Hoddesdon Town secured an impressive 3-0 victory over NW London in a dominant display, with Harry Carter starring as the standout performer.

The visitors started brightly, forcing Hoddesdon goalkeeper Liam Nugent into an early save within the opening two minutes. However, Hoddesdon quickly found their rhythm and took the lead in the eighth minute when Terell Sterling’s low cross from the right was inadvertently turned into his own net by NW London defender Santos.

Hoddesdon’s high pressing in the final third continued to cause problems, and their second goal arrived in the 24th minute. A slick midfield move set Harry Carter free, and he dazzled with his footwork, weaving past three defenders before confidently slotting home.

The home side could have extended their lead further before the break. Arnis Lala delivered a pinpoint cross to Sterling, but he fired wide from close range, while Callum Bennison also missed a golden opportunity. There was concern when George Hamill was forced off through injury, with Jason Brown replacing him. Despite the setback, Hoddesdon remained firmly in control as the half ended 2-0.

After the restart, Hoddesdon continued to assert their dominance. In the 53rd minute, Carter surged down the left before picking out Arnis Lala, who controlled superbly and rifled a shot in off the crossbar to make it 3-0.

Carter almost added a spectacular fourth in the 72nd minute with a dipping 30-yard strike that narrowly missed the top corner. NW London kept fighting and enjoyed a late spell of pressure, winning a free kick on the edge of the area in the 87th minute. It was well struck, but the wall did its job, deflecting it onto the crossbar and over.

Hoddesdon saw out the match comfortably, with Carter’s excellent performance earning him the Man of the Match award. A tough away game at Rayleigh awaits on Tuesday where the chance to close in our playoff rivals remains.

HTFC Team: Nugent - Agnew - Evans - Barnett - Gibbs(c) - Carter - Hamill (Brown '35) - Gallagher - Sterling - Bennison (Bolton 86') - Lala (Cage 70')