Boreham Wood v Hemel Hempstead Town Match Preview,
by John Mead.
An absorbing afternoon of football awaits the fans this Saturday with the visit of the promotion chasing Tudors.
After their runaway Title winning season last year, Dean Brennan’s side have turned around a slow start to the season with an emphatic run of results. Their latest victory, a 3-1 win at home to Chelmsford City midweek leaves them just two points outside the play off places, with six games to play. Another side putting pressure on the leading pack, Concord Rangers also triumphed in midweek, making up the eight teams vying for a coveted top five finish.
To compare the Tudors form to our own since the start of the year shows their quality, having picked up twenty two points out of a possible thirty six, just one less than ourselves. In that time they have lost just twice in the League.
Our Gaffer Ian Allinson spoke to me about the up and coming game. “ Without a shadow of a doubt both sides have it all to play for. They possess some very good players and score lots of goals. Of course we have set our target for the last five games of the season, but you can only take them one at a time. Of course we can only effect things in the table by our own performances and will be judged on that alone come April 25th.”
The question that is hard to avoid of course is where does Ian think we will be on that afternoon when the final whistle blows at Melbourne Park?”
“ All I can say is that the players are listening and doing their jobs. The remainder of the season will be defined in three categories, nerve, discipline and quality. Luckily in my changing room I have a number of players who have been here before and they will be extremely important to us now as they assist the younger members of the squad who have never experienced such situations.”
Hemel’s one to watch is undoubtedly Jordan Parkes who has relished the step up to Conference football. He is just one goal short of Lee Angol’s total of 22 goals for the season in the League, making him the third highest scorer in the division.
It promises to be a very close and challenging game for both sides and an edge of the seat afternoon is expected. With our visitors bringing a coach full of fans alongside those who will be making their own way over for the short journey it promises to be a great atmosphere and one which we hope the Wood fans will turn out in numbers for!
With Ian naming every game a “Cup Final” now with just five games to go in the Vanarama Conference South, it is worth reminding Wood Fans that we actually do have a Cup Final to look forward to against Hemel Hempstead on Tuesday April 14th at the Letchworth County Ground, kick off 7.45pm. We are the current holders of the Herts Senior Challenge Cup and will be keen to record back to back wins in that competition for the first time in our history!
Boreham Wood v Hemel Hempstead,
Saturday March 28th, kick off 3pm.
