By Jools Thomas

The groundstaff at the Affinity Investments Stadium deserve a pat on the back for getting the ground playable and FC boss Craig Faulconbridge and his team were able to repay the hard work by treating supporters to a comfortable win with the added bonus of a long overdue clean sheet.

The opening few minutes were to be fair uneventful. The first real action was on the 14 minute mark. Brian Haule broke clear but his dangerous cross was cut out by a Northwood defender. FC continued to pressure and a few minutes later a series of corners ended with Leon Osei just clearing the bar with a shot. The pressure was beginning to tell and on 21 minutes FC had shot after shot in a goal mouth melee with Northwood somehow avoiding going behind. The away team produced their first chance on 34 minutes and in truth should have taken the lead. Oliver Walker saw a fine header saved by FC’s Simeon Charles and the ensuing scramble saw several stabs at the ball before FC somehow cleared the ball to safety. It was just a minute after this incident that FC took the lead. Sonny French found space on the edge of the box and just as he appeared to shoot, he instead played the ball to the unmarked Leon Osei who stroked the ball home. The in-form Leon doubled the home team’s lead soon afterwards. A floated FC free kick was scrambled away as far as the feet of the ex-Northwood man who planted the ball just inside keeper James Reading’s left hand post.

The second half was seven minutes old when Northwood’s Walker again found space with a header but struck it straight into FC keeper Charles’ hands when a nod either side could have resulted in a goal. A couple of minutes later, FC’s Matarr Touray broke clear and smacked a low hard shot that the keeper did well to parry. Leon Osei again showed his attacking intentions but was foiled despite firing in a decent strike on goal, with Brian Haule seeing the keeper block the rebound. Whilst FC enjoyed the better possession, it is not to say that Northwood did not have their moments. A 75th minute piledriver hit the bar and the rebound was again headed against the bar before FC cleared the ball to safety. The addition of substitute Adamson Ajayi also gave the visitors more options. A one two on the edge of the box saw Ajayi hurry the shot when composure could have seen the visitors pull a goal back. By this time however the away team were beginning to run out of ideas and FC appeared the more likely to score. Max Farrelly, in perhaps his best performance since joining FC, fed Kurt Morlese who was unlucky with his chance. It was in the final few minutes that FC made the game safe. James Faulkner made a galloping run down the right wing and although his strike was saved, Kurt Morlese was on hand to crash the rebound past the despairing grasp of keeper Reading.

Star man; Leon Osei

Entertainment 7

Line Up
1 Simeon Charles.
2 Ollie Lynch.
3 Luke Abraham.
4 Max Farrelly.
5 Craig Faulconbridge.
6 Lamar Simpson.
7 Davis Haule.
8 Sonny French.
9 Brian Haule. Sub Off (77')
10 Leon Osei. Goal (36', 38'), Sub Off (81'), Man of the Match
11 Matarr Touray.
13 Kurt Morlese. Sub On (77'), Goal (87')
15 James Faulkner. Sub On (81')