Boreham Wood Football Club have secured their third consecutive Herts Senior Cup appearance, after overcoming a resolute Bishops Stortford side on penalties in the semi final on Tuesday evening..
Wood manager Luke Garrard showed immense mental strength on the night.. As he changed his starting formation from a 3-5-2 that clearly wasn’t working, to go too a more attack minded 4-3-3 formation after only 40 minutes..
That formation change, saw Wood come from 2-0 down at half time, to then draw level after 65 minutes and though the game finished 2-2 after 90 minutes and extra time..
It was Wood who finally came out on top, after replicating their HSC final win against Stortford just two years ago, by again winning an exciting penalty shoot out, where Wood keeper Rusty Russell was the Wood hero..
Wood Chairman Danny Hunter said “It’s always great to get to a cup final and we have always shown great respect towards the Herts Senior Cup.. It perhaps means more to a club and it’s players, when your having a tough season like we are in the new national League”..
“My father always told me when he managed here in the 60’s and 70’s.. Don’t ever poo poo a final, as a finals a final and of course he’s right. We’ve now got the chance to win a trophy, so let’s enjoy the occasion and let’s plan on winning it”.
Hunter went on “I’ve always been a competitive Chairman and my record in this competition is I’m glad to say quite good.. I know it’s ridiculous to want to put a marker down of HSC wins as a Chairman but I do.. I want to win enough HSC finals, so that no other BWFC Chairman in the future, can match them and trust me I do know how sad that actually sounds”
“My father Mickey when he finished as manager here at Boreham Wood, always told me, that he regretted not ever winning the HSC, as back then it was a very prestigious trophy to win.. I have always remembered his words and will be reminding my gaffer Luke Garrard of that in the very near future”..
“Every trophy or promotion we have won in my tenure, only ever adds to my fathers legacy and his memory.. If I’m honest I like looking at the stats that cover my 17 years here and whether that’s wins, losses, draws, league titles, promotions, relegations or cup successes, it just makes me hungry to keep winning more”..
Hunter concluded “This will be our seventh HSC final in my years at the helm here but unfortunately we have only won three of those finals. That’s not really good enough, so it would be nice to win it again for a fourth time personally and for the sixth time in our history.. More importantly I want my young gaffer Luke Garrard to get his first trophy as a senior manager and if he can get it in his first year of management, then he would of more than deserved it”.,