Boreham Wood 3 Chelsea XI 3
Mangata Pay UK Stadium Meadow Park
27th July at 3:00pm
Pre-Season Friendly
Player of the Match: Charlie O’Connell
In a thoroughly entertaining match, Boreham Wood and a Chelsea XI share the spoils in what was Boreham Wood’s fifth pre-season match. It was one of the new boys, Charlie O’Connell who was the hero for Ross Jenkins’s men with a hat trick.
First Half
Following a positive opening period, Boreham Wood took the lead on nine minutes with a fantastic strike from outside the area from Charlie O’Connell following some good work from Femi Ilesamni. The veteran left back did well to win the ball from Diego Moreira in the build-up. It was the former Peterborough United defender’s first goal for Boreham Wood. Two minutes later, the visitors thought they’d equalised, but Nathan Ashmore pulled off an excellent save to deny Mason Burstow. On fifteen minutes Burstow went close again but this time, struck the Wood crossbar before Harvey Vale screwed the rebound wide.
On twenty-seven minutes Chelsea equalised through Diego Moreira after the Chelsea player dispossessed Chris Bush in the Wood defence. Three minutes later, a lovely Wood move involving Johnny Goddard and Erico Sousa ended with Tyrone Marsh playing in a cross that was just out of Kwesi Appiah’s reach. Just before the break, Chelsea took the lead. A strong run from midfield from Deivid Washington resulted in the ball ricocheting to Burstow who’s fiercely struck shot beat Ashmore at the near post.
Second Half
Soon after the restart. Ashmore denied Burstow with a good save. Wood equalised on fifty-five minutes when and excellent pass by Goddard picked out O’Connell who lobbed Blued keeper Kai Crampton and despite the young Chelsea keeper’s efforts, he couldn’t prevent it going in. Five minutes later, Chelsea restored their lead when a Harvey Vale cross was nicely turned in by Alfie Gilchrist. On sixty -three minutes O’Connell completed his hat trick when he finished a nice move involved Sousa and Marsh. The visitors controlled a lot of the possession late on but apart from a Jimmy Morgan show that sailed over, they were unable to threaten Nathan Ashmore’s goal.
There is no doubt, Boreham Wood supporters are seeing some real entertainment this pre-season. This was another good performance against a strong Chelsea side, much stronger than the team Bretford put out last Tuesday night. With only two pre-season games left and two weeks until the big kick off, Ross Jenkins will hope his side can carry this form into the season.
Full time: Boreham Wood 3-3 Chelsea XI
By Brett Lewis
Boreham Wood: Ashmore, Ilesamni, Hare (Coxe 73), Bush, O’ Connell 59, Agbontohoma, Goddard, Sagaf, Sousa (Ndlovu 73), Marsh, Appiah (Clayden 40)
Subs not used: Morley, Issac
Chelsea XI: Campbell, Gilchrist, Chalobah, Humphries, Sturge, Matos, Moreira, Dyer, Burstow, Washington, Vale
Subs: Olise, Crampton, Akomeah, Murray-Campbell, Samuels-Campbell, McMahon, Castledine, Morgan, Stutter, McNeilly, Silcott-Duberry
