A new chapter at Northwood got off to the ideal start on Saturday as their new-look side won 1-0 at Chipstead to secure a first Isthmian League away victory for nearly two years and move off the foot of the South-Central Division table.

New head coach Ben Bukowski made eight changes, with only Daniel Purdue, Matt Surmon and James Gurteen keeping their places in the starting line-up. There were six debutants while defenders Andy Lomas and Tommy Boxer returned after previous spells at the club.

Woods were quickly on the front foot against a Chipstead side who boasted an unbeaten home record this season.

There had already been three forays into the final third, mainly involving Ryan Young, with one Keagan Cole free-kick being nodded well wide by Boxer, when the visitors took a ninth-minute lead.

Teddy Stacey played a ball into the feet of striker Sydney Ibie and he started his spell with the Woods with a quick turn of his marker before steering a fine strike into the top corner of the net, giving Chips goalkeeper Matthew Kerbey, on loan from Sutton United, no chance.

It took 28 minutes for the home side to finally threaten as first Dan Moody and then Kieran Lavery fired shots in from the left but both were wide of the far post.

But it was the Woods who finished the half strongly. Ibie’s run and cut back almost set up Young but a defender just intercepted for a corner and then Lomas got forward for a shot that flew only just over the bar.

The home side knew they needed to change things and they made a double substitution to begin the second half. But it was still Northwood who were on top as another driving run from Lomas set up Stacey and his fine strike had Kerbey flying across goal to tip the ball against the post and wide.

The context of the game changed soon after though, as the referee showed Boxer two yellow cards in the space of 90 seconds, the first for taking too long over taking a free-kick and the second for a minor foul as the visitors suddenly found themselves reduced to ten men for the last half-an-hour.

Young was sacrificed to get Pablo Velasco on to bolster the defence and within a few minutes Chipstead threatened with Andy Kabuikosomo’s header being comfortably saved by Purdue.

But the Woods defence wouldn’t be breached and stayed solid to repel anything the Chips had to offer with just a couple of scares. Purdue earned his clean sheet with a great reflex save to deny Kabuikosomo again and a very late free-kick which was allowed to bounce in the six-yard box before finally being cleared.