Kidderminster Harriers 1-2 Boreham Wood Aggborough Stadium 30th December 3.00pm, Vanarama National League
They rode their luck at times, but Boreham Wood came away from Worcestershire with a welcome victory against Kidderminster Harriers thanks to two goals from Lee Ndlovu and a masterclass performance from Nathan Ashmore in goal. Luke Garrard named an unchanged line up from the Boxing Day draw between the two sides at Mangata Pay UK Stadium Meadow Park, New signing Josh Staunton took his place on the bench.
In an entertaining first half, the hosts had the first real chance of the game on seven minutes when Jack Lambert shot from distance with Nathan Ashmore making a good save despite it swirling in the wind. From the resulting corner, Alex Penny headed just wide. Three minutes later, Lambert had another effort from distance, but this time was well wide. Tyrone Marsh had a shot on fourteen minutes, but it was easily saved by Christian Dibble. Mo Sagaf went close on twenty-five minutes, but his left foot effect went just wide of the goal. Two minutes later, Wood took the lead through Lee Ndlovu when some excellent play from Erico Sousa and a Tom Whelan pass found Ndlovu who used his undoubted strength to hold off the Harriers defence to cooly slot home past Dibble.
Five minutes later, the hosts should have been level when a sloppy pass out of the back fell to Lambert who in turn passed to Ashley Hemmings who fired straight at Ashmore when one on one. On forty minutes, Bailey Hobson fired just wide from distance for the hosts. Four minutes later, Ndlovu added his second when a Marsh cross was dummied by Sagaf before Ndlovu flicked the ball past Dibble and into the goal. Just when it looked like Wood would go into the break with a comfortable lead, the hosts hit back. A pinpoint cross from Sammy Robinson was met with a bullet header by Gold Omotayo to halve Boreham Wood’s lead, going into the break.
The hosts largely controlled the second half. Not long after the restart, Omotayo forced Ashmore into a save. On the fifty-five minutes, the former AFC Fylde striker went close again and forced an even better save from Ashmore with a shot from distance. From the resulting corner Harrier skipper Shane Byrne clipped the outside of the post with a header. Sousa went close for Wood on sixty-two minutes but shot just wide when well placed. Byrne had a deflected shot, well saved by Ashmore on seventy minutes.
Lambert went close three times, soon after, with his first shot saved by Ashmore, his second one, crashing off the Boreham Wood crossbar and his third shot going high and wide. As the clock wound down, the hosts forced a succession of corners that a resolute Wood defence were able to keep out. The unlikely Lambert was just wide with a well struck volley on eight-nine minutes. In the last of the five minutes added on, Omotayo, had the ball in the Boreham Wood net and while he was running off for a joint celebration with the Harriers supporters, referee Michael Crusham ruled the goal out for a foul on Nathan Ashmore.
It was a welcome three points for Boreham Wood against a Kidderminster side who deserved something from the game. They put in a much better performance than at Boreham Wood on Boxing Day and but for some poor finishing and an outstanding performance from Nathan Ashmore, they would have followed up their point on Boxing Day with a win here. However, two very well taken goals from Lee Ndlovu were eventually enough to give Boreham Wood the three points and move them seven points clear of the drop zone.
FULL TIME: KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS 1-2 BOREHAM WOOD
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