Boreham Wood manager Luke Garrard expressed his delight at the defensive resolve his team showed in the 0-1 victory over Dover Athletic last night.
Blair Turgott’s 43rd minute effort was enough to seal a second win, and a second clean sheet, in as many matches.
Commenting on the win, Garrard told the official club website: “Back-to-back clean sheets is what makes me happiest today. I think the manner in which they play, it was always going to be tough coming down to Dover.
“We know what they are about; they are relentless for 95 minutes, they put balls in your box and they ask questions of you.
“I feel that our back three, as well as Mark Ricketts, Grant Smith, Kane Smith, Danny Woodards and everyone on that pitch, answered everything that Dover wanted to offer up today.”
Due to a number of early season injuries, Garrard has struggled to field a consistent side this campaign and pinpointed the unchanged 11 yesterday as key.
He continued: “I think that you are seeing the best of Dean Wells, for him to go back-to-back games and to do it in the manner that he did today, having not featured during pre-season, really shows his own fitness levels.
“Dave Stephens was colossal this evening and Tom Champs’ decision making and the details on his clearances were very good.
“I think that it is the first time that we have had a settled back five this year and I think that if we can maintain this, then you will see that we can keep clean sheets.”
The Wood have been high scoring so far this campaign, but have failed to keep clean sheets, and their ability to outscore opponents has often proved key.
However, with a second clean sheet in a row, Garrard praised the team’s ability to dig deep and grind out a positive result.
The 31-year-old said: “I said to the boys afterwards that the type of performance was something that I was really pleased with.
“So far this year, we have dominated games to an extent in possession, but anyone who was here today, will have seen the rain pouring in.
“The rain was coming in horizontal to your face, the wind was swirling, Dover are getting long balls into the box, they have got long throws and they have got great quality when it comes to getting balls in from set pieces, so, I think that we had to play how we did today.
“As much as I wanted to get our game plan going, I don’t think that Dover have allowed us to do that, so fair play to them, but it is so pleasing that we could come away with a clean sheet and a win on the board.”
Having only arrived at the club on Friday, Blair Turgott has hit the ground running at Boreham Wood, netting his first goal for the club in the win against Dover.
The attacking midfielder has been a positive influence since arriving at Meadow Park on-loan from Stevenage, with wins in his first two games.
“Blair has just asked me about the two clean sheet bonuses, because he feels that he is the main reason why we have gotten our first two clean sheets,” Garrard joked.
“He is still trying to get to grips with how everyone plays, but when he lands on the ball he is exciting and he is lovely on the ball.
“I think that his fitness levels towards the end of today were in question, but that is because he has played back-to-back games – Saturday and Tuesday – and he has not played too many minutes for Stevenage, so I have got to be wary on him.”
Despite the impressive wins over both Dover and Leyton Orient last Saturday, Garrard was once again keen to stress the importance of keeping their feet grounded.
“It is ten games in, so no one is getting carried away and I have already told them, like I did after Orient, that we have got to park that, and Maidenhead becomes the focus.
“I know that Maidenhead have gone and beaten Tranmere this evening, so they are going to be on a high and it is tough there, it is very tough.
“They play their ground very well and their manager, Alan Devonshire, knows the level superbly, so for me, it is just another game ticked off.
“We have got another 36 to play, and hopefully we can continue doing what we are doing at the minute.”
