Boreham Wood maintained their play-off push with a comprehensive 3–0 win over Hertfordshire rivals Hemel Hempstead Town. Two goals from Erico Sousa and another from Matt Rush were enough to give Boreham Wood all three points.

Luke Garrard named an unchanged starting line-up following last Saturday’s win against Salisbury. A fit-again Femi Ilesamni took his place on the bench.

The visitors came out of the blocks quickly, and Joe White forced Nathan Ashmore into an excellent save in the second minute with a header from a Kai Brosnan cross. A minute later, Brosnan intercepted the ball in the Wood penalty area before firing straight at Ashmore with the goal at his mercy.

Wood came close to taking the lead on 16 minutes when a Jon Benton cross was hit against the post by Matt Rush, before the ball rolled into the arms of a relieved Tudors keeper, Jameson Horlick.

Boreham Wood took the lead on the half-hour mark from the penalty spot when Jayden Richardson was fouled in the area by Samuel Adenola. Erico Sousa, who missed a spot-kick last week against Salisbury, made no mistake this time from 12 yards.

The Tudors had a great opportunity to equalise on 41 minutes when Brosnan did well to control a tricky ball in the area before firing narrowly wide.

HT: Boreham Wood 1-0 Hemel Hempstead

The visitors started the second half on the ascendancy, but Boreham Wood doubled their lead on 52 minutes with their first attack of the half. A lovely pass from Sousa picked out Abdul Abdulmalik, whose shot was parried by keeper Horlick into the path of Matt Rush, who couldn’t miss from close range. Three minutes later, Charlie O’Connell fired over from distance.

On 61 minutes, Wood made it three – and what a goal it was. Sousa played a one-two with Abdulmalik and ran past two Hemel defenders as if they weren’t there, before firing past Horlick to extend Boreham Wood’s lead.

Ten minutes later, Tom Whelan had a shot blocked. On 83 minutes, Giovanni McGregor’s free-kick for Hemel was saved by Ashmore. Soon afterwards, some great approach play from Clayden and Abdulmalik created a good chance for Junior Dixon, but Horlick did well to deny the Birmingham City loan player.

FT: Boreham Wood 3-0 Hemel Hempstead

It was an impressive performance from Luke Garrard’s men, as they have all but secured a spot in the end-of-season play-offs. They will want to use the final three fixtures to finish as high up the table as possible to enable a more straightforward play-off campaign.

Boreham Wood: Ashmore, Coxe (Marsh 82), Richardson (Ilesamni 66), Reynolds, Yarney, Payne (O’Connell 7), Whelan, Benton (Clayden 66), Sousa, Abdulmalik, Rush (Dixon 72).

Hemel Hempstead Town: Horlick, Adenola, Ogungbo, Ajayi, Tompkins, Smith (Wiltshire 65), Williams, Achuba, Brosnan (Roberts 79), White, Matthews-Lewis (McGregor 65).

Subs not used: Hamstead, House.

Man of the Match: Erico Sousa.

Match report written by Brett Lewis.