1st Team v Northwood

HALFWAY TO PARADISE
Saturday 8th September 2018.     F A Cup – 1st Qualifying Round
Northwood        0           Kings Langley        0   
After ninety plus frenetic minutes, not lacking in incident, the teams have it all to do again on Tuesday night at Gaywood Park, as the goals at both ends lived a somewhat charmed life in this scoreless Cup tie. Mitchell Weiss had a chance as early as the fifth minute, but was well over with his shot, but it served as a warm up for his close range header which Luke Sheldrick pushed upwards and just got to the rebound as it was about to cross the line. The keeper had to be alert again as Weiss rifled in another shot that he managed to parry and just beat the incoming Jorell Johnson to the ball and a Rene Howe volley fizzed past the post on the fifteen minute mark. The home side gradually fought their way back into the game starting with a long shot from Ned Clarke going wide, but could have taken the lead when Kings custodian Steve Bourke made a superb stop from James Ewington when the striker was clear on goal. However, it was Kings who had the last word of the half when a trademark Lee Stobbs acute free kick saw the resultant header from Callum Adebiyi strike the junction between post and bar.
As the new half opened Davide Pobbe dallied on a chance created by Rene Howe, but Wood were now having their own best period of the game and Steve Bourke did well dealing with a speculative lob out of the sun pushed over the bar. But it was to be the last quarter where the match really warmed up as the game swung from end to end. A Josh Coldicott-Stevens cross was missed by all and strolled past the post while an attempted clearance by Jorell Johnson hit his own upright and home winger Sam Jenkins saw his cross angle off the crossbar. Dean Hitchcock’s free kick was just wide and a Weiss dribble into the area was halted by his old adversary Sheldrick once again. While Kings had probably taken the first half on points, it was Northwood who could lay a similar claim to the second half, putting some late pressure on a resolute defence, but the introduction of Stevie Ward on the right could have been the game changer as his superb right wing run and cross two minutes from time found the head of Rene Howe, but the experienced striker put it straight at the keeper. The final twist was in the tail as a flowing counter attack instigated by Howe saw Weiss square the ball to Johnson with seemingly only Sheldrick to beat, but a superb tackle from the suddenly appearing Miguel Lopes de Matos saved the day and ensured that history repeated itself from four years ago as this intriguing saga stretched to a replay on Tuesday night.  RM