Wood travel to Park View Road this Saturday looking for the win that will ensure they avoid relegation. Back to back wins against Aldershot Town and Guiseley have given Wood a sufficient lifeline that puts the task of survival back into their own hands. Their opponents from Kent however have already tasted relegation and the task in hand for Luke Garrard and his men is simple: Beat Welling United and avoid joining them in the Vanarama League South next season!
The Wings have failed to survive at a level they enjoyed playing at regularly prior to the expansion of the Conference League to three Divisions. Members of the original Conference League, Welling United enjoyed a fourteen season long run in the top flight of non league football starting in 1986, before suffering relegation. During that period they had a top goal scorer for five consecutive season in Terry Robins. Robins later joined Wood for two seasons in 1996 and famously scored at Kenilworth Road against Luton Town in the 2nd round of the F A Cup in a game that Wood eventually lost 2-1. He went on to score twenty eight goals for Wood in eighty eight appearances.
More recently, the Wings nine season run in the Conference South ended in April 2013 when player manager Jamie Day steered the Kent side back to the top flight of “Non League” football. His first season ended with a 16th placed finish, before the lure of a contract with Ebbsfleet United ended his ties at Park View Road. That second season at Vanarama National League level saw the appointment of Louis Fazakerley as Player Manager, who steered the club to survival on goal difference.
This season has seen a the departure of both Fazakerley and his successor Dean Frost, with Mark Goldberg taking over just one week ago, after the Wings fate was already sealed. Goldberg, a businessman and football man was relieved of his duties as Manager at Bromley earlier this season and the former Crystal Palace Chairman arrives with a view to restructuring the club both on and off the field of play.
A run of four straight wins back at the end of September formed fifty percent of the clubs total victories this season, and after a late surge with back to back wins against Tranmere Rovers away and Woking at home, their season finally imploded with three successive defeats, the second of which sealed their fate.
The two sides have met on six occasions in the Conference South, with Wood losing all three fixtures at Park View Road. Indeed Wood’s second only victory against the Wings earlier this season, back in October, when Wood ran out 2-0 winners at Meadow Park. Joe Devera and Jamie Lucas provided the goals on that occasion.
This dramatic and tough season goes right to the wire for Wood and with so much at stake, it is hoped that the fans seize the moment and travel in their numbers to cheer their side over the line!
The club are currently in the process of filling a second supporters coach and full details are available on the Boreham Wood FC website.
Welling United v Boreham Wood,
Saturday April 30th, kick off 5.30pm.
Park View Road,
Welling.
DA16 1SY.
