Boreham Wood 0-0 Grimsby Town
Saturday 19th March 2022
LV BET Stadium Meadow Park, Vanarama National League
WOOD SETTLE FOR STALEMATE
A second successive home draw saw the Wood put another point on the board against a fellow promotion contender in Grimsby Town, with a solid defensive display helping to add another clean sheet to the long list of shutouts this season against a dangerous Mariners attack who were unable to breach the Wood backline as a result.
It was Grimsby who proved to be the most threatening with the visitors perhaps being disappointed they were unable to take advantage of a spell at the start of the second half that saw Miche Efete, Danny Amos and Luke Waterfall all go close to giving their side the lead, along with golden opportunities for John McAtee and substitute Jordan Maguire-Drew late on also going amiss.
The draw sees the Wood drop to sixth, with another big clash with Notts County on Tuesday night with just two points now separating the sides.
Two changes were on the cards after the disappointing defeat to local rivals Barnet last time out, with Danilo Orsi coming in for Scott Boden looking to switch the firepower up top along with Frankie Raymond replacing Mark Ricketts in midfield.
Grimsby came into it having won four of their last five games and showed why they have re-established themselves as a serious play-off contender during the opening ten minutes. It was the Mariners who enjoyed the bulk of the possession early on, although they were unable to create a real clear-cut chance with McAtee’s tame effort after five minutes being all either side could really muster. The Wood grew into it to ensure it was a much more even affair and began to show a bit of pressure themselves when Raymond’s free kick into the mixer nearly causing havoc in the box before being cleared.
McAtee was the danger man for Grimsby and showed his quality when he looked to capitalise on an error from Dennon Lewis who was caught in possession, making his way into the box and shaping up to cross before Will Evans came sliding in with an excellent challenge, which the referee correctly deemed no penalty despite the appeals from the travelling support.
It was a poor display from both sides in the opening 45 minutes though, summed up by the referee giving out more yellow cards than either side had shots on goal. Little action took place in the final third for a large spell of the half, although Grimsby looked to threaten one last time with a free kick delivery in injury time that Taye Ashby-Hammond rose highest to claim, ensuring the game remained goalless going into the break.
HT – Boreham Wood 0-0 Grimsby Town
Just like in the first half it was the visitors who came out the blocks quickest in the second, only this time they looked ten times more threatening. Just six minutes in Efete went close with his effort from close-range going into the side netting after getting on the end of a low cross from Erico Sousa, before a brilliant reverse pass from Ryan Taylor set Amos through a minute later, taking it in his stride before firing a low shot that Ashby-Hammond got down well for.
The Grimsby left back went close again when a corner fell to him in acres of space in the box, where he set himself up to shoot with his half volley being cleared off the line by Evans before the follow-up from Waterfall was fired high over the bar.
A couple of warning signs for the Mariners followed though as Danilo Orsi nearly pounced on a weak back-pass that forced Max Crocombe into a rushed clearance, before a rare chance for the Wood saw Jamal Fyfield then miss a golden opportunity after meeting Josh Rees’ corner with a free header, but he couldn’t guide his effort on target as it went agonisingly wide.
The spotlight was on McAtee after he missed two golden chances himself in the space of a minute having been played through on goal both times. He dragged his first effort just wide as it whistled past the far post after taking a few touches to get it under control, before getting the second on target only for an outstanding low save from Ashby-Hammond to deny him.
The Wood stopper was a thorn in Grimsby’s side for much of the second half and was perhaps at his very best with five minutes to go, as an outstretched save clawed out Maguire-Drew’s strike which was destined for the top corner. The substitute had a second bite of the cherry at the start of injury time when Ashby-Hammond punched a corner as far as him on the edge of the box, but his vicious strike was blocked.
There was just enough time at the end of the game for the Wood to go up the other end and test the Grimsby defence, with Rees breaking and picking out substitute Scott Boden in acres of space at the far post with plenty of the goal to aim at, but he was unable keep his shot down. The Mariners weren’t quite able to clear the danger though as fellow substitute Adrian Clifton battled with the defender to meet the ball as it dropped, with the eventual clearance falling to Jacob Mendy Mendy who’s shot was blocked before it was able to test Crocombe.
Although another valuable point to extend the unbeaten home run by another match, it means the Wood are without a win in five outings, and will need to make sure it doesn’t become six on Tuesday night.
FT – Boreham Wood 0-0 Grimsby Town
Boreham Wood: Ashby-Hammond, Evans, Stephans, Fyfield, Lewis, Mafuta, Raymond (Comley 77’), Rees, Mendy Mendy, Orsi (Boden 77’), Marsh (Clifton 84’)
Subs Not Used: Roach, Smith
Grimsby: Crocombe, Efete, Smith, Waterfall, Amos, Coke, Burgess, Clifton, Sousa (Maguire-Drew 78’), Taylor (Dieseruvwe 74’), McAtee
Subs Not Used: Pearson, Abrahams, Scannell
Star Man: Taye Ashby-Hammond.
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