Abdul Abdulmalik (16)
A goal for the ages from Abdul Abdulmalik was enough to give Boreham Wood a narrow victory over Aldershot Town and maintain their play-off push.
Luke Garrard named an unchanged line-up from Saturday’s comprehensive FA Cup win against Crawley Town.
Boreham Wood controlled the early possession and nearly took the lead on four minutes when Zak Brunt played in Matt Rush, who turned and shot, but Shots keeper Pat Nash was equal to it. Two minutes later, Brunt played a great ball to Abdul Abdulmalik, who ran in on goal, but he unselfishly squared it to Rush before Shots midfielder Sam Inwood did well to intercept the pass. Almost straight away, Abdulmalik tested Nash from outside the area, but he was equal to it. Out of nothing, the Shots could have taken the lead on 11 minutes when an excellent pass from Inwood picked out Kiban Rai, whose well-struck shot was brilliantly saved by Nathan Ashmore. When the rebound fell to Tyler Frost, the Wood stopper was there again to deny him.
Aldershot were made to pay for those missed chances six minutes later when National League Player of the Month, Abdulmalik, scored the best of his contenders for goal of the season. He nutmegged two Aldershot players before running from his own half, leaving a trail of Aldershot players in his wake before unleashing a shot from outside the area which Nash did well to get a hand to, before it sailed into the net. The goal was that good, people on the Boreham Wood benches were looking at each other in disbelief. On 27 minutes, the visitors thought they’d scored when Frost played in Kwame Thomas, who had the ball in the net before the linesman flagged for offside. Three minutes later, an exquisite pass from Abdulmalik picked out top scorer Rush, who was one on one with Nash, but the Shots keeper pulled off an excellent save to deny him. Jeff King fired over on 34 minutes after a good build-up involving Erico Sousa and Brunt. On 43 minutes, Brunt headed just wide from a Rush cross. Just before the break, a good one-two between Brunt and Jeff King created a chance for Sousa, but he headed straight at Nash.
Boreham Wood started the second half well and nearly doubled their lead on 53 minutes when a lovely one-two between Joe Newton and Brunt resulted in Newton hitting a powerful shot which Nash saved well. Straight away, Brunt played in Rush, but the Wood forward was unable to connect with the ball. On 55 minutes, Brunt fired just wide.
Three minutes later, the Shots nearly scored when a Thomas shot was saved by Ashmore, but it then bounced off Bush and could have gone anywhere but fortunately for Boreham Wood, it went out for a corner. On 61 minutes, Rush played in Brunt who again fired wide. Six minutes later, King struck the crossbar with a fierce drive. On 74 minutes, Rush shot inches wide from close range. Five minutes later, an excellent turn and shot from substitute Charles Clayden forced an outstanding save by Nash.
It was an important three points for Luke Garrard’s men, but the Wood Manager will be disappointed at the number of missed chances that could have put the game out of sight. In the end, they were hanging on against a determined Shots side who looked like they had a goal in them. However, the abiding memory of the night is the Abdul Abdulmalik goal which will live long in the memory.
Boreham Wood: Ashmore, King (Coxe 69), Newton (Ilesamni 77), Reynolds, Bush, O’Connell, Brunt (Norris 77), White, Sousa (Clayden 69), Abdulmalik, Rush.
Subs not used: Dixon, Benton, Richardson.
Aldershot Town: Nash, Jackson, Hargreaves, Frost (Mullins 71), Thomas, (Nelson 71) Jones (Tetek 81), Gilligan, Rai (Abrahams 81), Taylor, Inwood, Armitage (Nightingale 64).
Subs not used: Dewhurst, Anderson.
Man of the Match: Abdul Abdulmalik.
Match report written by Brett Lewis.
