Hopping no chance. Back came the Woods again six minutes later. A Levy free-kick was cleared away and Gbolahan flicked the ball into the path of Ipanga-Mbambo who was supporting a quick break. The Woods player outbattled both players on his flanks to get into the box and lifted a shot over the oncoming Bonfield into the corner to restore the narrow lead with his second goal.

Again, hopes were raised that the Woods could get over the line for the first time this season but Mooney showed that the Green were still a threat with a shot that flashed across goal and just wide. The Woods failed to read the warning signs as Leverstock then levelled for the second time on 83 minutes with a similar goal to their first. This time it was Stefanoaica with the deep cross and this time Delgaudio’s header had more power that direction but Hopping was unable to keep it out.

The visitors looked to find a winner but were thwarted when Hopping stuck out a right leg to divert a Louie Collins shot wide and then again when the Woods keeper flew across to his right to push a header from Eyituoyo Akinbulumo wide of the goal. 

It was the Woods who went closest to winning the match in five minutes of stoppage-time though. More good work from the industrious Gbolahan wide on the right saw him cut a ball back to Yahaya Kamara and his shot looked destined for the far corner until a deflection took it wide.

In the end, both sides had to settle for a point and the search for a first league win of the season goes on.

REPORT by Alan Evans