Pre-Season Friendly

London Colney    1    Boreham Wood X1    2

by John Mead

Just a day after experiencing football at its highest level, seven of the home grown
PASE players were running out in totally different circumstances.

Ian Allinson took a Squad entirely made up of Youth players to face Spartan South
Midlands Football League Division One London Colney at Cotlandswick, on a
beautiful summer’s day.

Those who had experienced the might of Arsenal took an age to settle against a side
featuring half of last Season’s Squad, plus a host of  triallists recently installed Manager Ryan Thompson was running his eye over.

Rarely did either side generate any real flowing football, with the first half an even
affair.    Defensive dallying from Wood led to a corner which was cleared as far as Matt Newman who unleashed a superb volley that was simply moving too fast for Daniel Lewis in the Wood goal to react to.

It took Wood until the end of a seemingly never ending half to level.    Pelly Ruddock showed his ability to travel at lightning speed with the ball racing into the box before cutting the ball across goal. Tony Walker arrived late and did well to hit the net from a tight angle.

Wood were far more composed in the second half, although individual errors and the hosts desire to impress did little to support their momentum.    The introduction of four new faces for Colney briefly gave Wood something to think about.

However Jon Clements grabbed the fortunate winner after 78 minutes.    Initially giving the ball away on the edge of the area he was then granted a second chance due to some horrific defending and found himself tapping home beyond Mark Widdamore.

Team:     Lewis (Sub – Baker-Owers 45 mins.), Lancaster, Warner, Ruddock, Yala, Prince, Lawal, Hunter (Sub – Lane 80 mins.), Effiong (Sub – McEwan 60 mins.), Clements, Akinola (Sub – O’Connor 80 mins.).

Goals:    London Colney:    Newman 20.            Boreham Wood:    Walker 45, Clements 78.