NORTHWOOD boss Gary Meakin said his side's Boxing Day derby victory over Uxbridge had landed a big blow in the race for a play-off spot.

A second-half double from John Christian helped Woods to a convincing 3-0 win at Honeycroft that ended Uxbridge's 11-match unbeaten run in Evo-Stik Division One Central.

And with Uxbridge currently occupying the final play-off spot in fifth, just one point above Northwood, Meakin admitted it was crucial to beat their local rivals.

"They are a team above us that we want to catch and they have set the benchmark for the local sides," said Meakin. "So it is a little bit sweeter from that aspect, but they are just another team that we want to beat.

"We are now within touching distance of the rest. The better team on the day won it. Though we did not play that well, we deserved it in the end. Our goalkeeper Mitch Swain was excellent, his penalty save changed the game, and I thought it was going to be our day after that."

Woods were just 1-0 up through a first-half Ollie Hawkins goal when Christian brought down Hussein Warsame in the box two minutes after half-time, but Swain brilliantly saved Michael Murray's spot-kick.

Christian made it 2-0 just five minutes later and he sealed it in style with a superb strike after a Ronayne Marsh-Brown free-kick had been charged down.

Uxbridge's misery was compounded by the sending off of Tom Willment for two bookable offences and Reds boss Tony Choules was furious with his side's performance on the day.

"We came into the game on the back of 11 games unbeaten in the league, but we just did not turn up for this one," said Choules. "I am absolutely fuming with our performance. We have been on a fantastic run and have worked hard for everything we had got. But we turned with the attitude that it is Christmas and we could just do enough. But we have not got that in our locker and we have to be at our best.

"We are still fifth in the league, but we have not won a local derby in two years and we have to go to AFC Hayes on Monday with all guns blazing."

AFC Hayes are also in the mix for a play-off spot come the end of the season and a second-half Ross Ahir strike earned a point for Danny Vincent's men at North Greenford United after Wayne Jackson had fired the hosts into the lead in the first minute.