MATCH REPORT: WEALDSTONE (A)

Wealdstone 1-1 Boreham Wood
Grosvenor Vale
21st October 5.30pm, Vanarama National League

On a wet afternoon in front of the TNT Sport camera, Boreham Wood had to make do with a point against Wealdstone at Grosvenor Vale, despite the hosts having to play the final twenty-two minutes with ten men following Mason Barrett’s sending off. Luke Garrard named an unchanged line up from last Saturday’s FA Cup win against Welling United

It was a bright opening as Boreham Wood put pressure on the Stones defence and Angelo Balanta had a shot blocked on two minutes. Femi Ilesamni tried his lucky from distance, four minutes later but his shot skidded wide in the wet conditions. Wood continued to press and got their reward on eighteen minutes when Erico Sousa gave them the lead. It all started with what looked like a goal save tackle from Jamal Fyfield and the ball found its way to Balanta who in turn, played a terrific pass to Sousa who ran at the Wealdstone defence before unleashing a shot into the corner of the goal. A minutes later Lee Ndlovu might have made it two but was denied by Stones keeper Jed Ward.

Wood continued to look lively and on thirty-three minutes Cameron Coxe played in Tyrone Marsh who was just off target. A minute later Balanta’s shot was well saved by Ward in the Stones goal. Just when Boreham Wood were looking in control, the hosts equalised, and what a goal it was. Tarryn Allarakhia ran from inside his own half, leaving the Boreham Wood defenders in his wake before finishing well past Nathan Ashmore. A minutes later Rahvon Campbell should have give the Stones the lead but shot just wide.

HALF TIME: WEALDSTONE 1-1 BOREHAM WOOD

Buoyed on by their unexpected equaliser, the hosts came out for the second period with renewed vigour and controlled a lot of possession early on but thanks to a stubborn Wood defence, they were unable to create anything. As the half wore on, Boreham Wood were able to regain their composure and were given a golden opportunity when Mason Barrett was sent off when he received his second yellow card after a foul on Ilesamni.

Ironically the best chance of the game, after the sending off fell to Wealdstone’s Jack Cook who headed wide from a corner on seventy-nine minutes. While Wood had a lot of possession following the red card, they were unable to have a meaningful shot on goal until the eighty-seventh minutes when Sousa’s shot was deflected wide for a corner. In the second minutes of stoppage time, Wood had a good chance to snatch the points when Stone keeper Ward dropped the ball into the path of Matt Robinson whose shot was blocked on the line before Sousa’s follow up effort was saved.

Luke Garrard will look on this as two points dropped as his side try and climb the league table. He will want his side to get back to winning ways at Dagenham & Redbridge on Tuesday night.