Blue Square Bet South
Boreham Wood 1 Dorchester Town 2
by John Mead
A terrific Season built upon the foundations of the meanest defence in the League allowed Wood to sit in a Play-off position for the entire Season until a fortnight ago. Defeat at Sutton United last Monday made today’s contest yet another must win game to maintain the heady heights of being one of the main contenders for a Play-off spot.
Only Weston-super-Mare, who now occupy fourth spot, have taken maximum points at Meadow Park prior to this defeat. It was a day when the defence produced rare errors and a day where the attack yet again failed to deliver what was required to turn defeat into victory.
As a vanguard to the fantastic achievements under Ian Allinson, this was the first time the side have recorded back to back defeats in the League all Season. The opening twenty minutes belonged to Wood. Callum Reynolds produced a defence splitting ball for Greg Morgan who showed great vision in freeing up Charlie Moone who was promptly tripped on the edge of the area. The resultant free kick was blasted straight at the Town wall by Michael Thalassitis.
Moore had a shot blocked then failed to hit the target when on the receiving end of a fine cross from Graeme Montgomery.
The Magpies Tom Nichols registered the first shot of the game on target before Morgan went close with a free kick from twenty-five yards out after Thalassitis was tripped. It was all Wood at this stage with Jason Matthews in the Town goal saving well to deny Morgan who aimed for the near post from an angle. Charlie Clough blocked a further Moone effort before a knock on by Ben Nunn was clipped past James Russell by the giant Magpies centre forward Kieffer Moore who reacted well in the six yard box. It was a goal totally against the run of play which served to placate Wood’s dominance. The Town defence was by far the best unit on the field of play all afternoon thereafter, led by the classy Clough and the man mountain Nathan Walker.
Clough went close with a header from a right sided corner for the visitors with Wood fading into the interval.
A quiet start to the second half was interrupted when Moone again went close accepting a fine inswinging free kick from Montgomery, heading just wide at the far post. Charlie O’Loughlin went even closer on the hour heading inches over the bar from a well delivered Morgan free kick from just inside the Town half.
The equaliser was a freak goal after sixty-three minutes. A corner played short to Nunn was crossed from the right where it was headed out as far as Thalassitis. He had a good view of goal yet steered his volley well wide of the target. Unfortunately for Moore it struck the centre forward in the face before diverting back on target and past Matthews into the net.
Loick Pires entered the game and his first action was to send a fine cross over from the left which was met deep by Thalassitis who forced Matthews into a diving save. Nichols then had two decent efforts saved for the visitors as the game became a very even affair with both sides looking to attack. A mistake by Mark Jones let Moore in on goal, only for Reynolds to save his side with a superb tackle. Thalsassitis then embarked upon a run half the length of the pitch before being hacked down by Walker, with the free kick coming to nothing. Throwing caution to the wind Ian Allinson introduced Cliff Akurang as a third forward only for the visitors to forge ahead two minutes later. It was another defensive error, this time Reynolds scuffed his clearance on the right thirty yards from goal. Mark Jermyn duly crossed to the far post where Substitute Ben Watson rose between two defenders to head across goal beyond Russell.
Wood failed to respond in the final minutes leaving the visitors from Dorset worthy winners on the afternoon.
“We were not good enough on the day,” declared the Wood boss. “We failed to react in the goal area, unlike the visitors who did well in our box. We started very brightly but their first goal took the sting out of us. I needed to go for bust at 1 – 1 as draws are no longer an option for us. Yet we conceded a second then looked tired and never came back at them. It was a disappointing afternoon. We need to get back on track and quickly. I expect more from my forwards than what they are giving and this is reflecting in our results.”
Team: Russell, Nunn, Jones, Garrard, O’Loughlin, Reynolds, Morgan (Sub – Akurang 84 mins.), Isaac, Moone (Sub – Pires 70 mins.), Thalassitis, Montgomery.
Subs (Not used): Noto, Anderson, Courtnage.
Goals: Boreham Wood: Moore (Own Goal) 63. Dorchester Town: Moore 21, Watson 86.
Wood Man of the Match: Luke Garrard.
