Junior Lights Up The Night.
Vanarama Conference South.
Boreham Wood 2 Maidenhead United 1
by John Mead.
A superb individual effort and an assist from Junior Morias saw Wood go four points clear at the top of the table.
For the second time in three days Wood came back from behind with two late goals. This was their fourth consecutive victory and it continued their impressive maximum points haul under floodlights this season.
The calibre of Wood’s attacking force was again evident in a first half where Ian Allinson’s side recorded nine attempts on goal to the visitors two. However they went in a goal down at the break but as in their recent victory against Wealdstone, they refused to lay down and Morias popped up with his fourth goal in as many starts to seal the win, after Lee Angol hit his 11th League goal, bringing his tally to an impressive 14 in all competitions.
Allinson fielded an unchanged starting eleven, making the same substitutions as three days earlier to again swing the tie in Wood’s favour.
Matty Whichelow had a free kick cleared off the line by a defender, before Josh Hill allowed Danny Green a cross that had no takers at the other end. Whichelow’s deflected cross then forced a save from the fine young Southampton Academy keeper Will Britt.
Graeme Montgomery was then denied three times by Britt, before Luke Garrard saw his header from a corner fly over the crossbar.
James Russell was called into action after 27 minutes when Leon Solomon picked out Adrian Clifton, the Wood shot stopper out quick to save a certain goal.
With half an hour played the tie intensified with Wood producing a superb piece of attacking play. An interchange between Ricky Shakes and Morias setting up Whichelow for a placed curled effort that drew a fine stop out of Britt.
Whichelow and Angol then combined with Angol’s cross to the far post hit from a tight angle by Montgomery who again found Britt in fine form.
With the Wood forward’s frustrated it was the turn of the defenders to try and force the game. Shakes powered past his marker down the right crossing into danger. Hill back heeled into the path of Callum Reynolds who was denied from just five yards out by Britt.
Dave Tarpey delivered the sucker punch for the visitors after 38 minutes. He found space down the left to run through and fire home wide of Russell against the run of play, his ninth goal of the season.
Jordan Brown was in inspired form for Wood and his excellent distribution and link play down the wing continued to test the visitors , who had in the shape of loan signing Devante McKain an outstanding young prospect in the sweeper role.
The second half was a more even affair and when Clifton capitalised on a defensive error it took a full stretch diving stop from Russell to keep the tie within Wood’s grasp.
Angol went close at the far post after a Morias cross from the right, firing just over, before the introduction of Austin Lipman and Scott Thomas changed the shape and the fortune of Wood with 18 minutes remaining.
With The Magpies playing superbly and without error it needed a piece of magic to forge level and it came after 76 minutes. Morias played a ball down the right which was met by the intelligent run and movement of Shakes. Morias ‘ run inside was rewarded by a sublime return ball from Shakes, allowing one ex Wanderer to pick out another. His cross to the left hand post was buried by Angol and Wood were level.
Expectations were high after Saturday’s comeback and a superb low drive from Lipman was well read by Britt who got down well to repel at his left hand post. The Magpies then won a pair of corners and with the whole side pressing for a winner, Morias struck. Whichelow’s clearance upfield was picked up just inside the opponents half by Morias who powered in on goal releasing a quite superb shot that left Britt no chance with three minutes remaining.
It looked like another three points for Wood, yet into stoppage time there was a real scare. Maidenhead roared back when two of their substitutes combined. Jacob Erskine got free down the right pulling a ball back into the path of Sam Barratt. He had space to turn and pick his spot from ten yards out only for Russell to produce the save of the game diving low to his left, in doing so preserving two more points in Wood’s quite remarkable march on the table to date.
With 31 points on the board after fifteen games, Wood are continuing to impress, a position that Ian Allinson was keen to acknowledge after the final whistle. “ We have to keep believing in ourselves and we are now in a position to be shot at! We have a long way to go but we are on a little run and the six points we have just picked up have given us a platform. I will ensure that the players continue believing in what they can do.”
Team: Russell, Garrard (Thomas 72), Brown, Cox, Hill, Reynolds, Whichelow ( Johnson 90+4), Shakes, Angol, Morias, Montgomery ( Lipman 72).
Subs not used: Noto, Moli.
Bookings: Hill.
Goals: Boreham Wood: Angol 76, Morias 87.
Maidenhead United: Tarpey 38.
Fans Man Of The Match: Junior Morias.
CLICK HERE For pictures from the Maidenhead game. (Pictures by Sean Hinks)
