A trip to South London awaits Luke Garrard’s side on Friday night as they face a stern test against Sutton United.
The U’s laid down an early-season marker, having secured safety with two games to spare last season, with maximum points in their first four games.
Signs of inconsistency were evident after three consecutive defeats, although they halted the slide with a home victory over Eastleigh. However, that remains their only win in their last five games, with three draws and one defeat since.
Having honed his craft for several non-league clubs in Essex, Temi Babalola is now making a mark in full-time football.
The 6’4” striker turned out for the likes of Romford, Brentwood Town and Aveley but it was a move to Potters Bar Town during the 2023/24 campaign where the 25-year-old began to flourish.
It wasn’t just his 11 goals that stood out, but he was a constant threat with his towering physique, subsequently leading to fellow Isthmian Premier Division side Billericay Town securing his services.
He was unable to replicate that success at New Lodge, and following a brief yet productive spell at Bowers & Pitsea, Babalola moved on to Worthing.
Scooping up the Young Player of the Season award in his first season thanks to his 11 goals, he was showing no signs of letting up in the following campaign as the Rebels aimed for promotion from the Enterprise National League South.
Having started the season like a house on fire with eight goals in 14 appearances, his performances quickly attracted attention and Forest Green Rovers came calling last October.
After being in and out of Robbie Savage’s side throughout last season, Babalola opted to move closer to home with Sutton in the summer which has already borne fruit, netting three goals and assisting twice in the league.
Just over a year into his tenure at the 360 Engage Stadium, Chris Agutter successfully steered Sutton away from relegation last term and are now eyeing a spot in the play-offs.
After spells in Brighton & Hove Albion’s academy and Eastbourne Borough, he landed his first managerial role with Hastings United in October 2017.
Agutter flourished at the Pilot Field, securing the Isthmian South East Division title in the 2020/21 season, before joining Stevenage as the manager of their Under-18s and Under-21s and having a brief spell back with Brighton’s academy.
He was once again on familiar territory though with a return to Hastings six years after he had first arrived and guided them to a seventh-place finish after being in a relegation dogfight.
Worthing was his next destination, missing out on promotion to the National League by one point in the 2024/25 season, before opting for a move to Sutton last year.
We made the trip to Gander Green Lane last season in a thrilling 4-3 victory as the Wood made it five league games unbeaten to kickstart the campaign, with late strikes from Zak Brunt and Erico Sousa proving the difference.
The reverse clash came in the final game of the regular season as Leon Ayinde’s first-half strike was enough as the Wood ran out 1-0 victors ahead of the play-off campaign.
The game kicks off at 19:45 tomorrow evening.
All tickets are available to purchase via the Sutton United online ticketing system at the following prices prior to the match:
Adult (18-63): £21
Concessions (63+, Student, Blue Light): £16
Junior (14-17): £7
Child (U14): £4
Follow all the action from The 360 Engage Stadium 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.
