Woodford Town succumbed to their sixth defeat of the season in the Essex Senior League, with a goal in either half from Buckhurst Hill proving too much for Shane Baptiste's side despite an attempted fightback late on.

The Woods began the afternoon on top and Miles Mitchell-Nelson came inches away from breaking the deadlock within just 20 seconds after David Gokou had flighted a perfect ball to the back post. After 12 minutes, Normand Kebi stung the palms of Anthony Page in The Stags' goal from the edge of the box - the 'keeper producing a fine stop to keep the scoreline level.

Archie Hammond broke the deadlock with the hosts' first foray into our defensive territory, curling a free kick around the wall and into the bottom corner, leaving Manny Agboola clambering in the Woodford goal.

Despite falling behind just before the half-hour mark, we still had an opportunity to head into the break on level terms just minutes before the half-time whistle. An excellent flick round the corner to Nathan Sollosi allowed our number 11 to go one-on-one with Page, but he struck his effort straight at the Buckhurst Hill goalkeeper.

We began the second half the same way we started the first and had a great opportunity to equalise after less than a minute. Mitchell-Nelson won the knock-down from a Josh Banfield free kick and caused a goalmouth scramble, but we were unable to take advantage of a messy situation in the six-yard box. The early pressure counted for nothing, though, with Jack Ferris' deflected effort beating Agboola to double the hosts' lead with 66 minutes on the clock.

Max Harbrow, who was a 52nd-minute substitution on his return from eight weeks out injured, nearly helped claw us back into the game instantly after falling behind by two. Our left-back played a one-two with Banfield before cutting it back to fellow substitute Dion Johnston, who couldn't quite make a strong enough connection with the ball to beat Page.

Into the final fifteen minutes of the 90, we were still pushing for a way back into the game and eventually found one through former Buckhurst Hill man Josh Banfield. Wonderful work down the left from Pedro Carvalho - making his second Woodford appearance - saw him reach the bye-line before standing a cross into the area, where Banfield was on hand to bring it down and fire into the back of the net with eight minutes remaining.

We immediately applied even more pressure after getting one back but failed to take our chances from a corner as we entered added time, before Banfield's 97th-minute free-kick was destined for the top corner before it was deflected behind. The hosts managed to avert the pressure in the remaining minute, meaning we suffered our first defeat in the league since the end of February.

A disappointing result for The Woods leaves them in third place ahead of the final two games, five points behind second-placed Takeley but four ahead of Barking who sit in fifth.

Starting XI: Starting XI: E. Agboola (GK); Mitchell-Nelson (Steele - 78'), Kirwan-Meade, Omope, Martins (Harbrow - 52'); Jewers, Banfield, Kebi (Owusu - 62'); Sollosi (C), Protic (Johsnton - 62'), Gokou (Carvalho - 62').

Unused substitutes: N/A