Northwood manager Dave Anderson was left seething at the performance of referee Constantine Hatzidakis after Aveley snatched an equalising goal deep into stoppage time on Monday night.

Anderson was at loss to understand just why Hatzidakis added on eight minutes or more of injury time, at which point the Ryman One North leaders finally breached the Woods defence to claim a 1-1 draw.

The Northwood manager admitted Aveley were worth a point after battering his team for the final half hour but the amount of time added on was one of several major decisions that left him utterly bewildered.

He even felt the 27th free kick from which Bradley Hewitt headed the Woods in front should actually have been a free kick to Aveley and despite claiming a second draw of the season against the runaway league leaders, Anderson was far from happy.

"I would not deny Aveleydeserved something out of the game," the manager said yesterday (Tuesday). "We scored a good set piece, did well but second half they came on strong and we've defended with our lives.

"But then the referee from somewhere has found eight minutes of injury time and they scored and then we played two more minutes.

"In 25 years I've never heard or experienced anything like it and it really left a sour taste in my mouth.

"He got too many big decisions wrong, he was absolutely unapproachable, he played eight to 10 minutes of injury time in the second half when realistically there was nowhere near that and he just refereed the game like a member of the Gestapo.

"I just think that was unacceptable at our level of football and it was obvious that he wanted the game to be about him and that's when football's in trouble.

"We're desperate for referees and the old saying is we can't play football without them, but to be perfectly honest, if they're all like the one last night, I'd rather we didn't play football.

"If we had had a good referee it would have been a cracking game."

Northwood went into the game trying to become only the second team to win at Mill Field in the league this season and they were clearly up for the challenge if Solomon Henry's first minute clash with goalkeeper James Marrable was anything to go by.

He received an early booking and after about four minutes of treatment Marrable was deemed fit to continue.

His opposite number Mitch Swain dealt comfortably with Aveley's initial long range efforts before the visitors scored a controversial goal of their own.

Danny Power challenged for a high ball and was awarded a free kick when many felt he was in the wrong.

Ryan Tackley pumped the ball in and Hewitt knocked a gentle but well placed header over Marrable and just under the crossbar.

Henry, who scored twice last Saturday, went through on goal a few minutes later but was stopped in his tracks by a well timed tackle from Richard Ketchell, while Neil Richmond came close to levelling for Aveley, steering a shot over the bar after good work from Junior Dadson.

Only two minutes were added at the end of the half which seemed a strange decision considering the early hold up.

After the break Aveley began to show why they are five points clear at the top, playing some good, attacking football.

Swain punched away a Nicky Wettner strike and Ketchell went close with a free kick that whistled past the post as the hosts began to threaten and although the Woods were less effective up front Henry did force Marrable into a good save after 61 minutes and Hewitt almost took advantage of a spill by the keeper but his shot was blocked.

As time began to run out Aveley produced wave after wave of attacks but the Woods defended resolutely and, with the aid of the home side missing a couple of very good chances - Richmond and substitute Simon Thomas the culprits - the visitors looked as if they would hang on.

However, the referee then added his injury time, perhaps including the time he may have omitted in the first half, and it proved crucial.

A long ball floated over Michael Pea-cock's head and Thomas powered past Hewitt to fire home and take the gloss of what was still a fine result for North-wood, who at least extended their unbeaten league run to 13 games.

Having seen tomorrow's (Thursday) game with North Greenford United cancelled because the Middlesex FA have scrapped the Middlesex Charity Cup for this year, Northwood face two more tough away trips to East Thurrock United on Saturday and then Waltham Abbey on Tuesday - teams that were lying second and fifth before last night's (Tuesday) fixtures.

"Our best football was in the first half an hour of the game," added Anderson, who accepted Northwood's chances of catching Aveley have realistically gone. "We got our goal and played well.

"The last 20 or 30 minutes they came on strong and we defended with our lives - we really defended with a determination that I was very proud of."

NORTHWOOD: Swain, Power, Tackley, Burgess, Peacock, Hewitt, Christian, Page, Ursell (Figueiredo), Henry (Brown), Burrell (Hol-land).

Goals, Aveley: Thomas 90+8. Woods: Hewitt 27. Attendance: 128.