Boreham Wood suffered their fourth defeat in five league games with a 2-1 loss in Essex against Hornchurch. First-half goals from Tom Wraight and Angelo Balanta, and a second-half goal from Junior Dixon, were enough to confirm the points for the hosts.

Luke Garrard made two changes from Saturday’s defeat against Weston-super-Mare, with new signing Josef Yarney making his debut and coming into the side alongside Mo Sagaf in place of David Agbontohoma and the injured Callum Reynolds.

The hosts were able to dominate the first half as they adapted to a poor pitch better than Boreham Wood did. Sean Scannell went close on three minutes, but his shot was deflected wide. Wood had a good chance on 21 minutes when Matt Rush’s shot was well saved by Mason Terry in the Urchins’ goal. Kwesi Appiah had a header straight at Terry a minute later.

On 27 minutes, Scannell had a shot blocked by Charlie O’Connell, but from the resulting Charlee Adams corner, Tom Wraight headed home to give the hosts the lead. Seven minutes later, Adams fired just wide of Nathan Ashmore’s goal. On 36 minutes, Hornchurch got their second, and it was former Wood player Angelo Balanta who finished well from close range. Apart from a deflected Mo Sagaf shot just before the break, Wood were unable to offer anything else in an attacking sense in the first half.

HT: Hornchurch 2-0 Boreham Wood

Boreham Wood were much better after the break as they realised that the pitch wasn’t suited to playing the ball to feet. Five minutes after the restart, a ball over the top to Rush gave him an opportunity, but Terry was once again equal to it. Two minutes later, Tom Whelan crossed the ball into Rush, but Nathan Betram-Cooper did well to block his shot. On 56 minutes, Sagaf fired into the side netting for Wood. Luke Garrard shuffled the pack and brought on both Erico Sousa and Junior Dixon, who did add something to Boreham Wood’s attacking play.

Dixon pulled one back on 78 minutes with a bullet header, which had to be good to beat Terry in the Urchins’ goal. Wood now had the bit between their teeth as they tried to get the equaliser. Rush fired wide on 83 minutes. Four minutes later, Sousa fired just over from distance. Soon afterwards, Tyrone Marsh’s header was blocked by a Hornchurch defender just when it looked like going in. In stoppage time, Sousa went close twice more. He fired over the bar before having a shot cleared off the line.

FT: Hornchurch 2-1 Boreham Wood

Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be for Boreham Wood. They were poor in the first half, and by the time they got used to playing on the pitch, they were already two goals down. It wasn’t just about the pitch, though. The hosts took their chances and had some real fight in the team. Even when they were under the cosh at the end, they were able to defend in numbers. As for Boreham Wood, it’s been a difficult few weeks, and Luke Garrard will want a reaction from his players when Boreham Wood play promotion rivals Eastbourne Borough on Saturday.

Hornchurch: Terry, Betram-Cooper, Greenidge, Phillips, Gibbs, Adams, Wraight, Weston (Pegrum 80), Scannell (Scott 85), Balanta, McQueen (Wood 83).

Subs not used: Saunders, Harvest.

Boreham Wood: Ashmore, Richardson, Benton (Sousa 70), Ileasamni, Yarney, O’Connell, Mafuta (Agbontohoma 31), Sagaf (Marsh 84), Whelan, Rush, Appiah (Dixon 70).

Subs not used: Abdulmalik.

Man of the Match: Tom Whelan.

Match report written by Brett Lewis.