Zak Brunt (6), Jeff King (67), Erico Sousa (90+4)
Matt Lowe (34, 43), Tyler Lyttle (74)
Boreham Wood were dumped out of the FA Trophy 3–1 on penalties by fellow National League side Brackley Town after a dramatic 3–3 draw in 90 minutes.
Luke Garrard made two changes to his starting line-up from last Sunday’s FA Cup tie against Newport County, with Lewis Richardson replacing Erico Sousa out wide and Luke Norris coming in up front for top scorer Matt Rush. Both Sousa and Rush dropped to the bench.
Boreham Wood started on the front foot, but it was the visitors who had the first chance on four minutes when Morgan Roberts fired narrowly wide. Two minutes later, Wood took the lead when a Charlie O’Connell ball picked out Lewis Richardson, who was able to hold the ball up before playing it back to Zak Brunt, who buried the ball past Cameron Gregory in the Saints’ goal. A minute later, Jeff King nearly doubled the lead, but his well-struck shot went just wide. On 10 minutes, Abdul Abdulmalik cut inside and fired over the bar. On 26 minutes, Chris Bush played in Richardson, who took a touch before firing over.
Brackley then started to show attacking intent and a minute later Shane Byrne volleyed just wide. On 33 minutes, Byron Pendleton played an excellent ball to Byrne, whose header beat Ted Curd in the Wood goal before being cleared off the line by Callum Reynolds. From the resulting corner, Matt Lowe bundled the ball in at the far post to make it 1–1. Five minutes later, Luke Norris attempted an acrobatic overhead kick which went wide. On 41 minutes, Brunt lobbed Gregory in the Brackley goal, but it just cleared the crossbar. On 43 minutes, Brackley took the lead when an excellent cross from Riccardo Calder was headed home at the far post by Lowe for his second goal of the match.
Boreham Wood had it all to do after the break. On 53 minutes, Richardson crossed the ball to Regan Booty, who headed just wide. Seven minutes later, a King corner was headed goalwards by Bush, but Kyle Morrison somehow cleared it off the line. On 67 minutes, Wood got a deserved equaliser when King curled in a free kick from just outside the area which came off the post before going in. On 74 minutes, Brackley Town retook the lead with an even better free kick from Tyler Lyttle that gave Curd no chance in the Wood goal. On 85 minutes, Matt Rush turned and struck the ball against the Saints’ crossbar. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Erico Sousa bundled the ball home to send the match to penalties.
The penalty shoot-out started well enough for Boreham Wood when Byrne missed for the visitors and Booty then made no mistake from 12 yards. Then it started to unravel. Three successful penalties from Jack Price, Lyttle and Morgan Roberts, and misses from Rush, Brunt and O’Connell, were enough to send Brackley Town through to the fourth round.
It was a disappointing afternoon for Boreham Wood in a competition where they rarely excel. It is now back to a promotion push in the National League and continuing their run in the FA Cup.
Boreham Wood: Curd, King, Newton, Reynolds (Benton 82), Bush, O’Connell, Brunt, Booty, Richardson (Clayden 62), Abdulmalik (Sousa 62), Norris (Rush 62).
Subs not used: Coxe, Ilesanmi, Payne.
Brackley Town: Gregory, Lyttle, Calder, Price, Morrison, Pollock, Roberts, Lowe, Nottingham, Pendleton, Byrne.
Subs not used: Maxted, Donawa, Wodskou, Hall, Stewart, Brown, Waldron.
Man of the match: Regan Booty.
Match report written by Brett Lewis.
