Once again it took a strong second half performance from United to secure the points, this time on the road at Northwood.
The only changes from the side that had drawn at Ashford Town (Middx) on Tuesday evening saw James McGowan come in at centre back, with Luke Ricketts replacing the unavailable Aston Goss on the wide left.
The opening period of the match was relatively quiet, with both sides cancelling each other out in the middle of the park, and neither keeper troubled. However, after 14 minutes United thought they had made the break through when a Lynton Goss free kick was delivered in to the box and Jamie Essex forced the ball home at the far post, only to be ruled-out for off-side. Sixty seconds later and Dan West found space on the left and, from a tight angle, saw his effort tipped over the bar. Two minutes later and the home keeper was in more action, this time pushing a Lynton Goss shot from an acute angle wide.
And it came back to haunt United on 21 minutes when they failed to clear their lines and Liam Tack was adjudged to have fouled an opposing player in the box, with the referee immediately pointing to the spot. Jermaine Osei stepped-up and sent Craig Hill the wrong way to give the hosts the lead. United looked to get back in to the game before the break and the best opportunity fell to Lynton Goss on 30 minutes whose strike from 20 yards took a slight deflection and was again tipped wide by the home keeper.
A goal down at the break and United started the second half with more attacking intent, but were again struggling to set the pace of the game, or create any meaningful goal scoring opportunities. Nevertheless, Dan West just failed to connect with a bouncing ball in the box on 68 minutes, before a ten-minute spell saw United score three goals and take the game away from the hosts.
The first of these arrived on 72 minutes when Goss was released just inside the Northwood half and, with the retreating defenders unable to catch him, he raced in to the penalty area before confidently finishing wide of the home keeper. Three minutes later and United took the lead. A scramble in the penalty area from a corner eventually saw the ball arrive at the feet of Tom Ashworth six yards from goal and he finished in to the corner, wide of an array of Northwood defenders who were occupying the goal line. Then, on 78 minutes it was 3-1 after good inter-play between Goss and Tack at a short corner saw the latter find space to cross, where James McGowan out jumped his marker to power a header in to the roof of the net.
By now the work was done, and with captain Ben Sturgess organising the side throughout, they snuffed out any Northwood attempts to get back in to the game.
The win keeps United 11th in the table.
United:
Hill, Mepham, Lynn, Essex (Murray), McGowan, Ashworth, Tack (Evans), Goss, Sturgess, West, Ricketts (Morris).
