WOOD LOSE DESPITE DOMINANCE
Wealdstone 1-0 Boreham Wood
Tuesday 2nd March 2021, 7.45pm
Grosvenor Vale, Vanarama National League
In a match where Boreham Wood missed a hatful of chances, it was the Club’s Community Manager, Connor Smith who scored an unlikely first half winner for Wealdstone.
For the third match in a row, Boreham Wood were unchanged, but it was nice to see skipper Mark Ricketts on the bench after a month out with a knee injury.
The home side had the better of the opening exchanges and after three minutes Danny Green’s free kick was glanced narrowly wide by Michee Etete. After nine minutes a Green corner was met with a free header by Jack Cawley but fortunately for Boreham Wood, the former Concord Rangers centre back missed the target. Boreham Wood had their first effort on goal after eleven minutes when Junior Morias struck a shot straight at Harry Isted in the Stones goal. Another effort came after 18 minuets of play when a fantastic run and curling shot by the impressive Tyrone Marsh, hit the post and it Kabs Tshimanga who just failed to connect with the follow up.
It was Connor Smith who gave Wealdstone the lead after twenty-five minutes when he took advantage of a ricochet off of Jamal Fyfield to finish well past Nathan Ashmore. Corey Whitely reacted a few minutes later by striking a shot just wide of Isted’s goal and another effort came on forty minutes when Tyrone Marsh was denied by Isted. A minute later, Marsh played through to Tshimanga but Isted was out quickly and ready to deny Wood’s number nine.
The second half started slowly and it wasn’t until the fifty-seventh minute when Wood created a clear cut chance in the second half. Tshimanga shot wide when played through by Junior Morias, this opened the door for Boreham Wood to create a number of chances in the final third of the match. On sixty-two minutes Gus Mafuta’s well struck effort went just over the bar, followed by an excellent pass from Keiran Murtagh which gave Kane Smith a shooting opportunity but he was denied.
On seventy-five minutes, Marsh’s next effort was blocked before the ball fell to substitute Shaq Coulthirst and when it looked like the net was about to bulge, he was also denied by a superb block from former Wood trialist Dan Wishart. Whitely dragged his shot just wide when put though by Tshimanga. And once again, Whitely was denied by a terrific save again from Harry Isted. Even with six minutes of added time it just wasn’t enough for Boreham Wood to convert a goal.
It’s hard to believe Boreham Wood didn’t get something out of that game. It’s difficult to be too critical of their approach in play and ability to create chances but we were unfortunately undone this evening by some sloppy defending costing the goal and the three points. It was a good display from Wealdstone who defended brilliantly for the majority of the game, after they took the goal advantage in the first half. Match winner Connor Smith might be given a wide berth when he comes in for his day job tomorrow…
Boreham Wood: Ashmore, Smith, Fyfield, Pearce, Ilesamni, Whitely, Murtagh, Mafuta, Morias (Coulthirst 57), Tshimanga, Marsh.
Subs not used: Huddart, Stephens, Ricketts, Francis-Angol.
Wealdstone: Isted, Efete, Okimo, Cawley, Wishart, Smith (Dyer 81), Charles, Phillips, Green, Mendy (Parish 90), Lafayette (Lewis 73).
Subs not used: Askew, Dyer, Hearn.
Man of the Match: Tyrone Marsh.
Match report written by Brett Lewis (Non-League Paper & Wood Army member).
