ASHMORE SAVES THE DAY
Boreham Wood 0 – 0 FC Halifax Town
Saturday 10th October 2020, 3pm
Meadow Park, Vanarama National League
A week after the disappointing defeat at Wrexham, we were back at Meadow Park for our first home league game since the end of February against FC Halifax Town. In truth this was a fairly uneventful encounter between two teams who contested the National League Play Off Eliminator at the end of last season. Boreham Wood came out on top that time and it would have been unfair on the visitors had the same result occurred on this occasion.
The Shaymen who had won one and lost one of their first two matches of the season, came out of the blocks with the dangerous Jamie Allen making a good run down the right only to be tackled superbly by Sorba Thomas when he was about to pull the trigger. Keeper Nathan Ashmore was quickly called into action, saving well from an excellent Jeff King shot. While the opening stages were dominated by the visitors, Boreham Wood will feel they should have taken the lead after 11 minutes when Shaquile Coulthirst, in his first start, headed wide when well-placed.
This was as good as it got in the first half for Boreham Wood as the visitors largely dominated proceedings. Halifax were a bit sharper and enjoyed the majority of the possession. The Shaymen will feel they should have taken the lead after 36 minutes when a fantastic effort from Luke Summerfield was brilliantly tipped onto the post by Ashmore in the Boreham Wood goal, a save that Wood Manager Luke Garrard later described as “world class.” A few minutes later Tshimanga fired wide for the home side when well-placed, just as we were approaching half time.
Boreham Wood were much improved in the second half and enjoyed the majority of possession. Murtagh, Tshimanga and Jamal Fyfield had efforts on goal. Fyfield’s shot probably ended up somewhere in Hartforde Road shops, with a shot high and wide following a Sorba Thomas corner fell nicely inside the box for him to strike! Apart from that, Boreham Wood did little else to trouble Sam Johnson in the Halifax goal. Just after the hour mark a fantastic move involving Allen and Omotoya for the Shaymen should have resulted in the latter giving the visitors the lead. However, he fired high and wide. Halifax finished the game strongly but were kept out by a resolute Wood defense led by the excellent Jamal Fyfield.
A goalless draw was probably a fair score line in a game that was high on effort and intensity but ultimately, low on quality. Boreham Wood Manager Luke Garrard said, “I thought we were average and Halifax probably deserved to win. They started better than we did. Our forwards were lacklustre. It was nice to get a clean sheet though.”
Boreham Wood: Ashmore, Smith, Thomas, Fyfield, Champion, Ilesamni, Ricketts, Murtagh (Mafuta 90+2), Mingoia (Whitely 54), Coulthirst (Rhead 52), Tshimanga.
Subs not used: Francis-Angol, Stephens.
FC Halifax Town: Johnson, King (Maher 83), Clarke, Byrne, Bradbury, Allen, Green, Earing, Williams (Senior 69), Omotayo (Woods 64), Summerfield.
Subs not used: Davison-Hale, Nepomuceno.
Man of the Match: Nathan Ashmore (Boreham Wood)
Match report written by Brett Lewis (Non-League Paper & Wood Army member)
