Boreham Wood 1 Worthing 2
Mangata Pay UK Stadium Meadow Park
2nd September at 7:45pm
Vanarama National League South
Player of the Match: Tom Whelan
On a disappointing night at Mangata Pay UK Stadium Meadow Park, Boreham Wood succumb to defeat against Worthing which is their second defeat in the last three Vanarama National League fixtures. Temi Babaloua gave the visitors the lead in the first half before Lee Ndlovu equalised on seventy-three minutes. Danny Cashman got a late winner for the Rebels.
Ross Jenkins made one change from Saturday’s draw against Maidstone United with David Agbontohoma starting in place of the injured Josh Hare at right side centre back.
First Half
Boreham Wood started on the front foot, putting together some nice moves with Erico Sousa, Tom Whelan and Mo Sagaf at the heart of it. Lee Ndlovu was caught offside twice in the first ten minutes having been played in by Sousa and then Chris Bush. Femi Ilesamni went close on five minutes, but his shot was well blocked by Rebels defender Joe Cook. On thirteen minutes some nice interplay between Sousa and Whelan nearly created a chance for Junior Dixon but Worthing keeper Chris Haigh did well to gather.
Two minutes later, the visitors took the lead with their first meaningful attack of the match. Temi Babaloua went on an excellent run outmuscling Bush before beating Nathan Ashmore at his near post. For a long period after the goal the visitors started to control possession as the Wood player’s heads seemed to drop. This seems to have been a pattern over the last three games after Boreham Wood conceded a goal. Babaloua attempted a carbon copy of his earlier goal on thirty-seven minutes, but this time Bush was equal to it.
Second Half
Boreham Wood made two changes at half time with Charles Clayden replacing Ilesamni and Tyrone Marsh coming on for Sagaf with the aim of injecting some more energy into the Boreham Wood side. For much of the second half, this seemed to work with Clayden causing all sorts of problems down the left. Marsh had a couple of good chances. His first effort went just wide on fifty-five and his second shot, a well struck volley was saved by Rebels keeper Haigh. Worthing were still dangerous on the counterattack and Danny Cashman fired just wide on sixty-three minutes. Two minutes later, a great run from Clayden drew a foul from Tommy Willard just outside the penalty area. Marsh headed just wide from the resulting free kick with the goal gapping
On sixty-eight minutes Ndlovu just failed to get on the end of Marsh’s cross shot when a mere touch would have resulted in a goal. Five minutes later Wood got a deserved equaliser when Ndlovu finished well from a Cameron Coxe cross. The visitors responded well, and it seemed like a sign of things to come, on seventy-five minutes when a lovely flowing ended with Willard shooting narrowly wide. Two minutes later Tom Whelan fired over with a well struck volley. On eighty-six minutes, Worthing got the winner when Harrison Smith and Cashman seemed to walk through the Boreham Wood defence before Cashman applied the finish. Wood huffed and puffed for the last few minutes and Junior Dixon headed wide with the goal at his mercy. Even six minutes of stoppage time wasn’t enough time for Boreham Wood to equalise.
Boreham Wood were made to pay for some poor finishing and sloppy defending against a very good Worthing side. It has been a disappointing recent run or form for Ross Jenkins’s side and he will want this to change on Saturday when Boreham Wood are away at Hampton & Richmond Borough
Boreham Wood: Ashmore, Sousa, Ilesamni (Clayden 46 / Coxe 71), Agbontohoma, Bush, O’Connell, Payne, Whelan (Abdulmalik 87), Sagaf (Marsh 46, Ndlovu, Dixon
Subs not used: Mafuta
Worthing: Haigh, Beard, Wills, Cook, Willard (Starkey 89), Spong (Bates 58), Cashman (Hutchinson 90 +4), Babaloua (Smith 74), Rea, Black, Packham (Wheeler 67)
Subs not used:
By Brett Lewis
