Pre-Season Friendly
Boreham Wood 0 Dagenham & Redbridge 2
by John Mead
Defences reigned supreme in this Pre-Season work out against the Division Two side from East London. Wood were undone by a defensive howler and a lack of tight marking which led to a fine individual goal.
That the players felt despondent losing to a full time professional side that clearly oozes quality shows that this current Wood side are setting the bar very high in the run up to their second Season at Blue Square Bet South level.
John Still used twenty outfield players, amongst which Damien Scannell was the pick of the bunch first half. He gave Daniel Brathwaite a very busy evening and the Wood left back did extremely well in stemming the flow of mazy runs. Ian Allinson gave Simeon Akinola sixty-five minutes to impress and the PASE player and Club leading goal scorer last Season showed glimpses of skill that would have suggested to Ian Allinson that he is coming of age.
A misunderstanding between twenty-one year old Elliott Brathwaite and ‘keeper Michael Jordan left the Wood shot stopper stranded off his line. Brathwaite’s poor clearance went straight to new signing Medy Elito who found the empty net with ease from twenty five yards out after sixteen minutes. Daryl McMahon then played Akinola through who tested Chris Lewington in the Daggers goal.
Gavin Tomlin passed Elliott Brathwaite with ease threading a ball through for Jon Nurse who just three yards from goal failed to gauge the qualities of Jordan who pulled off a fine save to keep the score line respectable.
Tomlin then increased the lead after twenty-nine minutes. Dragging down a ball from shoulder height he failed to receive the full attention of the surrounding defenders, finding space to curl an unstoppable shot into the top right hand corner. Scannell tested Jordan further before the interval, leaving Wood to face nine fresh outfield players for the second half.
Luke Garrard made a saving tackle to deny a seemingly rejuvenated Danny Green, in comparison to his spell on Loan at Meadow Park last Season.
Wood produced sporadic pieces of cohesive attacking football when Akinola, David Bryant and Daryl McMahon combined. However with last Season’s central defensive nemesis Luke Wilkinson in top form back at his own Club, the task of breaking through a well marshalled defence became increasingly more difficult. Promising young left back Tony Walker tried an audacious effort that went just wide soon after replacing Daniel Brathwaite.
Elliott Brathwaite created a fine chance to atone for the first half error flashing a fine volley just wide after Elliott Godfrey turned a corner back into danger. Mario Noto tested the Daggers custodian with a low drive that was finally gathered at the second attempt before PASE player Daniel Lewis, on for the last eight minutes saved well from the lively and dangerous Louis Dennis.
Speaking after the game Wood Manager Ian Allinson summarised, “It felt a little bit like after the Lord Mayor’s Show tonight after Saturday’s result. We did well for the first twenty minutes yet the first goal seemed to dent our confidence. We finished quite strong I thought and defensively excepting the two goals we did very well against full time opposition. It is clear we need to strengthen our options in front of goal to compliment what we already have in place.”
Team: Jordan (Sub – Lewis 82 mins.), Kamara (Sub – Matthews 45 mins.), D. Brathwaite (Sub – Walker 65 mins.), Garrard, O’Loughlin (Sub – Hunter 57 mins.), E. Brathwaite, Akinola (Sub – Yaku 65 mins.), McMahon, Bryant, Noto, Godfrey.
Bookings: Noto.
Goals: Dagenham & Redbridge: Elito 16, Tomlin 29.
