Monty Gets Wood Off To A Flyer!
Vanarama Conference South.
Boreham Wood 2 Farnborough 0,
by John Mead.
Seamlessly exporting their pre season preparations into the League, Wood stunned the visitors with a breathtaking first half performance.
It took Graeme Montgomery just 82 seconds to score what will probably stand the test of time in becoming Goal of the Season! Combining with Lee Angol he saw his initial shot spiral out of control for a throw in on the right. When the ball came back into play it was knocked sky high dropping like a stone. Montgomery from full thirty yards out never took his eye off it, unleashing a truly memorable volley across goal into the top left hand corner.
The technique was sublime and there was more to come as Wood piled forward from the off. A telling cross from Ricky Shakes almost found Austin Lipman with the already beaten Charlie Grainger forced to punch the ball off his head. Wood fans had to wait until the 9th minute for another moment of Montgomery magic. Receiving a through ball from Josh Hill with his back to goal, he was given time to take two touches before turning and striking a fantastic shot off his favourite left foot. Grainger was beaten hands up, the ball crashing back into play off the underside of the crossbar.
If that was a let off for the visitors, there came another after 11 minutes. A wonderfully disguised through ball from Scott Thomas allowed Shakes to beat the offside trap and race through on goal. With Grainger flailing he somehow shinned his effort wide of the post when scoring looked far easier.
Farnborough mounted their first attack but soon wished they had not bothered. Benn Nunn seized possession playing out to Shakes in a central position. The weight of his pass was perfect to attract the run of Angol who chose to trap rather than burst through. He then accelerated at pace using his marker as a decoy before curling a sublime effort into the bottom right hand corner past the unsighted Grainger.
With Farnborough seemingly still in the changing rooms they got back into the game momentarily when Aaron Tumwa stabbed an effort across goal, before Angol tested Grainger with a decent effort at the other end. The pressure applied to the visiting defence continued when a lofted free kick from Lipman picked out Hill who appeared to be pushed off the ball.
Thomas rode two challenges bursting down the right winning a free kick which Montgomery delivered finding Angol who went close with a back heeled effort. Angol was mesmerising the defence with his technique and it needed two defenders to smother out another Wood attack as the one sided half drew to a close.
Matthew Ball then reminded Wood fans what he was capable of hitting a superb drive that needed a full stretch save from James Russell, his first of the match after 49 minutes.
A fine change of pace and direction from Lipman allowed Montgomery another attempt to get his second of the game. This time he was just wide of the post.
Wood went a little flat at this stage allowing the visitors their best spell. The impressive right back Paul Rodgers evaded two challenges before hitting a low drive that Russell deflected onto the post.
Matty Whichelow replaced Lipman with twenty minutes remaining, which gave Wood a renewed energy . Montgomery finished off a fine cross field move involving the substitute with another sublime effort that was just wide, before Sam Cox went close after great build up play from Nunn and Shakes down the right.
Whichelow tested Grainger after playing a one two with Cox, with Wood finishing the game as they started it. Cox fired over before Whichelow was further denied twice by Grainger as an extremely well organised Wood cruised to an opening day victory.
Ian Allinson was “ Pleased with the three points. We started sharply and we were bright and alert. Our fitness was superb and we should have been out of sight by half time. Farnborough caused us some problems after the break when our ball retention was poor. You need to take your chances at this level of football and I was pleased with the amount of efforts we created. It was out first match against a team of our own standard and it went very well.”
Speaking about the Montgomery goal he added, “ We have a great side this year I feel with some good individual talents. That is what Monty does best. His technique in striking a falling ball at that trajectory was superb, for me Goal of the Season already!.”
Team: Russell, Nunn, Garrard, Cox (Hill 90), Hill, Reynolds, Shakes, Thomas, Angol, Lipman (Whichelow 70), Montgomery ( Morgan 83).
Subs not used: Noto, Courtnage.
Goals: Boreham Wood: Montgomery 2, Angol 14.
Man Of The Match: Graeme Montgomery
