TRANSCRIPT: GARRARD TALKS AHEAD OF NEW YEAR’S DAY LOCAL DERBY AGAINST BARNET

Senior Press Assistant Ben Wiley sat down with First Team Manager Luke Garrard ahead of tomorrow’s National League match up against Barnet at Meadow Park on New Year’s Day, full transcript below: –

Ben: Luke, we’ll start with Saturday’s draw at home to Eastleigh. We’ve been used to scoring in stoppage time this season, especially at home in front of the North Bank, but this time we were on the wrong side of a late goal. Was this a missed opportunity given the chances we squandered during the second half? 

Luke: We did create a lot of good opportunities, and you always feel if your team has a slim lead, that you need to ensure you don’t waste them chances. I felt we played some excellent football and we were desperate for the third goal, which would have given us a buffer. To have been on the end of a late goal always hurts, especially as we felt we done enough to get all three points.

Ben: And it’s Barnet next, the only side we are yet to play this season, what are you expecting when they make the short trip to Meadow Park on New Year’s Day? 

Luke: It will be a good game, two sides who find themselves in good form. They play a nice style of football and we will need to ensure we are well drilled out of possession and continue to play with fluidity and freedom when in possession. We need to mirror our overall game from Saturday but add some ruthlessness in the final third.

Ben: Over the past couple of games we’ve seen some niggles picked up by a couple of players, have they recovered from these niggles in time to be considered for selection? 

Luke: The squad is in very positive shape. Not utilising Tyrone on Saturday has aided him in getting even more recovery and has given him the chance to feature on New Year’s Day. Justin trained fully the last two days and will also be available. Of course, we are carrying slight knocks and niggles but we have a free week after the Stockport County fixture, which I hope will give us a great chance to get everyone rested and back to full fitness for the remainder of the season.

Ben: And of course, we are heading into a new decade on Wednesday, could you mention a few of your best moments of the last 10 years at Boreham Wood FC? 

Luke: There have been some great memories over the last decade. Beating Whitehawk in the National South play off. Beating Welling United away on the last day to stay up in our first season in the National League. Going to Wembley in 2018. Walking my little boy out and leading the team was a great memory, but we lost that day so that’s not even the best memory of that year let alone the decade.

I would have to say Sutton United away in the play off semi final was huge, it felt so surreal knowing that little Boreham Wood was going to Wembley. The decade has gone so quick and has seen our Football Club grow both on and off the pitch. Who would have thought a decade ago that Boreham Wood would be an established National League club? Let’s see what we can all achieve in the next Decade…

Ben: Thanks for talking with me Luke, good luck to yourself and the team tomorrow.

Luke: Thank you, Ben.