AFTER finishing fifth in the old Division One last season, Northwood certainly felt slighted when the Ryman League restructure grouped them with teams that finished almost 40 places behind them in the pyramid in the previous campaign, but, on Saturday's (August 17) evidence, this will be only a short-term irritation.

As if meaning to prove they are playing beneath their station this season, Northwood presented exibit one at Court Place Farm on Saturday, when the glib manner of their 3-0 victory over Oxford City bordered on the offhand.

Judging by manager Tony Choules' team selection, Northwood plan to look for safety in numbers when it comes to replacing strikers Steve Hale and Lawrence Yaku.

Scott Fitzgerald, who has enjoyed a prolific pre-season, and Chris Moore were joined in a three-pronged attack by new signing Ben Porter, a 21-year-old signed from Kingsbury, with midfield prompting again coming from skipper Chris Gell and Wayne Carter.

The fluency that marked their attacking play in the last campaign, though, was in short supply during the opening exchanges.

Highlights boiled down to a few long-range efforts and some meaty midfield action as both sides took their time to bed in.

After a quarter of an hour, though, some neat passing sequences that stretched the home defence threatened to kick-start Northwood's season. With so many new faces involved, it was perhaps inevitable that the breakthrough, when it arrived, would come courtesy of two of longest serving players at Chestnut Avenue.

Collecting the ball in midfield, Gell played forward to Fitzgerald, a product of Northwood's youth system. The skipper then raced into the box to receive a return pass, which duly arrived and was superbly dispatched after 22 minutes.

Both players might have doubled the lead before the interval as the visitors began to take control. Fitzgerald, in particular, will feel disappointed not to have opened his league account this season.

The pressure continued into the second-half, when Oxford creaked again as Chris Moore fired a cross-cum-shot across Steve Benbow's goal.

An outstretched hand from Ralph Perna resulted in a penalty which Dave Sargent converted, and whatever hopes Oxford had of forcing their way back into the game evaporated at that point, as Northwood's high-quality pre-season regime began to take effect.

Both fitter and sharper in the final quarter, Wood were more than two goals better than their hosts and good value for a third, which finally arrived two minutes before the end.

Fine approach play from substitute Kevin Hart, on for Porter, had knocked City's defence off-balance, and, when his shot took a deflection, Moore was first to the lose ball.

"Not many sides are going to go there and win that convincingly," said Choules confidently.

August 23, 2002 12:30