Boreham Wood 1 v Horsham 2
Tuesday 5th September 2006
Ryman League Premier Division

reporter: Jim Bravery

A sickening injury to Ian Payne took the shine off another excellent result for Horsham as first half goals from Carl Rook and Nigel Brake earned John Maggs' side another three points on their travels, moving them in to second spot in the Ryman League Premier Division table. The former Crawley Town full-back was carried off with a multiple leg fracture after a clash with Wood's Greg Morgan in an eventful second half that also saw dismissals for Lewis Taylor and Leon Archer as the Hornets earned their first league win at Boreham Wood since 1968.

The incident, that came with just ten minutes of the match remaining, was in stark contrast to the opening of this enthralling encounter in which Payne was celebrating a goal with his team-mates after just ninety seconds. Lee Carney and Lewis Taylor combined well to set up Rook with a slide rule pass which he gratefully accepted, striking a good low shot past the diving Noel Imber to give the visitors the perfect start. Incredibly, Rook was put through in virtually identical circumstances just a minute later but, this time, the striker was denied as Imber got down well to save. The shellshocked home defence were holding their inquisitions as the Hornets looked to build their excellent start and John Westcott was fractionally offside from another good pass.

Rook was proving a handful for Wood’s defenders whose response was to bring the former Dover man down as he strode purposefully towards the penalty area. Ironically, this proved the catalyst for the home side’s first chance of the game as a quick throw out from Imber began a counter-attack and summer signing Andre Delisser drove a vicious chest high ball into the penalty area that just eluded Darryl Cox but found Leon Archer who fizzed a diving header over the crossbar. Carney, at the hub of most of Horsham’s best moves, hit a forty yard crossfield pass to Brake that enabled the winger to go past his marker and send in a dangerous cross that was hastily cleared. Carney then delivered another fine centre that Rook headed just wide of the post as the visitors revelled on Meadow Park’s excellent playing surface. As has so often been the case this season, the game was being played at breakneck pace and, as play swung from end to end, it was Gareth Williams who was next to be tested as the Horsham ‘keeper denied Archer at the second attempt. Seconds later, Archer spurned a better chance, shooting straight at Williams, but the pressure finally paid off as the hosts fashioned an equaliser on twelve minutes. Imber’s clearance fell to Cox inside the centre circle and the striker advanced into the Horsham half, shrugging off three or four tackles, before knocking the ball in towards Archer who unselfishly left it to Marvin Samuel whose pace took him through the Horsham rearguard before sending an unstoppable shor past Williams’ despairing dive.

That might have been the cue for the Boreham Wood supporters, among a meagre crowd of 172, to leave for home having seen each of their side’s previous five matches end in a 1-1 scoreline. But a pulsating game continued to provide entertainment at both ends and Tom Graves had to head over his own crossbar after Lewis Taylor’s challenge had given Tommy Williams the opportunity to play a dangerous free-kick into the Horsham penalty area. Taylor was to later rue the yellow card he received from referee Evamy for his indiscretion. The former Whyteleafe player was soon showing his worth at the other end when he connected with Westcott’s cross to send a bullet header agonisingly wide of the upright. Wood created further chances of their own and Samuel shot wide before Williams stung the hands of his goalkeeping namesake with a long range effort.

Horsham thought they had taken the lead a second time when Archer’s foul on Lewis Taylor saw the visitors awarded a free-kick from which Taylor put his head down and advanced on goal. His accurate shot brought a good save from Imber only for Brake to slot the ball home but, sadly for the Hornets, the winger was adjudged to have been in an offside position and the ‘goal’ was ruled out. But Brake, and the Horsham supporters who made the seventy-odd mile trip to Hertfordshire, had only three minutes to wait before they could celebrate for real when the energetic Taylor instigated the move, cutting the ball back superbly towards the unmarked Brake who seemed to deliberate for an eternity before sending a screamer past Imber and into the net. As the half-time whistle blew, the home side were left to contemplate having conceded two goals for the first time this season.

The second half began as the first with the Hornets immediately on the offensive, Rook setting up Brake for a shot on goal that Imber kept out with his legs. Jamie Taylor had been troubled by a stomach upset during the day and was replaced by Matt Geard after an understandably subdued fifty minutes. The threat of Horsham’s leading scorer now nullified, Wood began to pile on the pressure with the tricky Chris Watters starting to see more of the ball and his close control and superb left foot crosses were causing the Hornets’ defence some anxious moments. But a combination of Williams’ impeccable handling and Eddie French and Andy Howard’s assured defending kept chances to a minimum.

The midway point of the second half became a scrappy affair with Tommy Williams the recipient of a yellow card and Mr Evamy frustrated the crowd by frequently blowing his whistle for seemingly trivial offences, the likely result of tiredness from the players who had maintained such a high tempo throughout the match. Sadly, Lewis Taylor was to fall foul of the man in the middle when he was deemed to have kicked the ball away, receiving a second caution and the inevitable red card. The famous Elstree studios, a proverbial goal kick away from Meadow Park, would have been a more fitting venue for the next set of events as the comedy/drama took another twist when Archer followed Taylor into the dressing rooms for committing the same offence just sixty seconds later.

Wood’s Williams was substituted with thirteen minutes remaining with Morgan coming on in his stead and his pace was to be a vital factor as the home side pressed for an equalising goal. Their cause was helped when Payne received that shocking injury although the youthful James Cant proved an able deputy for the experienced full-back who, to add insult to excruciating injury, was shown the yellow card for the foul on the Boreham Wood man. Lee Allison replaced Delisser but it seemed too little too late for the hosts and another Horsham breakaway should have sealed things in injury time when Carney slipped a fabulous pass through the defence for Rook to run on unchallenged but, with only Imber to beat, the striker conspired to hit his shot against the ‘keeper’s legs and behind for a corner. The final whistle went shortly after and Horsham’s fine unbeaten start continued, leaving them in confident mood ahead of Saturday’s visit of Chelmsford City.
 

Boreham Wood: 1.Noel Imber 2.Michael Cox 3.Ryan Moran 4.Tommy Williams (Morgan) 5.Mark Smith 6.Luke Gregson 7.Andre Delisser (Allinson) 8.Marvin Samuel 9.Darrell Cox 10.Leon Archer 11.Chris Watters Subs: 12. Paul Burrows 14.Lee Allinson 15.Greg Morgan 16. Joe O'Brien

Horsham: 1.Gareth Williams 2.Tom Graves 3.Ian Payne (Cant) 4.Eddie French 5.Andy Howard 6.Lewis Taylor 7.Lee Carney 8.John Westcott 9.Jamie Taylor (Geard) 10.Carl Rook 11.Nigel Brake
Subs: 12.Matt Geard 14.Kieron Johnson 16.James Cant 17.Alan Mansfield

Goalscorers:

Boreham Wood - Samuel (12)

Horsham - Rook (2), Brake (43)

Attendance:  172