Boreham Wood came back from a goal down away at Barnet, to seal a 1-1 draw on New Year’s Day.
Bradley Ash was the hero against the Bees once again, converting an 85th minute penalty, to cancel out Ephron Mason-Clarke’s second half opener.
The draw sees the Wood go unbeaten against their local rivals this season, in just their second ever league meeting.
Luke Garrard reverted back to his favoured 3-5-2 formation, as Danny Woodards, Jamal Fyfield and Justin Shaibu all returned to the starting 11.
There was an early sight of goal for the Bees, but Ryan Huddart claimed Shaquille Coulthirst’s edge of the area effort, with relative ease.
The Wood were straight up at the other end and Shaibu was found on the right by-line. He attempted to twist an effort back towards Gozie Ugwu in the middle of the box, but Craig Robson scrambled the ball clear.
The home side were controlling possession, but had struggled to create any real chances, and Coulthirst lashed an effort over the bar.
The Wood had their best chance of the first half shorty after. Ricky Shakes came from nowhere to hit a first-time effort from the edge of the box, that ‘keeper Mark Cousins pushed back into his path. However, he could only fire the rebound into the side-netting, from a tight angle.
Set pieces at either end caused trouble in the boxes. A Wood corner pinballed around the area before eventually being hooked clear. Craig Robson then headed wide from a free-kick, deep into the away half.
The second period started in a similar fashion and the first sight of goal came for substitute Simeon Akinola, but he couldn’t stretch far enough to reach Mason-Clarke’s through ball.
Mason-Clarke then found space for himself in the box with a mazy run, but Huddart done well to push his effort wide.
Shortly after, long-range efforts from Cheye Alexander and Charlee Adams both came to nothing.
Akinola stormed upfield on the counter attack for Barnet and pulled the ball back for Taylor, but Tom Champion was back to make a superb interception.
The hosts then broke the Wood’s resolve though, as Mason-Clarke set himself, before launching the ball into the top right corner, from just inside of the area.
Bradley Ash, Sorba Thomas and Keiran Murtagh all broke for the Wood on the counter attack, but Robson managed to nick the ball from the feet of Ash, as he was about to strike.
The Wood were handed a lifeline thanks to some excellent interplay between Murtagh and Thomas. The latter was teased into the box with a ball from Murtagh, but Akinola brought him down with a sliding challenge and the referee pointed straight to the spot.
Bradley Ash, who was the goalscorer in the Boxing Day win over Barnet, then stepped up to confidently fire the penalty into the bottom left corner.
The Wood: Huddart, Woodards (Thomas 71’), Ilesanmi, Ricketts ©, Stephens, Shakes, Champion, Murtagh, Fyfield, Ugwu (Ash 58’), Shaibu
Subs not used: Burbidge, Parry, Smith
Barnet: Cousins, Alexander, Johnson, Reynolds © (Akinola 52’), Robson, Adams, Coulthirst, Taylor, Elito, Sweeney, Mason-Clark (Harrison 87’)
Subs not used: Matrevics, Fonguck, Tutonda
Att: 2,087 (305 away)
Goals:
The Wood: Ash 85’
Barnet: Mason-Clarke 68’
