Fourmid(t)able!
The Skrill South.
Concord Rangers 0 Boreham Wood 4, by John Mead.
A thoroughly professional team performance lifts Wood to a more comfortable 14th spot in the table, en route inflicting the The Beachboys heaviest defeat of the season at The Aspect Arena.
Ian Allinson’s team selection was cavalier and it turned out to be a master stroke against a tough battling Rangers outfit that gave Wood little space and time on the ball for the full ninety minutes. The decision to use Lee Angol and Junior Morias to spearhead the attack , a sight many Wood fans have been longing to see, worked superbly on the night. The teenage pair led the line superbly, allowing the prolific Morias to grab a brace , his second an individual piece of skill off of the top shelf that was worth the admission fee alone.
Allinson’s second master stroke was the inclusion of Biggleswade Town regular and PASE Coach at Meadow Park, Cameron Mawer, playing alongside Callum Reynolds in the heart of defence. It allowed Luke Garrard to orchestrate the win playing in his regular hole in front of the defence. The inclusion of Mawer carried an added bonus, with the emergency cover defender scoring a fine goal on the night.
After a cagey opening the game sprang into life after 15 minutes when Concord threatened. Tony Stokes swang over a cross from the left which was met by Gary Ogilve whose shot eventually ran just wide after coming off of Sam Collins. Wood responded in devastating style. Graeme Montgomery released Junior Morias who sprang the offside trap finding himself in acres of space. He still had work to do and delivered a fine shot beyond Jamie Butler in the Rangers goal to open his account on the night.
Sam Cox tried an audacious overhead effort on the edge of the area that led to a handball with Angol firing into the wall before Rangers won their first corner of the night after 35 minutes. Again Wood turned defence into attack pressing hard . Angol intercepted a poor back pass only to see his goalbound effort cleared off the line by Danny Glozier.
A minute later Greg Morgan swang over a corner from the left that was cleared as far as Mawer on the edge of the area whose looping volley was perfectly executed finding the top right hand corner of the net, giving Wood a two goal lead at the interval.
Five minutes after the restart Wood scuppered any threat of a comeback from the hardworking Beachboys. Jack Lampe impeded a Morias run down the left leading to a free kick. The ball was delivered into danger by Morgan and Callum Reynolds bravely slid in to convert, his fourth of the season.
Wood continued to defend with a resilience and both Reynolds and Montgomery were active in protecting the lead. Loick Pires headed just over from a Ben Nunn free kick whilst Cox was his usual resilient self in the middle of the park further frustrating The Beachboys.
Russell stopped an effort from Lampe before Garrard did just enough to force Steve Cawley to shoot wide.
Then in the last minute of stoppage time came the piece de resistance. Morias with his back to goal and challenging a high ball forward with a defender some eighteen inches higher in stature flicked a header over his marker before spinning free and meeting the ball before it had even bounced. He had less than a second to gain composure lobbing Butler for a goal that the Wood fans present will cherish for a long time.
The performance even surprised Wood Boss Ian Allinson. “ I did not think we would come away with such a comprehensive victory. We had to come to terms with the wind and the hard pitch. Junior Morias and Lee Angol were a real handful for their defence tonight. There were few chances in the game but when they came along we took them.”
Looking ahead to the end of the season Allinson added, “ We are in a great position now. We started this season with a horrendous list of injuries and bringing in loan players often means they are short of match fitness. That has been the case but we are now in possession of a special little squad of players who can go the full ninety minutes. There will be inconsistencies as we are so young in some positions but we go into Saturday’s game with Ebbsfleet United with confidence.”
Team: Russell, Nunn, Morgan, Garrard, Mawer, Reynolds, Angol (Oyenuga 82), Cox, Pires ( Noto 80 ), Morias, Montgomery ( Whichelow 84).
Subs not used: Hill, Courtnage.
Bookings: Garrard, Morgan.
Goals: Boreham Wood: Morias 16, 90+5. Mawer 37. Reynolds 50.
Man Of The Match: Luke Garrard.
