Middlesex Charity Cup first round: Wingate & Finchley 0 Northwood 0 (3-5 on penalties)

Wingate & Finchley were knocked out of the Middlesex Charity Cup following a shoot-out loss to Dean Barker’s Northwood last night.

After a goalless draw at the end of the 90 minutes, the first round tie went to penalties and the visitors held their nerve.

Northwood scored all five of their kicks from 12-yards and although Wingate netted three, Marc Charles-Smith failed to find the net and the Bostik Premier club suffered a defeat as a result.

Optimism was rife at the Maurice Rebak Stadium ahead of the game after the appointment of one-time England full-back Nicky Shorey on Monday afternoon.

The Blues were prepared for a tricky game against the Bostik South Central Division club though, and that’s exactly what they got.

Manager by Barker, who coached Wingate’s development team last season, the Woods went close early on through Kweku Conrad-Lucan, but he fired wide.

It was one of few chances created in the first 45 with Blues’ Ola Williams striking over also, but there was very little to note on the goalscoring front.

Wingate made a change at the break with Jake Eales replacing Sean Cronin, but the former Queens Park Rangers defender was forced off eight minutes later.

Eales appeared to suffer an injury setback on his return from a period out and was replaced by Luke Ifil.

As the seconds ticked away in north London, Blues began to up the ante and Charles-Smith drilled wide before Reece Beckles-Richards almost flicked past ex-Wingate goalkeeper Luke Sheldrick.

Northwood then nearly nicked it at the death as Conrad-Lucan was played through, but he blasted over and so penalties were required.

After the Woods had scored four of their penalties, and Marc Weatherstone, Tim Monsheju and Beckles-Richards had netted for the Blues, Charles-Smith was the unlucky party to step up and fail to score.

It gave Northwood the chance to book their spot in the next round and they duly did to hand Wingate a loss and make sure Barker’s return to Summers Lane, alongside youngsters Sheldrick, Keir Dickson and Ned Clarke, was a memorable one.

Woods manager Barker said: “Firstly thank you to everyone at Wingate & Finchley Football Club for the great reception I received on my return this evening.

“I’m so proud of our players. We were the better team on the night and fair play to our five penalty takers, but good luck to Nicky and (Wingate assistant manager) Glen Little in their new role.”