Northwood 3 Wingate & Finchley 1 (From Times Series)

Northwood 3 Wingate & Finchley 1

1:45pm Wednesday 1st September 2010 in

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Northwood beat Wingate & Finchley in this FA Cup replay at Chestnut Avenue, in a game that saw both sides hold the lead, and which could have gone either way until the final ten minutes.

Early in the match Northwood's Danny Power struck low from outside the box and his shot was held well by Finchley keeper Gavin King, while at the other end Leon Smith had a similar effort that was easily caught by Northwood's Mitch Swain.

Wingate & Finchley dominated the opening stages with fast-paced football and took the lead in the 16th minute.

A lofted through ball was played for Smith to chase on to on the left edge of the area. He outpaced his marker and drove forwards before slotting low past the helpless keeper.

From then on, the Blues dropped deeper inviting pacy Northwood onto them. From a drilled cross from the right wing Anthony Page blazed over the bar wildly when he should have scored.

Finchley did do well when in possession though, and on an attack the ball broke for the advanced Marc Weatherstone who fired a swerving shot from 25 yards which the keeper blocked as the ball had skidded dangerously off the damp surface.

For Northwood, Leon Osei beat the offside trap wide on the left and clipped the ball over King but missed the far post from his narrow angle.

However the hosts then got the leveller that their efforts deserved in first half injury time. A long free kick was floated in high from the left touchline and former-Blue Osei rose highest to head back across goal beyond King.

In the second minute after the break, Smith latched on to a long ball, muscled past his marker and stubbed the ball past the keeper, but his shot agonisingly hit the post.

Again Smith was the Wingate outlet, as he shot after O'Brien had played him through, but the keeper brilliantly saved the ball with an outstretched foot.

Like in the first half, Wingate began to get forced backwards by Northwood and the pressure grew. Josh Urquhary shot from distance and narrowly missed the left post, and then in the 70th minute Northwood took the lead.

John Christian was allowed space from distance and he shot viciously, but King could only parry the ball into the path of Aaron Cato who finished.

With eight minutes remaining a clumsy challenge in the box left the referee with no option than to award a Northwood penalty.

Christian drilled it straight down the middle and the ball beat King who had dived low.

From the kick-off Northwood immediately won the ball Osei sprinted towards the box, before a sliding challenge on him resulted in another penalty. This time though King saved from Christian who went for the bottom left corner.

Northwood missed a penalty kick later on, as Finchley toiled without reward.

PAUL LERMAN