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Edgware
Edgware’s interest
in the Middlesex Senior Cup faded and died on Tuesday when they were
shown the exit by trophy holders Northwood in this quarter-final tie
writes John Comfort, Sports Editor of the Harrow Observer.
True, the Wares' line up was dramatically shorn of a wide selection of
key players through injury, suspension and unavailability, but their
second rate showing on the night was never going to be good enough.
It might have been different had they snapped up a good second minute
opportunity, set up by a great run down the right by Stuart Blackburne.
He evaded the challenge of Northwood skipper Danny Murphy before
crossing to the onrushing Greg Ngoyi, but his shot from 10 yards went
wildly over the bar.
For their part, lively Northwood were in no mood to relinquish their
grip on the trophy and they had the upper hand from the moment they took
a sixth minute lead. Rob Blackburne punched away a Jerome Hall cross,
but only to former Edgware player Abdul Yoki, who sent a cracking
25-yarder back past the keeper and into the top right hand corner of the
net.
Another stunning goal doubled Northwood's lead on the half hour, Elliot
Buchanan cutting in from the right and beating Blackburne with a rising
drive, which went in off the near post.
Up to then Edgware had posed few threats, but they came desperately
close a minute later when Stuart Blackburne's header, from Vince
Rispoli's cross, forced the diving Woods keeper Mitch Swain to push the
ball away for a corner.
Turning round two goals adrift, Edgware needed an early strike in the
second half to get back in contention, and they had a good chance to get
one when Gavin Hart's cross found Adam Wallace, but he put his shot
straight at Swain.
Minutes later Ngoyi fell over and clumsily spooned the ball at Swain
from close in when attempting to convert another Hart cross.
In contrast to their adventurous first-half performance, Northwood were,
at that stage, seemingly content that they'd already done enough to win
the game and in all honesty, with Edgware sorely lacking in invention,
they were probably right - particularly after Hart was put clear only to
get the ball tangled under his feet when Murphy challenged, and a golden
opportunity was lost.
Even when Buchanan missed two good chances after going clear, putting
the first into the side netting and having the second blocked by the
advancing Blackburne, the visitors were still coasting home until, with
eight minutes remaining, substitute Ross Christie picked up a loose ball
and sent a stunning 25-yarder past Swain into the roof of the net to
reduce the arrears.
Unhappily, that was as good as it got for Edgware, and there was no
semblance of a late fightback to save the game.
Right on full time Buchanan beat off Chris Ingham's challenge on the
left and curled a great shot past Blackburne to seal Northwood's victory
and, in stoppage time, only the crossbar prevented the Woods striker
from making the scoreline more emphatic from a well struck free kick.
Edgware: R Blackburne, Brady, Hart, Smith, Ingham, Rispoli, Salih,
S Blackburne (Christie), Ngoyi, Wallace (Cain), Kane (Killick).
Other subs:
Gardner, Bonfield.
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