Courtnage Refuses To Throw The Towell In!

Hertfordshire Senior Cup 2nd Round.

Berkhamsted 2 Boreham Wood 3,

by John Mead.

Hard work was made of a game that could have been closed out far earlier given the flying start that Ian Allinson’s changed side made. The silky skills of the front pair on loan from Arsenal were a real stand out attraction as Wood got off to a flyer. Graeme Montgomery played new loan signing Anthony Jeffrey through who controlled before setting up Austin Lipman for a low shot into the bottom left hand corner of the net after 3 minutes.

The influential Montgomery then played Mark Jones through who was clipped going into the area. Mario Noto could have made it a difficult night for the Spartan league side but hit the outside of the post after sending Carl Tasker the wrong way from the penalty spot after 8 minutes.

Berko were back in it from their first corner after 14 minutes. Jordan Frederick was allowed to head back across goal from the far post finding James Towell who beat his marker to head home at the opposite post.

A poor back pass from Dan Griggs was seized upon by Lipman who slipped the ball past Tasker for Wood’s second after 26 minutes. Lipman continued to threaten with a penetrative run laying off for Billy Lobjoit who had a clear sight of goal but opted to send a poor pass towards Jeffrey who managed to rescue a shot that went over.

Wood looked good value for their slender lead at the interval and twenty two seconds after the restart increased their lead. Jeffrey, on loan from Arsenal who has been short of games of late showed true class. Robbing Ed Canham out on the left he accelerated into the area drifting past two defenders before drawing Tasker off his line to fire home.

That should have been game set and match, but the Wood performance took a nose dive thereafter. David Moli replaced Jeffrey and failed to get into the game.

Wood were unlucky not to grab a fourth when Lipman forced Tasker to pick up a back pass just ten yards out. The free kick was teed up for Noto who found the space but was again foiled by the woodwork with his effort striking a post.

Sam Doolan then let the home side back into the game when his half hearted back pass was intercepted by Towell who scored an almost identical goal to Lipman’s, sliding home from the left past James Courtnage.

Matthew Ball then replaced the hardworking Karl Brown and he too had an indifferent evening. With Wood drifting out of the game Lipman and Lobjoit combined to set up Ball in a central position who sliced his effort well wide.

All the football played in the final ten minutes came from the home side with Wood pushed back into their own half.  It was down to an unlikely hero in the shape of Courtnage to see them home. Substitute Ashley Morrison provided the cross from the right, Towell met it with a fine header and was denied his hat trick by a tremendous save by the goalkeeper coach, who twisted to claw the effort off the line in the final minute of normal time.

Team : Courtnage, Morgan, Jones, Brown ( Ball 64), Doolan, Close, Noto, Lobjoit, Jeffrey (Moli 53), Lipman, Montgomery.

Subs not used: Garrard, Nunn, Russell.

Goals; Berkhamsted : Towell 14, 63.

           Boreham Wood: Lipman 5, 26. Jeffrey 46.

Man Of The Match: Austin Lipman.

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