MATCH REPORTS 2007-08
 

If the first-team can achieve a result of such magnitude on Saturday when the two sides meet again in the FA Cup, there would be much celebration.

Boreham Wood's reserves came to Chestnut Avenue on Wednesday night with a strong line-up which included first-team regulars Joe Reynolds, Ryan Lockett, Tommy Williams, Leon Antoine, Byron Harrison and Chris Bangura, yet they found themselves on the wrong end of a hefty defeat.

That's not to say the visitors didn't enjoy spells of domination, they did, but it was the Woods who proved more clinical in front of goal and while the 5-0 scoreline flattered them a little, it was quite a performance by the young side.

In Mark Barnham's Northwood side, only Terry Hogan had any significant first-team experience so far and the 18-year-old formed a solid central defensive partnership with 17-year-old Nicky Pearce.

Boreham Wood started off fast and created three chances in the first eight minutes, with Harrison firing wide and having another shot well saved by goalkeeper Simon Dean while Antoine steered a header just wide of the post.

Northwood hit back with Adrian Abramian showing great skill and speed to set up Danny Brown for a shot which cleared the crossbar and then sent over a cross which Douglas Kisuule hooked over.

After 12 minutes Abramian set up Brown again and when his effort was blocked, Abramian should have scored but knocked his effort wide from just a few yards.

It was all Northwood at this stage and after Brown, who was getting forward all the time from the right flank, had scuffed another shot wide, they took the lead on 22 minutes. Aryan Taj ran down the left and slipped the ball through to James Linehan who rolled his shot past Alfie Plumb in the Boreham Wood goal.

Dean saved well from a glancing header as the visitors tried to hit straight back but after 28 minutes it was 2-0. This time Brown turned provider with a long ball out of defence down the line to the deceptively speedy Abramian, who raced into the box, evaded a challenge and completely foxed Plumb to slot home.

Boreham Wood showed plenty of spirit to enjoy the better of the final ten minutes of the half but Antoine's finishing let him down.

Antoine missed another good chance soon after the restart and then Williams exchanged passes with Harrison before firing a shot just wide.

But the game was killed off after 64 minutes when Kisuule did superbly well to beat Plumb at the near-post with a shot from a very tight angle.

Just three minutes later a cross-field pass from Linehan saw Chay Cole fail to intercept and the ball ran through to the marauding Brown who fired a shot across the 'keeper and in for 4-0.

Boreham Wood substituted Plumb for the more experienced Callum Horton at this stage, while the Woods also made changes with Jason Dean and Liam O'Keefe replacing Kisuule and Stuart Alsford.

After 78 minutes, the scoring was complete when Dean broke through down the middle, and though Horton saved his initial strike, he followed up to convert the loose ball.

Now it's over to the first team who travel to play Ryman Premier side Boreham Wood on Saturday in the First Qualifying Round of the FA Cup.