Boreham Wood 1 Bath City 0
Mangata Pay UK Stadium Meadow Park
10th August at 3:00pm
Vanarama National League South
Man of the Match: Erico Sousa
LATE MARSH GOAL SEALS IT
A late Tyrone Marsh goal was enough for Boreham Wood to start their Vanarama National League season with a well deserved three points in a match where they dominated.
First Half
It was the visitors who started the match on the front and they created the games first chance on two minutes when midfielder Sol Wanju-Smith outpaced Wood defender Chris Bush before hitting his shot into the side netting. Two minutes later, Romans midfielder Jordan Tillson fired over from a free kick. From then on, it was all Boreham Wood, On six minutes the home side had their first chance when a delightful pass from Mo Sagaf picked out Tyrone Marsh who then forced City keeper Harvey Wiles-Richards into a smart save. Three minutes later the Bath keeper produced an even better save, this time from Lee Ndlovu. Wiles-Richards was then able to gather the rebound before Wood midfielder, Tom Whelan could get to it.
Erico Sousa was then causing all sorts of problems down Wood’s right side and in the space of two minutes, both Whelan and Ndlovu went close from his crosses. On thirty-one minutes some heroic defending from Bath debutant Zac Smith denied Sousa. The rebound fell to Ndlovu who was once again denied by a great save from Wiles-Richards. Unfortunately Smith’s reward for such a good tackle was a worrying looking injury resulting in him being stretchered off. The injury and the prolonged stoppage appeared to have an impact on the game for the rest of the first half and Boreham Wood’s attacking threat was nullified. The visitors if anything, grew in confidence and started to enjoy more possession leading up to the break, although they were unable to get anywhere near Boreham Wood’s goal.
Second Half
The Romans had a half chance, three minutes after but Jordan Alves fired over the crossbar. Seven minutes later Josh Hare also shot over from distance. Soon afterwards an excellent Sousa run left several Bath defenders in his wake, but his shot went narrowly wide. On sixty-four minutes Ndlovu headed narrowly wide from a Charles Clayden cross.
The introduction of Femi Ilesamni and Junior Dixon from the bench added some impetuous to the Wood side and with ten minutes left they finally took the lead. An excellent run down the right from Sousa and a cross found Tyrone Marsh who finished with aplomb past Wiles-Richards in the City goal. Wood might have added to their lead in the final few minutes when substitute Johnny Goddard’s hot was cleared off the line by Joe Raynes.
It was a good opening day performance from Boreham Wood and a nice way to get the Ross Jenkins era off to a good start. Boreham Wood were dominant for almost the match and will feel they should have won by more than the one goal. However three points is three points!!
Boreham Wood: Ashmore, Hare, Clayden (Ilesamni 74), Bush, O’Connell, Payne, Whelan, Sagaf (Mafuta 90), Sousa, Ndlovu (Dixon 71), Marsh (Marsh 87),
Subs not used: Abdulmalik,
Bath City: Wiles-Richards, Raynes, Smith (Alves 34), Batten, Morgan, Wanju-Smith (Davies 72), Humphrey-Ewers, Tillson, Clarke, Wilson, Fisher (Sweeten 83)
Subs not used: Sardo,
By Brett Lewis
