Blue Square Bet South
Bath City 0 Boreham Wood 0
by John Mead
Wood return from Somerset with a very hard earned point, which was enough to stay fifth in the Division.
Both sides produced some fine football especially in defence, which resulted in City recording their first goalless draw in over two years.
There were numerous chances early on for both sides to take the initiative. Callum Reynolds cleared a free kick off the line after just thirty seconds of play, before Greg Morgan burst free down the right crossing for David Hutton at the near post who flashed his volley the wrong side of the post. Morgan’s whipped corner after ten minutes found the head of Cliff Akurang who got up between two defenders heading just over the bar.
Both sides found their best hopes of breaking the deadlock from set pieces. Kurtis Guthrie saw his header from a corner cleared off the line at the left hand post by Graeme Montgomery, before Jerel Ifil bowed out of the game after just eighteen minutes, being replaced by Ben Jefford a Loan signing from the Reading F.C. Academy. Jefford took no time to show his professional schooling coming forward from his central defensive position to powerfully head just over from a David Hutton free kick.
The Romans grew in stature as the half wore on, with Wood thankful for the quick feet of Morgan who helped out turning defence into attack. Chris Allen drew a fine save from James Russell from a free kick, as the home side kicking downhill increased their grip on the game, leaving Wood hanging on for the half time whistle.
The war of attrition continued unabated throughout the second half, with both sides looking for maximum points right up until the final whistle. The Romans did their best to shackle Akurang with some tight man marking. He did break free after seventy minutes with Wood’s best chance of the game. Chez Isaac played out to Omer Riza on the right whose first time cross was met by the diving Akurang and his header was just inches high of the target.
Russell was on hand for Wood to punch clear numerous telling corners won by the home side in front of a solid defence superbly marshalled by Reynolds. However, there were few clear cut chances resulting in the spoils shared at the fantastic atmospheric Twerton Park Stadium.
Team: Russell, Close, Jones, Morgan (Sub – Hastings 84 mins.), Ifil (Sub – Jefford 18 mins.), Reynolds, Hutton, Isaac, Akurang, Riza (Sub – Effiong 88 mins.), Montgomery.
Subs (Not used): Scott-Morris, Baker-Owers.
Bookings: Jones, Hutton.
Man of the Match: Callum Reynolds.
