This was a game Daventry should have won by a clear margin, quite how they didn’t take all three points will puzzle the players, supporters and management for many weeks to come.
Daventry created numerous goal scoring opportunities throughout the game but were thwarted at every angle by a fortunate, industrious and efficient Northwood.
Daventry should have scored at least three goals in the first fifteen minutes but a combination of capable goal keeping and inexcusable misses contrived to keep the score at goal less!
The match started almost ten minutes after three due to motorway hold ups on the M1 prevented some of the Northwood players from reaching Communications Park until almost two thirty!
Daventry Town Manager Darran Foster was almost lost for words and could not believe they had not taken all three points!
`How can you produce that many chances and not win a game?
The performance up until the last third was excellent, we defended very well and we constructed so many chances we should easily have won the match!
I was very happy with the performance overall as we were constantly on the front foot and showed plenty of energy and movement across the field.
We were never in danger of losing the game but we should comfortably have taken all three points.
`Scoring goals is fast becoming an issue, we have fashioned plenty of goal scoring opportunities but too often have failed to convert them into goals, which is not good enough.
We are squandering too many clear cut chances in front of goal, this clearly cost us two points against Northwood, and we must get better at finishing off these openings.
`I thought I had a nice balance to the team and was confident in the players I have selected but at the moment that loyalty appears to be kicking me in the teeth!
Players must take responsibility and show concern for their jobs on the field, sadly I feel at this time I have some players who appear they would rather be elsewhere, which is not good enough!
`For three matches now we have looked a much better side, the work rate of much of the squad has been exceptional and I am sure we are not too far away from kicking on.
New teams take time to settle and with our injuries of late it has been a very tough start to the season but we feel the performances are getting better.
We are tirelessly working on ideas on how to correct our goal scoring issues and then we will climb the table and make a serious play off push.
`The league has been very inconsistent with Kettering unexpectedly losing at Marlow, Potters Bar dropping all three points at Uxbridge, Hanwell losing at home to Beaconsfield and Rugby Town dropping points at Chalfont. Royston Town look like the team to challenge for the title but it’s a very long season and much will change between now and next April.

Dior Angus wasted the Towns first clear cut chance to take the lead, Angus shooting wide of the goal when running in with only the keeper to beat, but shooting wide.
Tommy Berwick should have scored minutes later, with only the keeper to beat his attempted chip over the keepers head, came to nothing as he tamely placed the ball into the keepers arms.
Berwick was unlucky with his next effort, a shot from the right was saved high to the keepers left, who then inexplicably palmed the ball down towards his own goal line from where he was fortunate to take hold of the ball for a second time! Nathan Haines was the next Daventry player to come close to breaking the deadlock, a corner was headed on by Josh Blake to Haines who put his header inches past the post!
The Daventry bench rose as one when the Northwood keeper Berkley Laurencin bought down Kieron Fitzgerald as he was attempting to allow the ball to run out of play but the Referee waved away their claims.
After 21minutes Fitzgerald managed to beat the keeper but the ball was cleared form the goal line by a Northwood defender frustrating the Daventry faithful even greater.
Dior Angus hit a sweet strike which Laurencin got down low to turn around the post, a fantastic save from the former Hendon goal keeper then Nathan Haines headed another wonderful opportunity wide of the keeper’s right hand post.
Haines was called into defensive duties minutes later getting in an important block on a shot from striker Rob Hastings then another cracking save from Daventry keeper Ben Heath keeping out Northwood.
Northwood winger Sam Byfield hit a really good shot towards goal which whistled past Heaths right hand post and Ollie Wilkinson made a terrific tackle to prevent Joakim Ehuz from shooting.
Ross Oulton looked as though he had done enough to score but once again keeper Laurencin dived low to his right to turn his shot around the post.
Dior Angus was provided with another clear header at the far post but unfortunately put it wide.
Ross Oulton placed another shot wide and Josh Blake twisted and turned but his headed effort went over the crossbar.
Kieran Fitzgerald ran free on goal with only the keeper to beat but was upended by Northwood’s Player/manager Mark Burgess who was promptly red carded for his deliberate actions on 78 minutes but as much as Daventry peppered the Northwood goal they could not find a winning goal, which would have taken them up to seventh place in the table.
On Tuesday (23rd September) Daventry travel to Brackley Town in the first match of their defence of the Northamptonshire Hillier Cup. KO 7.45pm
On Saturday (27th September) Daventry travel to bottom of the table AFC Hayes hoping for a little more luck and precision in front of goal to reignite their promotion credentials.

Match Facts:
Daventry Town 0 Northwood 0
Saturday 20th September 2014
Competition: Southern League Central Division Location: Communications Park
Daventry: Ben Heath, Ashley Deeney, Josh Blake, Nathan Haines, Ollie Wilkinson (Capt), Ross Oulton, Dior Angus, Josh O`Grady, Ryan Howell, Tommy Berwick (Luke Keen 74mins), Kieran Fitzgerald
Subs: not used – Richard Morris, Barry Deacon, Joe Power, Martin Hutchcox
Cards: Yellow: Ryan Howell (35mins)
Goal scorer: none
Man of the Match: Ollie Wilkinson
Attendance: 106

Jim Davis
Sports Writer