Boreham Wood completed an unbeaten pre-season campaign with an impressive 2-1 victory over a Norwich City XI.

Luke Garrard named a squad with all of his first-team players fit and either in the starting line-up or on the bench. Academy players Roman Millar and Hayden Stapelberg took their places among the substitutes.

Boreham Wood controlled much of the early play and went close on a couple of occasions through some neat movement involving Matt Rush and Zak Brunt. However, it was the Canaries who had the game’s first real chance in the seventh minute when the pacey Amankwah Forson broke clear and clipped the outside of Luca Gunter’s post.

Two minutes later, Tarryn Allarakhia played Brunt through, but his goal-bound effort was blocked. Wood created another good opportunity in the 17th minute when Abdul Abdulmalik embarked on an excellent run before laying the ball back to Regan Booty, whose shot flashed just wide.

The hosts were not to be denied a minute later as Booty slipped Tylor Gordon through on goal, and he fired home across the goalkeeper to give Wood the lead.

Norwich were level just two minutes later when Forson squared the ball to Elliot Myles, who rifled an excellent effort past Gunter before the goalkeeper could react. Wood almost restored their advantage in the 24th minute when Brunt played in Matt Rush, but he failed to get a clean connection and fired wide. Soon afterwards, Booty delivered an excellent pass into the path of James Clarke, but it was just beyond his reach.

In the 31st minute, Forson fired narrowly wide before forcing Gunter into an excellent save two minutes later. Myles then curled another effort just wide in the 41st minute.

HT: Boreham Wood 1-1 Norwich City XI

The second half began at a slower pace than the first, with the visitors enjoying the lion’s share of possession. Luke Chukwu went close three minutes after the restart, but his shot drifted wide.

As the game wore on, Wood gradually regained control. In the 61st minute, Rush broke through on goal but opted to square the ball to Lewis Richardson, only for the pass to evade him.

Wood regained the lead in the 70th minute, and the goal owed much to Rush’s perseverance, with his deflected effort finding the net at the near post.

Myles fired wide for the Canaries soon afterwards. In the 82nd minute, Booty tested Norwich goalkeeper Caleb Ansen with a strike from just outside the penalty area, but the former Braintree Town loanee was equal to it.

FT: Boreham Wood 2-1 Norwich City XI

With Boreham Wood’s pre-season campaign now at an end, all attention turns to the big kick-off in eight days’ time against Tamworth.

Boreham Wood: Gunter, Clarke (Bainbridge 54), Golden, Bush, Reynolds (Marshall-Miranda 46), O’Connell, Brunt (Kensdale 82), Booty, Allarakhia, Abdulmalik (Richardson 46), Rush.

Subs not used: Millar, White, Stapelberg.

Man of the Match: Zak Brunt.

Written by Brett Lewis.