Uxbridge supporters left Chestnut Avenue with a feeling of disbelief and muttering the word ‘unjust’ under their breath. How the Reds could have dominated the first third of this FA Cup tie, hitting the post twice and forcing a string of saves from Northwood goalkeeper Paul Riordan, and then not only end up losing, but by the scoreline of 5-1, is still a mystery, but it happened. Essentially, the difference between the two sides wasn’t four goals but quite simply Riordan’s display in the first half and the exquisite finishing of Lawrence Yaku who looks to have a big future in the game ahead of him. Northwood should have taken the lead within the first sixty seconds when Rene Street headed wide from Dave Nolan’s cross. After that though Uxbridge took control of the game and created numerous openings, which seemed at the time to point towards a victory for the visitors. On eight minutes Dean Clark found space on the edge of the area and shot, forcing Riordan to push his effort away and then five minutes later Riordan tipped Chris Moore’s twenty-yard dipper over the crossbar. From the resultant corner Moore’s drive was blocked in the six-yard area whilst Clark was first to the loose ball, driving in a low shot which hit the left hand post before rolling across the six-yard box just out of reach of Lee Tunnell. In the eighteenth minute Mark Gill’s glancing header from Clark’s corner wasn’t far wide and then four minutes later Clark was the creator once more, this time sending over a free kick which Stuart Bamford met with his head, the ball clipping the outside of Riordan’s post. On the half hour Moore was in the thick of the action again this time hitting a fine shot from the left hand side which Riordan did well to half stop and then reacted quickly to snap up the loose ball before Tunnell could get to it. Shortly afterwards Moore ghosted past Danny Butler before forcing another save from the Northwood ‘keeper and to all intents and purposes it just looked like a matter of time before all the possession and openings Uxbridge were creating paid off. However, within the space of six short minutes before half time all that hard work and initiative was made to mean nothing. Firstly Nolan played a pass into the left hand channel for the, up until then, quite Yaku. The talented home striker then beat two players whilst cutting into the area before driving home a shot past Dawson. The Uxbridge goalkeeper saved well from Mark Hook almost immediately afterwards and then before the Reds could catch their breath ex-Uxbridge striker Steve Hale hit a shot from the edge of the area which was heading into the arms of Dawson before a deflection took the ball into the back of the net and rubbed salt into the Reds already gaping wounds. George Talbot’s side were stunned by what had unfolded in front of them and in first half injury time it got even worse. Dave Sargent’s corner landed at the far post and Street headed in number three through a crowd players to the delight of the home supporters and his team mates. The mountain that had arisen in those six short minutes always looked too steep for Uxbridge to climb but in the fifty-sixth minute they gave themselves a lifeline when Clark’s pass split the home defence and Moore raced through to finally beat Riordan. Within the space of five minutes Tunnell hit a shot into the side netting and then Stuart Bamford was only narrowly off target with a drive from the edge of the area. Even with Nicky Ryder on as substitute, and subsequently playing with three men up front, the Reds couldn’t sustain the momentum and pressure and slowly but surely Northwood began to assert themselves and take the weight off their defence. In the seventy-second minute Yaku almost bagged his second but was denied by a fine save from Dawson before Richard Gell saw a good effort deflected wide. Eight minutes from time the game went from one end to the other within the space of sixty seconds which was to decide its destiny. Firstly Moore was put through on the edge of the penalty area but a last gasp tackle did enough to put him off and he shot wide. Then Stuart Bamford lost possession to Yaku in a dangerous position at the other end and Yaku didn’t need to be asked twice as he coolly beat Dawson to put the tie out of Uxbridge’s reach. Dawson saved well from Sargent shortly afterwards before Yaku completed his hat trick two minutes from time with another exceptional piece of skill and quality finishing. Uxbridge will rue not being able to break the deadlock in that crucial first half hour but as Northwood take their place in the Fourth Qualifying Round draw for the first time in their history they will be only too aware that it’s the end product that counts and slow starts don’t necessarily mean you can’t win the race emphatically at the finishing line.

NORTHWOOD: Riordan, Sherry (Issott 75), Williams, Butler, Street, Sargent, Nolan, Gell, Hale (McIntosh 59), Yaku (Fitzgerald 90), Hook.

Subs not used: Hart, Buchanan

UXBRIDGE: Dawson, Mills, S.Bamford, K.Cleary, Weedon, Granville (Ryder 58), Walters (G.Bamford 75), Gill (Jordan 75), Tunnell, Moore, Clark.

Sub not used: Greaves