Junior Breaks Midweek Voodoo!
The Skrill South.
Maidenhead United 0 Boreham Wood 1,
by John Mead.
It has taken Wood three years and ten days to finally win a midweek League Match away from home, with substitute Junior Morias netting just twenty seconds from the end of a close encounter.
There were few goal scoring opportunities in the opening half, before the game finally opened up with half an hour remaining. Wood rode their luck and had James Russell to thank for three outstanding saves before Morias capitalised on a poor clearance from Elvijs Putnins to steal the points from The Magpies.
With Charlie O’Loughlin unavailable 18 year old Zachari Fagan earned his Wood debut, the Arsenal Loan youngster producing an assured performance. Mark Jones also returned to first team duty in place of Greg Morgan. Understandably after their early three goal blitz against Dorchester Town the side roared out of the starting blocks, finding a well organised Magpies outfit in no mood to surrender.
The game ebbed and flowed with Matty Whichelow issuing the first shot on target after 26 minutes which did little to trouble Putnins. A minute later a brilliant tackle from Leon Solomon denied Sam Cox a clear chance to open the scoring. Whichelow saw a good curling effort sail just over the bar after he combined well with Kudos Oyenuga. Yet for all their attacking play Wood rarely troubled the Latvian shot stopper before the interval.
The second half began with a superb dipping drive from Graeme Montgomery that had Putnins back pedalling to tip the goal bound effort over the bar. Wood were attacking up the slope with intent at this stage with Oyenuga’s lay off for Loick Pires perfect, his low snap shot well saved by Putnins.
The game sprang to life on the hour when Cox played Oyenuga through on goal, yet he hesitated when well placed and the chance went begging.
Then followed the first of Russell’s super saves. Reece Tison-Lascaris played Danny Green through and his first time shot was destined for the bottom corner of the net until Russell fully extended himself to save his side.
Wood went back on the attack with Whichelow’s cross finding Montgomery who headed straight into the arms of Putnins.
Both sides were attacking with flair now and when Callum Reynolds could only half clear the ball it fell to Harry Grant. He picked his spot and was almost reeling away in delight before Russell somehow produced a mercurial reaction save getting down to claw the ball to safety. From the resultant corner Harry Pritchard also thought he had scored with a fierce drive from inside the area with Russell deflecting the effort onto the bar in acrobatic fashion.
Both managers rang the changes looking for that elusive goal and with a minute of normal time remaining Green released Grant who shot wide with the goal beckoning.
A sweeping Wood attack saw Greg Morgan’s shot blocked before Montgomery blasted high over the bar.
There was a sting in the tail and it came courtesy of the unfortunate Putnins whose weak clearance went straight to Montgomery. He played Morias in on goal down the right and his finish was superbly timed and well executed drawing Putnins from his line before drilling the ball into the bottom left hand corner of the net to send the Wood fans into raptures.
Ian Alllinson’s side have won three of their last four matches, the rich vein of form sending the side up to fourteenth in the table, their highest position since August.
Team: Russell, Nunn, Jones, Garrard, Fagan, Reynolds, Whichelow ( Morgan 74), Cox, Pires ( Angol 79), Oyenuga ( Morias 68), Montgomery.
Subs not used: Noto, Courtnage.
Goals: Boreham Wood: Morias 90+3.
Man Of The Match: James Russell.
