Thurlow Nunn Division 1 South - Wednesday 30th July

Cannons Wood 4-0 NW London

Robert Adams 42' (Cannons Wood)
Jake Heath 45' (Cannons Wood)
Robert Adams 47' (Cannons Wood)
Jake Heath 77' (Cannons Wood)

NWL entered their third game of the season riding high after an excellent 4-1 home victory against Enfield Borough. Their opponents, Cannons Wood, came into the fixture with three points—just like NWL—but were coming off a heavy 0-4 defeat.

NWL were without CJ Eseka, sidelined with a hamstring injury, and Hocine Krouchi, who was also out injured. On a brighter note, talented midfielder Hussain Farhat returned to the starting lineup.

The match began with NWL picking up where they left off last week, dominating possession and piling on the pressure. The team created several early chances, but former NWL goalkeeper Brandon Bullman denied Luchessini in a one-on-one. Luchessini had another golden opportunity later in the half but failed to convert, while Krasniqi also missed two chances with poor touches when a goal seemed imminent.

Against the run of play, Cannons Wood took the lead after NWL defender Mills misjudged a bounce, allowing Wood to score with their first shot on target. Just before halftime, a freak goal doubled Wood's lead: NWL keeper Barker punched the ball onto a Wood defender, who volleyed it home.

Things went from bad to worse after the restart, as Cannons Wood extended their advantage to 3-0 following a well-worked move and a sharp finish from a cutback. NWL continued to dominate possession but couldn't find a way through, with Bullman and the Wood defence standing firm.

The misery was compounded when Krasniqi missed a penalty on 65 minutes. Soon after, Cannons Wood scored again in comical fashion—Barker missed the ball, which rebounded off the bar to a Wood defender on the ground, who managed to turn it in.

Despite further efforts, NWL's luck didn't improve—Krasniqi hit both the post and the bar, and two more shots were cleared off the line.

It was a day to forget for NWL. Despite controlling large parts of the game, their frailties were exposed and they were handed a reality check in a match they seemed destined to dominate.