A Seb Lake-Gaskin strike just before half-time secured Valley a much needed three point haul at Butlin Road.

Lake-Gaskin was starting his first game in nearly a month, as one of three changes from the previous weekend’s draw at North Greenford – with Alex Austin and Sam Youngs also both restored to the opening eleven.

Town probed early on, but Lake-Gaskin did not really extend Woods’ keeper Berkley Laurencin with either of his two on-target efforts, and it was the visitors that had the game’s first real chance when Niko Muir struck the base of the post with a shot from twenty yards – with the ball then rebounding back off the upright onto Neil Collett’s head and fortuitously behind for a corner.

The hosts took the lead shortly after in the 22nd minute when Fazel Koriya seized upon a loose pass to launch a jinking run at the Northwood defence, and when this was finally halted the ball fell to Richard Gregory to smash his first time shot home.

The hosts’ lead was short-lived though, when Isamel Ehui slipped free of Austin to fire home past Collett at his near post, with his brother Joakini then nearly joining him on the scoresheet when he sent one just wide of the frame.

Michael Murray also went close after a well-worked set-piece, before Lake-Gaskin’s goal in the final minute of first half normal time came after good play on the right by Youngs resulted in an excellent pull-back and a clinical finish.

Valley started the second period well, with Lake-Gaskin lifting one over the bar, Gregory missing the target with a close range header to Will Grocott’s inch perfect cross, and Youngs and Ben George both having shots blocked, although the tricky Woods’ forward line did always look capable of grabbing another equaliser – with Collett doing well to deny a Rob Hastings’ strike at the other end.

Further good skill by Youngs led to a curling strike which Laurencin did well to tip away from the top corner and substitute Lewis Rankin fired one just past the post, with Northwood nearly grabbing a late point when fellow sub Davantay Hastings looped his header just over.

Valley Line-up: Collett; George, Kelly, Rowley, Austin; Grocott, Blythe; Koriya (Rankin), Lake-Gaskin, Youngs (Marsden); Gregory (Piggon). Subs not used: Banks. Booked: TBC.

Northwood Line-up: Laurencin, Vassell, Lomas, M.Burgess, Dicker, J.Burgess, J.Ehui, Muir, I.Ehui, Murray, R.Hastings. Subs: Asamoah, Payne, D.Hastings.