On a perfect day and pitch for football the boys really put the sort of performance that we knew they are capable of. With George a late withdrawal due to a chest infection and Callum not available this week we did have some subs to help us change the team around as we welcomed back Lewis Reid, Daniel & Ben Freeth who were all unavailable last week.
The boys started the game in the best possible way with opening the scoring on the fourth minute. Lewis Ryan played and excellent 30-yard pass that found Joshua on the shoulder on the Maccabi last defender who he beat with a great flick and then rounded the goal keeper to make it 1-0 the Woods. The game then went from end to end with both sides creating chances but Maccabi were not really threatening the Northwood goal with any shot only coming from distance. At the other end Ben Freeth was playing in Declan, Joshua & Ashley who all went close. In the 18th minute the boys doubled the lead from a long clearance from Rayyan, that picked out Joshua who now turned supplier and played and excellent pass into Ashley who fired in from long range 2-0. Lewis Reid was then introduced into the game after his lay off with injury, and he soon made an impact by playing in a great pass to the grateful Ashley who scored his second of the afternoon 3-0 Northwood.
The second half started with Northwood putting pressure on the Maccabi defence and the in the 3rd minute of the half a low cross was fired in and an unfortunate Maccabi defender could do nothing but turn the ball into his own net 4-0 .
At 4-0 the boys did start to cruise for a period if the game and started to lose a bit of concentration and gave the ball away quite cheaply on a few occasions. It was from one of these unforced errors that Maccabi pounced on the ball and struck it past a retreating Rayyan who didn't really have a chance 4-1. This goal did boost Maccabi and they did have a good spell making a few chances but the Northwood defence and midfield were playing well to keep the score to only one.
Northwood got their fifth after some good midfield play that saw Joshua find Frankie, who fired in a trademark shot from outside the penalty area to make it 5-1. Maccabi did seem completely demoralised by this fifth goal as the boys really started to dominated the possession and play by keeping the ball and switching play and pushing forward on every available occasion. From one of these extended periods of Northwood pressure, Frankie took a quick corner to Lewis Ryan who had pushed up from left back, he turned past the Maccabi right back and fired in a low drive into the far corner to register his first ever goal for Northwood, well done Lewis. This was near enough the last kick of the game the Northwood came out deserved 6-1 winners.
Line up: Rayyan, Lewis Ryan, Ben B. Daniel, Ashley Frankie, Declan, Ben F. Joshua, Saihaan, Lewis Reid.
