Boreham Wood vs. Barnet
Sunday 2nd January 2022, KO 3.00pm
LV Bet Stadium Meadow Park, Vanarama National League
THE CONTEXT
This Sunday, Wood begin the New Year with a third meeting against local rivals Barnet this season, looking to start 2022 in positive fashion.
The Bees haven’t played since mid-December and in fact tasted defeat last time out at the hands of the Wood, but Barnet come into the game in good form having only lost a handful of times since September.
Despite not playing, Wood have dropped to fourth after missing a number of match days through COVID enforced postponements, and will be keen to make up some ground on their rivals to keep their unbeaten run going.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
“THE DESTROYER”
SAM BEARD
After a stint with Dorking Wanderers, Sam Beard arrived at the Hive in April 2021 having played an integral role to the Wanderers’ run to the play-off semi-final in 2019/20. He was a regular in the team as they went top of the National League South before its curtailment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The left back initially joined Barnet on loan last season before making the move permanent in the summer.
“THE PLAYMAKER”
EPHRON MASON-CLARK
After coming through the ranks at Barnet, he signed his first professional deal in the summer of 2016 and made his debut in the Checkatrade Trophy against Norwich City’s under 23’s. A first taste of regular football came whilst out on loan at Metropolitan Police but he made his Football League debut just a week later, and has since established himself as a mainstay in the Bee’s starting XI, as well as a firm fans’ favourite with his exciting attacking style of play. Able to play as either a striker or the left wing, his pace, power and goals has seen him make over 100 appearances for the Bees.
“THE FINISHER”
ROB HALL
A West Ham United academy graduate, Rob Hall signed his first professional contract with the Hammers in October 2010 and enjoyed a loan spell with Oxford United, impressing with six goals in ten appearances before he was recalled covering for injured players, eventually making his first team debut for West Ham United.
He would be named Academy Player of the Year for the 2011/12 season before further loans away at MK Dons and Birmingham City, standing out with seven assists in 13 games for the latter. He signed for Bolton Wanderers on a permanent basis in 2013 at the expiry of his West Ham United contract after a month there on loan at the end of 2012/13, spending three years at the Macron Stadium. He briefly returned to MK Dons on two separate consecutive loan spells, however he was put out of action in April 2016 and returned to Bolton, before rejoining Oxford five years after his loan spell.
He scored six goals in 26 appearances in his first season back as an Oxford United player and appeared at Wembley in the 2017 EFL Trophy Final. He started the following season brightly with five goals in 15 appearances, but further injury problems plagued the rest of his time at the Kassam Stadium and he was released at the end of the 2020/21 season, following a short-lived loan spell at Forest Green Rovers. An experienced head in the Bee’s dressing room at 28 years old, he has played in all of England’s top four divisions and made it five when he moved to Barnet in the summer.
LAST TIME WE MET
Barnet 2-3 Boreham Wood
Saturday 18th December 2021
The Hive, Buildbase FA Trophy Third Round
A first career hattrick for Tyrone Marsh was enough to overcome local rivals Barnet for the second time this season, sending the Wood through to the next round of the Buildbase FA Trophy.
It was Barnet who took the lead after just seven minutes when Rob Hall beat Taye Ashby-Hammond via a deflection off Jacob Mendy. Barnet nearly doubled their lead shortly after through Mitch Brundle, but his effort from outside the area went narrowly wide of Wood’s left post. The Bees were seemingly cruising, but Marsh struck his first of the afternoon from outside the box to equalise following some excellent hold up play from Adrian Clifton, giving Ashton Oxborough no chance.
The Wood began to build momentum and continued to threaten, with Marsh having an effort tipped away by Oxborough. A penalty awarded for a foul on Clifton gave Marsh the opportunity to give his side the lead just a couple of minutes later, and he made no mistake as he dispatched of the spot kick with a fierce strike that came off the underside of the crossbar.
However, it didn’t take long for Barnet to find an equaliser of their own though, as Wes Fonguck made Clifton rue his miss just a minute with a well-struck effort.
The second half started with drama as Brundle saw red just seven minutes after the break for an off the ball incident with Jacob Mendy which has since been rescinded, and Wood took advantage just after the hour mark when Marsh completed his hattrick, playing the ball through the legs of a Barnet defender before outmuscling him and arrowing his shot beyond Oxborough.
Just like numerous other times this season, Wood defended resiliently after taking the lead and made it very difficult for their opponents to find a way through. Barnet’s fate was sealed in injury time when they went down to nine men after Josh Payne’s straight red card, putting the final nail in the coffin as Marsh’s treble sent the Wood into the 4th Round.
HOW TO WATCH
MATCH TICKETS
All spectators are encouraged to pre-purchase their match tickets to avoid queuing and congestion upon entry into the ground. Tickets are also available to be purchased on the day via cash and debit/credit card.
Home supporters purchasing match tickets on the day should go to the club’s ticket office located in the main club car park, whereas visiting supporters can purchase match tickets on the day from their designated turnstiles.
Home Tickets (General Sale) – Click Here.
Home Tickets (Black Card Members) – Click Here.
Away Tickets (General Sale) – Click Here.
LIVE UPDATES
You can keep up with the action via our Twitter and Instagram pages, where there will be regular updates throughout the course of the match.
Instagram: @boreham_woodfc
Twitter: @boreham_woodfc
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