Blue Square Bet South
Hayes & Yeading United 0 Boreham Wood 1
by John Mead
An Omer Riza penalty was all that separated the two sides in a close encounter. The result significantly sees Ian Allinson’s side unbeaten after three games, sitting second in the table.
This was always going to be a tough game, given that the opponents were competing in the Blue Square Bet Premier last Season. The first half was devoid of many goal scoring chances, the second a show of profligacy in front of goal from the “home” side, whilst Wood themselves came close to a second goal twice deep into injury time.
A stalemate preceded a quite torrential downpour around the half hour mark, when Chez Isaac, by far the most influential player on the pitch played a one-two with Riza advancing down the right. He went to ground inside the penalty area, with defender Daniel Wishart adjudged by the well placed Assistant Referee to have produced enough contact to warrant a penalty. Riza duly dispatched a low struck effort that went over the goal line via the base of a post.
United enjoyed plenty of neat possession but had very little in the way of end product thanks to some disciplined defending from Charlie O’Loughlin and Mark Jones in particular. Tom Cadmore almost equalised minutes later when his low struck free kick beat James Russell but struck the base of the left hand post.
Inih Effiong went close for Wood with a long range effort just before the interval. The home side did manage to open up Wood with more purpose after the interval, whilst playing the offside trap immaculately throughout the half to totally frustrate any intentions of increasing the lead that Ian Allinson’s side may have had.
Tobi Joseph skipped past Callum Reynolds before being brought down as Wood defended their slender lead. Isaac popped up in defence on several occasions with some brilliantly timed interventions as the home side looked desperately for an equaliser. Tom Cadmore went to ground under a challenge from Luke Garrard inside the penalty area and was immediately booked for diving by Referee Mr Wood.
Substitutes Jerome Anderson and John Goddard added some spark for United after their introduction. Goddard’s dipping drive after seventy-one minutes called Russell into action for the first time in the half producing a fingertip save.
Anderson then shot just wide before playing Dan Spence through on goal who was stopped by a quite brilliant Jones tackle. With time running out Joseph played Anderson through down the left. His shot was smothered by Russell who raced off his line to narrow the angle. Graeme Montgomery almost grabbed a second in injury time finding space down the left he shot across ‘keeper Matt Ingram and just wide of the far post. Then Robert Hastings stole possession from Cadmore on the goal line feeding Elliott Buchanan, forcing Ingram into a diving save to keep the score line respectable, with Wood doing enough to take all three well earned points.
It was for Ian Allinson, “A massive win against a very tough side who are used to competing at a higher level. We knew it would be very difficult today. We were excellent first half but I felt we struggled to play our game second half. That said the players stuck to the task in hand and brought home the points with some excellent defending and a clean sheet.”
Team: Russell, Nunn, Jones, Garrard, O’Loughlin, Reynolds, Hutton (Sub – Scott-Morris 74 mins.), Isaac, Effiong (Sub – Buchanan 69 mins.), Riza (Sub – Hastings 87 mins.), Montgomery.
Subs (Not used): Close, Baker-Owers.
Bookings: Reynolds, Riza, Scott-Morris.
Goal: Boreham Wood: Riza 30 pen.
Man of the Match: Chez Isaac.
