Boreham Wood got back to winning ways in entertaining fashion, with a 3-1 win over Maidenhead United at Meadow Park, on Non-League Day.
The Wood had a whole host of activities going on, which included the local Mencap and Borehamwood Day Centre welcoming the players onto the pitch as flag-bearers, having enjoyed luxury treatment as guests in the club’s boardroom.
Keiran Murtagh opened the scoring with a superb free-kick at the end of a battling, but quiet first half.
The second period was a much livelier affair, with Maidenhead pulling a goal back, either side of goals from Wood forwards Josh Umerah and Justin Shaibu.
Skipper Mark Ricketts returned to the Wood midfield in place of Sorba Thomas, with the rest of the team unchanged.
Gozie Ugwu saw an early header glanced over the crossbar, in a fairly quite start to the match. Murtagh saw a free-kick saved by Pentney shortly after.
Maidenhead United’s first effort came shortly after the ten-minute mark, when Max Worsfold whipped a free-kick in for Jordan Archer, but he was unable to meet it.
A free-kick routine from Keiran Murtagh fed Connor Smith down the left and he swept the ball across the box, but Ayo Obileye got there first to thump it away.
The away side had already earned four corners inside of 30 minutes, but had failed to trouble with any of the them. James Mulley looked to be in a good position for the fourth, but headed over the crossbar.
The Wood were playing some tidy football and a back-flick from Murtagh found Smith, who cut inside and crossed for Ugwu, but his twisted effort was blocked into the hands of Pentney.
James Akintunde countered for the visitors and was weaving his way through the Wood backline, but he came unstuck against Manny Parry, who won the ball and fired clear.
Substitute Sorba Thomas got down the right side of the Maidenhead United box and hit a shot well, but Pentney made the save.
The Wood were ahead with just a minute of injury time to go in the first half. Murtagh won a free-kick on the edge of the area and thundered it directly into the top left corner.
The second half started in similar fashion to the first, with a lot of battling in the middle of the park. Thomas made an excellent run down the right to beat Rene Steer, but his cross was cleared by Alan Massey.
Thomas found Umerah perfectly in the middle of the box, but he turned his effort over the crossbar.
The home side were then awarded a second half penalty in bizarre circumstances.
Ugwu had gotten around the outside of Steer and crossed low into the box, but Umerah was unable to get onto the end of it. However, the forward was brought down despite the ball already flying past him and the referee had no choice but to point to the spot.
Umerah stepped up and confidently fired it past Pentney for the Wood’s second of the afternoon.
However, the hosts responded instantly to return the deficit to just one goal. Ryan Huddart had saved Chinua Cole’s initial attempt, but he was powerless to prevent Bird poking home the rebound.
The win was confirmed with five minutes to go, as substitute Shaibu scored with possibly his first touch of the ball. A goal-line scramble was back-heeled by Shaibu and caused carnage amongst the defence, before beating Pentney.
The Wood: Huddart, Ilesanmi, Ricketts ©, Parry, Shakes, Champion, Umerah (Shaibu 83’), Murtagh, Fyfield, Ugwu, Smith (Thomas 38’)
Subs not used: Burbidge, Gibbs, Ndiaye
Maidenhead United: Pentney, Clerima, Steer, Odametey, Obileye (Cole 45’), Worsfold, Akintunde, Massey ©, Smith, Mulley (Kelly 66’), Archer (Bird 66’)
Subs not used: Alves, Owusu
Goals:
Boreham Wood: Murtagh 45+2’, Umearh 73’, Shaibu 85’
Maidenhead United: Bird 77’
Attendance: 684 (134 away)
