Northwood staged a spirited second-half recovery to earn a 2-2 draw and extend their unbeaten run to five games in a keenly contested mid-table clash which saw visitors Tooting & Mitcham United finish the game with nine men.

The away side had opened up a two-goal advantage early in the second half, but Micah Jackson halved the deficit before Keagan Cole levelled at the death.

Northwood made a positive start by winning an early free-kick in a dangerous position and Cole’s deflected effort was gathered by goalkeeper Oliver Pain.

The hosts continued to press and had a great opportunity to open the scoring as Josh Helmore latched onto an Andy Lomas ball from deep, holding off a defender before shooting slightly off balance with Jackson available as an option, the effort being blocked.

Watford Observer:

Sydney Ibie narrowly fails to connect

However, it was the visitors who made the breakthrough when Northwood lost possession in a dangerous position, allowing Mark Waters to fire in a low cross which keeper Dan Hosier failed to gather, Michael Dixon reacting quickest to convert on 24 minutes.

Tooting were buoyed by the goal and continued to a pose questions as Nathan Daly headed narrowly wide. But Woods finished the first period on the front foot as another Cole free-kick found the head of Teddy Stacey who headed narrowly before a Carl Stewart shot failed to trouble Pain.

The second half was only two minutes old when Tooting were fortuitously awarded a throw-on and broke away to extend their lead with Waters applying the finish.

Watford Observer:

Micah Jackson scores Northwood's first goal

However, Woods managed to reduce the arrears in superb fashion on 62 minutes, Jackson sublimely taking down another ball over the top from Lomas before coolly rounding Pain and rolling the ball home for his fifth league goal.

Play continued to ebb and flow with Hosier parrying substitute Billy Brown's low shot and Tommy Boxer clearing the loose ball. At the other end, Helmore spun smartly in the box before firing in a cross-shot which just evaded the on-rushing Sydney Ibie.

The game was almost put beyond the hosts as Dixon latched onto a misplaced pass on the edge of the Northwood box, but he dragged his shot wide of the far post.

Woods resumed their search for the leveller and went came close as substitute Alex More’s curling shot from just outside the box rattled the upright before being scrambled clear.

Watford Observer:

Woods appeal in unison for the equaliser

With the clock ticking down and the Terrors using every trick in the book to slow down proceedings, Woods were finally rewarded for their endeavours with a 90th-minute equaliser – Cole heading in after Pain had failed to punch clear More’s free-kick, the assistant referee well placed to adjudge the ball had crossed the line despite vociferous appeals to the contrary from the visitors.

Woods almost took the points in stoppage time as new signing Luke Tingey’s long throw caused panic in the Tooting box, but Helmore just failed to connect from close range – Northwood ultimately happy with the point but Tooting let their frustrations boil over as Jordan Clarke and Daly saw red.