Blazing Wood send Hornets packing (From Borehamwood Times)

Blazing Wood send Hornets packing

9:17am Monday 1st February 2010

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by John Mead

Boreham Wood 4
Horsham 0
Ryman League Premier Division

In-form Wood produced one of their best performances in recent years to destroy sixth placed Horsham. This, their fifth consecutive victory was the pick of the bunch with the momentum created by Ian Allinson's side is currently turning heads throughout the league.

Wood are now and playing a standard of football that would not be out of place in the Conference League next season. With the perfect mixture of youth and experience, two of the PASE scheme products, 18 year old winger Jon Clements and 17 year old defender Bradley Fraser have simultaneously broken into the first eleven and comfortably held their positions, together with the experience and discipline that is coursing through the side, the club may well be on the cusp of realising a dream.

There are other factors to Wood's current success. Goalkeeper Tony Tucker now has thirteen clean sheets to his name out of twenty one appearances. Of late the midfield has transformed from experimental wasteland to an engine room controlled by Mario Noto and Lee Allinson that easily frustrates teams such is their dominance and determination.

Wood were excellent throughout and made the very good footballing side that Horsham are look average.

When Ben Andrews clipped the heel of Clements just inside the penalty area referee Mr O’Donnell pointed to the spot. Newly appointed Team Captain Noto blasted home low to Craig Bradshaw’s left after 24 minutes and Wood were on their way.

The Hornets responded in earnest with a blunderbuss of a shot from Steve Sargent that Tucker brilliantly parried, before Allinson’s superb ball into danger left the outrushing keeper Bradshaw stranded off his line allowing Jamie Richards a chance to convert from the acutest of angles, which found the side netting.

Then came the goal of the season. Noto inside his own half on the left struck an inch perfect ball to Morgan out on the right wing some fifty yards away. Morgan advanced into acres of space down the flank before sending a perfect hanging cross to the far post which was met by Richards who picked his spot beyond Bradshaw with a superb header.

It was a pulsating opening half of football from Wood with Noto majestically running the show from the centre of the park.

Horsham did try to come back in the second half yet their attempts were somewhat stagnant compared to what had gone before from Wood.

The addition of Chris Watters with fourteen minutes remaining put the spark back into Wood and his contribution was phenomenal.

With six minutes remaining Noto ran into space supplying Clements whose square ball for Richards allowed the lone striker a well struck shot that was met by the diving custodian.

Tucker, after totally dominating his area throughout the game then chipped in with a magnificent reaction save diving low to his left to keep out Andrews’ flicked header when poorly sighted. With the clean sheet intact and Horsham playing high up the field it was left to Watters to provide a sublime defence splitting ball for Leon Hunter who ran though to finish superbly beyond Bradshaw. There was still time for a fourth, which Watters claimed with a brilliant run down the left channel and an exquisite low drive across goal.

“I thought we tired a little in the second half until Chris ( Watters) livened things up, it seemed that we were sitting on the lead a little,” declared manager Ian Allinson. In explaining the current good fortune surrounding the side he added: “We trained very hard throughout the three weeks that games were snowed off. Maybe that is giving us the edge over teams at the moment.”

On the subject of the teams current league standing he added: “There is a very special buzz in the changing room at the moment that you cannot fail to notice. We are playing a system that fits the players we have at present and their overall response to training has been simply outstanding.”

Team: Tucker, Fraser, Brathwaite, Hunter, Garrard, Highton, Noto, Allinson (Bambridge 87), Richards (Effiong 89), Morgan (Watters 76), Clements.

Subs not used: Colman, Baker-Owers.

Man Of The Match: Mario Noto.

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