Hartlepool United 3-1 Boreham Wood
Saturday 17th February 2024, 3:00 pm
Suit Direct Stadium, Vanarama National League
Boreham Wood succumb to their second defeat on the road in four days when they have taken the lead. Kabs Tshimanga’s early opener gave Wood the lead before Joe Grey equalised on the stroke of half time and two late goals from Manny Dieseruvwe and Luke Waterfall sealed the points for the Hartlepool.
Luke Garrard made two changes from Tuesday’s nights defeat at Oldham Athletic with Cameron Coxe coming in for the injured Erico Sousa at right wing back and a late change with Jamal Fyfield starting in place of David Agbontohoma who was injured in the warmup.
Boreham Wood got off to a flying start when Kabs Tshimanga scored in the first fourteen seconds for his first goal since his return to the club. Three minutes later Pools had a good chance to equalised thought Brennan Dickenson, but his shot hit Nathan Ashmore’s midriff. On seven minutes Dickenson again went close but this time, his long-range shot went wide. Six minutes later Chris Bush’s free kick was well saved by Joel Dixon in the Pools goal. Straight afterwards, the hosts had a good chance through Callum Cooke but his effort was well blocked by Jamal Fyfield.
Wood continued to defend in numbers and soon after Fyfield’s heroics, but then went on the attack and created some chances. Mo Sagaf played in Matt Robinson whose shot was deflected wide. On twenty-two minutes Fyfield’s pass found Bush whose cross was met by Kwesi Appiah but his effort was saved by Dixon at the near post. Three minutes later Nicky Featherstone fired just wide for the hosts. Hartlepool then upped the pressure with everyone by Tshimanga defending. Wood were desperate to get to half time with their lead intact and came close to doing so Manny Dieseruvwe went close on thirty-eight but just failed to convert Dickenson’s cross. Dieseruvwe went close again soon after but fired over from a good position. The hosts got a deserved equaliser just before the break when Joe Grey scored with a decisive finish following an excellent through ball by Tom Crawford. In truth, it was no more than Pools deserved.
HALF TIME: HARTLEPOOL UTD 1-1 BOREHAM WOOD
Boreham Wood came out for the second half, a much-improved side. Angelo Balanta’s introduction had something to do with that as suddenly, there was more dynamism in their play. The Wood substitute nearly had an instance impact on forty-six minutes when he was played in by Appiah but was denied by Dixon when he tried to loft the ball over the Pools keeper. Twelve minutes later, following a spell of Wood possession, Balanta again went close with a header from a Mo Sagaf cross. On seventy-one minutes, Matt Robinson was just off target with a well struck shot from the edge of the area. Five minutes later, another Sagaf delivery fell into the path of Tyrone Marsh but he was denied by Dixon.
Hartlepool, who had been so quite in the second half, gave a sign of things to come when Chay Cooper shot narrowly wide past Nathan Ashmore. With five minutes of normal time left, it looked like Boreham Wood would come away with a point (or more), but the hosts took the lead. David Ferguson’s cross was nodded in by Dieservwe but Ashmore will feel he should have saved it. This lifted the home crowd who had been very quiet in the second half. Suddenly the noise volume went up a notch and the hosts were able to add a third goal on ninety minutes when Luke Waterfall finished well following a good Pools move. Sadly there was no way back for Boreham Wood.
It was another disappointing defeat from another winning position for Boreham Wood. Luke Garrard will now be glancing at those teams towards the bottom of the league again as they go only yet another long distance away game on Tuesday at Rochdale. The battle-hardened Wood players and supporters will want to put daylight between them and teams at the bottom. While its been a tricky seven days, it would be nice to come out of this run of fixture with something.
FULL TIME: HARTLEPOOL UTD 3-1 BOREHAM WOOD
By Brett Lewis
Boreham Wood: Ashmore, Coxe, Ilesamni (Clayden 86), Bush, Sass-Davies, Fyfield, Payne (Balanta 46), Sagaf, Robinson, Appiah (Marsh 66), Tshimanga
Subs not used: Whelan, Cullum,
Hartlepool United: Dixon, Ferguson, Cooke (Stephenson 82), Grey (Wallace 88), Dieseruvwe, Crawford, Hendire, Parkes, Featherstone, Dickenson (Cooper 67), Waterfall
Subs not used: Jameson, Onariase,
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