Blue Square Bet South
Farnborough 0 Boreham Wood 3
by John Mead
Wood extended their unbeaten run away from home in the League to five with this superb smash and grab victory against their fellow Play-off hopefuls.
The score line does not reflect the balance of play on the afternoon, given that the home side created plenty of chances, yet it was down to the meanest defence in the League to again come up trumps. According to Wood boss Ian Allinson, “We defended from the front exceptionally well today which makes the job of the back four a lot easier.”
The front on this occasion saw Allinson pair Omer Riza and Loan signing Luke Norris and it paid dividends after just six minutes. Immediately after Dan Bennett’s goal was ruled out for offside, Wood pounced. A quick release from James Russell found its way to Norris who sent a fine ball forward down the centre of the park for Riza to chase. He measured the flight of the ball immaculately, letting it drop before coolly lobbing home beyond Craig Bradshaw in the Farnborough goal.
The goal stunned the home side who quickly abandoned the midfield for countless long balls forward for their front four to chase. It was a tactic that helped the Wood cause, with Allinson adding, “We have the likes of Callum Reynolds and Charlie O’Loughlin in the heart of our defence, who are exceptional in the air and can defend the majority of long balls for fun all afternoon.”
Norris, a nineteen year old professional with Brentford, proved a handful for the Boro defence and his inclusion in the side proved to be a shrewd move by the Wood boss.
With the Wood defence working overtime Greg Morgan assured that any counter attacking play would be of a high standard. A fine move involving Morgan, Riza and Graeme Montgomery led to Morgan crossing onto the head of Norris who headed wide when well positioned.
Wood rode their luck minutes later when Nic Ciardini picked up a loose ball before cutting a cross back across goal finding Bennett who inexplicably screwed his shot wide of the target with Russell highly exposed.
Wood finished the half solidly, with the home side failing to test Russell for twenty minutes. That changed after the interval, when Boro entered their best spell of the game. Reece Connolly, on his debut after signing from Aldershot Town, out muscled Reynolds bursting through down the inside left channel, with Russell saving a certain equaliser. Then Mark Jones did well to force Tarpey wide of the target, his pull back across goal evading a team mate. A shot on target from Morgan soon gave way to more Boro pressure, with Tarpey’s bold run leading to a fine cross to the far post where Ciardini’s header was excellently kept out by Russell who was then forced into a save to deny Bennett’s shot on the turn.
Steve Laidler then shot over from a corner as the home side looked desperately for a way past the superb Wood defence. Their efforts counted for nothing however as Wood scored two goals inside two minutes on the break to stun the home crowd.
Morgan accepted a ball from Riza out on the left and headed off at pace in search of a goal. He cut inside his first marker before evading a second who was outdone by pace before finding space to shoot home beyond Bradshaw for a fine individual goal that mirrored a very good performance.
Wood’s second was a quick fire move that left the Boro defence cold. Tarpey lost possession with Mauro Vilhete and Morgan playing a one two before supplying Riza on the edge of the area. He quickly laid up into the path of Ben Nunn who sent a low shot past Bradshaw’s left hand post with the ‘keeper seeing it late and Wood were three to the good, with over twenty minutes remaining.
Chez Isaac tested Bradshaw before a frantic Wood defence did exceptionally well. Firstly Norris cleared an effort off the line, before Russell saved at the feet of Connolly just a yard from goal.
Wood then wound down the clock to record a superb win, that keeps them in fourth spot, in what is a very tight League.
Team: Russell, Nunn, Jones, Morgan, O’Loughlin, Reynolds, Vilhete, Isaac, Norris (Sub – Noto 80 mins.), Riza (Sub – Akurang 71 mins.), Montgomery (Sub – Beckles 90+3 mins.).
Subs (Not used): Hutton, Hastings.
Bookings: O’Loughlin.
Goals: Boreham Wood: Riza 6, Morgan 67, Nunn 69.
Man of the Match: Greg Morgan.
