Boreham Wood fought back to earn a 1-1 draw at home to play-off rivals Dover Athletic.

Lewis Toomey enjoyed just his second start partnering Michael Thalassitis up front and he showed pace and intelligence whilst on the ball to justify his selection.

Dover counter attacked in a move combining all of their front three. Moses Ademola out on the left crossed centre forward Ben May turned and shot testing James Russell at his left hand post, before the Wood keeper made a second block to deny Ricky Modeste's attempted follow up shot.

Toomey then blasted over after Luke Garrard saw his shot blocked. With the game ebbing and flowing at a blistering pace, Modeste showed great technique in lobbing a defender to cross only for Charlie O'Loughlin to clear at the far post.

With both defences consistently under pressure it was the visitors who scored first after 19 minutes. Ademola showed a turn of pace down his wing leaving Ben Nunn standing, before delivering a cross that O'Loughlin unfortunately knocked on past Russell, gifting the alert Barry Cogan the chance to blast home from six yards into an unguarded net.

Ademola was then half a yard short of making it 2-0 just a minute later when May and Modeste combined at lightning pace down the right wing.

It took Wood five minutes to draw level when Dover sloppily conceded possession in the own half from a throw in.

Morgan unlocked Thalassitis whose exquisite trickery left Lloyd Harrington standing, to the left of goal on the touch line. Thalassitis showed a dogged determination cutting back inside before curling a shot that Mitch Walker could not hold into the bottom left hand corner of the goal.

The best move of the game came after 35 minutes. With the Dover defence seemingly impregnable, Garrard stabbed a ball on for Toomey whose quick one touch unlocked Chez Isaac whose first time shot was deflected over the bar for a corner by a Whites defender.

Superb defending from Nunn and a low shot just wide by Montgomery after a poor Walker clearance ensured the sides remained level at the end of a frantic half.

Thalassitis looking to emulate his hat trick against Dover last season, blasted a free-kick just wide, before Nunn and Ademola clashed whilst a throw in was ordered, both earning bookings. 

Mark Jones saw a definite winner from range blocked by a defender and Mingoia hit a shot wide with Wood looking the more likely in the latter stages.

There was more drama when the previously booked Whites captain Ian Simpenba was showed a straight red after O'Loughlin was left in a heap in the goalmouth. The last effort of the game in the dying seconds saw Modeste clear off the line to safety from Garrard's low drive from a Mingoia corner.

The draw ensured both teams remained in third and fifth places in the League. Wood's excellent run of losing just once at home this season remains, whilst returning Dover boss Chris Kinnear stays undefeated after four games in charge.

Wood manager Ian Allinson said: “A fair result from a thoroughly entertaining game. This was simply two very good sides having a real go at each other. It was a proper football match that was played at a frantic pace from start to end. A draw was a fair result on the afternoon."