Northwood Town Fc

The Northwood Town manager Kevin Ellis saw this as the perfect opportunity to ring a few changes after the defeat to Barton, giving starts to Reynolds, Powner, Fox and Ottley and Wild (M) stepping in for the unfit Cockfield.

 

The game was a complete opposite to Saturdays defeat against Barton, the only thing this didn’t have was a sending off ! The game got off to a frantic start with Northwood failing to get a foothold in the game and Stafford’s young lads really took advantage of this by getting straight at Northwood.

 

However goalkeeper Mark Heath appears to be line a fine wine and keeps getting better with age, Mark made at least three top draw saves in the first 20 minutes to deny the Stafford strikers and leave them frustrated. Northwood however did go close once when Dave Ottley tested the Stafford keeper from the edge of the box with a fine left footed drive.

 

Despite having most of the play Stafford conceded after Nicky McGraw Headed was blocked Dave Ottley reacted quickest to head home the second ball. Northwood hadn’t deserved there lead but weren’t complaining ! Northwood went close 5 minutes later when Dave Ottley slid a lovely ball through only for Chay Pickford to waste a glorious chance and blaze his shot over the bar.

 

Despite going a goal down Stafford’s heads didn’t drop and they continued to get at Northwood, still goal keeper Mark Heath continued to frustrate as he continued make save after save.

 

Northwood would have been the happier of the two teams to go in at half time as Stafford were really threatening Northwood and had it not been for goalkeeper Mark Heath and the aerial dominance of Lee Wild and Lee Sherwin would have had at least one certain goal. Still the half time whistle had come and Northwood looked to regroup and have some welcome words of encouragement.

 

The second half started the same as the first though. Stafford really got at Northwood and after 50 minutes a contentious penalty decision was given, Stafford equalized with a well struck penalty which it was only due to the power that stopped Mark Heath from saving as he got two hands too it.

 

Around the hour mark one of the most Bizarre moments in football I have seen happened. A Northwood player went down injured and the referee stopped play as he thought it was a head injury. After the player had been treated the referee called a drop ball and asked for the Stafford Rangers player to sportingly pass the ball back to the Northwood Goalkeeper. However the Stafford player kicked the ball around 15 yards passed the Northwood goalkeeper and scored. The referee had no alternative but to award the goal. At this point the Northwood players had suspected this was no accident and were furious ! However weather accident or not credit should be given to the Stafford Town management committee who informed there players to let Northwood score and make the scores level and Adam Fox went on a 40 yard mazy run (no one challenged him) to slot home. A great display of sporting behavior that the league should look at rewarding. WELL DONE !!!!!

 

After the bizarre incident the game carried on pretty much the same as it had been. Stafford doing most of the defending with the Northwood defense and goalkeeper standing strong, Lee Wild winning header and tackle after each other. Northwood made a change and brought Top scorer Mick Nixon and creative midfielder Paul Snape off the bench for Dave Ottley and Chay Pickford. The double substitution was justified around the 65th minute when Mick Nixon turned in a Gary Tams shot. Northwood had again taken the lead and this again was against the run of play.

 

Credit must be given for the Stafford Town never say die attitude as they still continued to drive forward, Mark Heath had to make two or three top class saves during the next ten minute spell ! However around the 80 minute mark substitute Paul Snape burst down the right and when the Stafford defender failed to clear Paul knocked in the rebound to make it 4-2 and secure the points for Town.

 

Stafford Town would have felt hard done by as for the majority of the game they had been the better team, however it was Northwood who took there chances and killed the game off to secure three points. Had Mark Heath not been in such fine form the result would have read differently. Credit must be give to Lee Wild also who had an excellent game at the back and had it not been for the heroics of Mark would have won man of the match.

 

Man of the Match

 

Mark Heath

 

Team

 

Heath (M), Wild (L), Tams, Sherwin, Pickford, Wild (M), Reynolds, Powner, Fox, McGraw, Ottley

 

Subs

 

Snape, Gartside, Nixon

 

Subs Not Used

 

Heath, Brown