Potters Bar Town 1 – 1 Boreham Wood
Tuesday 26th July 2022
The Lantern Stadium, Pre-Season Friendly
STALEMATE AT POTTERS BAR
Preparations for the 2022/23 National League season are slowly coming to a close, as the Wood’s penultimate game of pre-season ended in a stalemate with goals from Ethan Kaiser and an own goal from Jacques Kpohomouh securing a 1-1 draw after making the short trip to Isthmian League Premier Division side Potters Bar Town.
Kaiser was the man to give the Scholars the lead inside ten minutes when he met a corner with his glancing header taking a deflection that took it beyond Nathan Ashmore, but this was cancelled out seconds into the second half as Kpohomouh flicked a cross past his own keeper. The Wood enjoyed a far more dominant second half, but they were unable to find a way past Potters Bar’s strong defence to leave the Lantern Stadium level.
The opening stages saw little in the way of action, with Tyrone Marsh’s deflected free kick on the edge of the box being the closest either side came in the first few minutes, shortly after Ashmore had to punch out a Potters Bar corner.
However the hosts drew first blood after just nine minutes through Kaiser’s deflected header that made it through a number of bodies before nestling in the bottom corner.
The Scholars continued to look dangerous and clearly had momentum, allowing the Wood to control much of the possession as they looked to hit them on the counter attack. Dejon Noel-Williams was the one to go closest next when he showed good strength to make his way into the box before being apprehended by Femi Ilesamni.
In search of an equaliser, the visitors began to apply some pressure and produced two half chances in as many minutes, first seeing Jamal Fyfield head a corner wide before Marsh struck well over the crossbar from distance after combining with debutant Zak Brunt.
The Wood almost gifted their opponents a second goal as the game reached the half-hour mark, when Noel-Williams intercepted a poor back-pass to find himself one on one with Ashmore, but he couldn’t produce the finishing touch as the Wood stopper denied him with a great low stop.
Potters Bar held firm throughout the first half and restricted the visitors to few chances. Marsh had an opportunity on the stroke of the break, but his tame shot from close range went straight down the throat of Emmanuel Agboola as the Scholars went into half time in front.
HT: Potters Bar Town 1-0 Boreham Wood
The second half couldn’t have got off to a better start for the Wood as they produced a lightening quick response, with Kpohomouh the unfortunate man after inadvertently heading a cross from the left-hand side into his own net.
Debutant Erico Sousa looked to make an immediate impact after coming on at half time with two chances in quick succession, with Agboola punching a high ball straight into the path of the former Grimsby Town man who struck towards the empty net as he looked to catch the keeper out, but he was alert enough to react and make a crucial stop. This was followed by the Portugal youth international firing a low drive inches wide of the far post after a good solo run.
The momentum was with the visitors, and they went ever so close to taking the lead when substitute Danny Elliott struck a powerful free kick goalward with Agboola beaten, but it took a slight deflection off George Williams on the way through and trickled inches wide.
Sousa continued to be involved as the Wood looked to find a way through. He had another opportunity himself with less than 20 minutes to go after a corner came out to him, but he was unable to keep his volley down as it rose into the heavens. This preceded a great pass moments later as he picked out Elliott, with the striker on the turn catching it on the volley but it went straight at Agboola.
Despite the Wood’s more dominant second half, Potters Bar went close to restoring their lead with six minutes to go, as Calvin Dickson showed some neat footwork to beat the defender before testing Ashmore, who produced an excellent diving save to deny him.
They would have another opportunity late on with Quentin Monville standing over a free kick on the edge of the box, but he was unable to hit the target as his strike went well of Ashmore’s goal to see the game end all square.
FT: Potters Bar Town 1-1 Boreham Wood
Potters Bar Town: Agoboola, Titchmarsh, Shaw, Kamara, Kpohomouh, Kaiser, Monville, Christian-Law, Noel-Williams, Boachie, Parchment
Subs Not Used: Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist
Boreham Wood: Ashmore, Kelly-Evans, Ilesamni, Ricketts, Evans, Rees, Marsh, Newton, Fyfield, Lewis, Brunt
Subs Not Used: Murphy, Joyce
Star Man: Dion Kelly-Evans
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