Old acquaintances will be renewed this weekend as we head to Forest Green Rovers, the side we progressed past in last season’s play-off eliminator.
The Gloucestershire-based outfit were aiming to secure a return to the Football League at the second time of asking last term, having fallen short in the play-off semi-final two seasons ago.
They made an imposing start to the season, embarking on a 13-game unbeaten run, which saw them challenge towards the top-end of the table, but their form petered out in the second-half of the campaign, as they claimed seventh place on the final day.
Recruiting ten new faces so far this summer with an experienced spine seeking pastures new, James Berry’s loan arrival from Wycombe Wanderers signalled their ambitions to once again challenge in the upper echelons of the division.
The 25-year-old burst onto the scene under Robbie Savage at Macclesfield, notching 53 goals across two seasons, before securing a move to Chesterfield ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. He played a key role in the Spireites’ promotion from the National League, scoring several crucial goals in the run-in, which caught the attention of sides higher up the EFL food chain.
This led to the former Hull City youth forward heading to Wycombe at the start of 2025, but he struggled for regular minutes at Adams Park and returned to Chesterfield on a season-long loan deal last season.
With three promotions on an impressive CV, Berry will be desperate to add a fourth to his haul in Nailsworth this season.
Following an illustrious playing career for sides including Leicester City, Blackburn Rovers and Derby County, Robbie Savage’s first steps into management came in 2024 having been a member of the board and Director of Football at Macclesfield FC.
He took over from Michael Clegg after they narrowly missed out on promotion from the Northern Premier Division and it proved to be an inspired appointment as he won the title with six games to spare.
A move to Forest Green followed, ending his four-year association with the Silkmen, and helped them reach the play-offs last term following an excellent start to the campaign.
We made the trip to The New Lawn in October as the hosts ended our 18-game unbeaten run. Matt Rush’s fine strike from the edge of the box just after the hour-mark cancelled out Jili Buyabu’s opener, but the scores only remained level for ten minutes as Harvey Bunker netted the winner from the spot to seal a 2-1 win.
The reverse league meeting took place in February and the spoils were shared in a thrilling 1-1 draw. Lewis Richardson’s header seven minutes into the second period saw the Wood draw first blood but Kyle McAllister’s penalty 14 minutes later ensured it ended honours even.
The third clash of the campaign came when the stakes couldn’t have been higher, as we hosted Forest Green in the play-off eliminator. With little to separate the sides, the contest went the distance and into extra-time but Zak Brunt’s composed strike proved to be the difference, slotting home Abdul Abdulmalik’s pinpoint delivery.
The game kicks off at 15:00 and is segregated.
Away fans will be located in the West stand of the stadium, which has two sections. All tickets will be available to purchase via the Forest Green Rovers online ticketing system. Tickets will also be available on the day from the club ticket office (availability dependent) and online until kick-off.
All adults (18+): £21.00
Over 65: £18.00
Under 21 (16-20): £12.00
Under 16 (11-15): £7.00*
Under 11 (0-10): £1.00*
*Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult when attending games at The New Lawn.
Follow all of the action from the New Lawn on the club’s official social media channels, with live updates on both X and Instagram, available at @boreham_woodfc. Don’t forget to turn your notifications on!
Written by Jack Patmore.
