The Word In The Wood

U15 girls had our first night game of the season vs our good friends at Harpenden Colts.
We lost by a very narrow margin 2-1 in the reverse fixture earlier in the season, it’s a game we should have won and was the topic of conversation prior to this game, we needed to right this wrong!

The girls started on fire with our dynamic front 3 of Lonaldo, G9 and Elsiho causing mayhem and forcing the Harpenden GK into numerous saves ! The front 3 where ably backed up by our dazzling midfield of ball playing magician Aanya who’s vision to find a defence splitting pass was on full display, our perpetual motion skipper Annie who covered every blade of grass at least twice! Rock solid Poppy N who had her best game as yet in a white shirt and has set herself a high bar to keep. All action Amie who kept the midfield ticking over with her nous on the ball as well as finding defence splitting passes. The defence was unbreakable with Abi coming in and giving a performance for the ages, her defensive steel and ability to turn defence into attack in a split second was on display for all to marvel at.

Full backs Yvie, TJ and Pola all had barnstormers themselves pressing high winning the ball and causing panic in the away defence with their positioning and reading of the game.
Riss gave another solid performance covering any mistakes using her pace and power to shut out all comers, she is fast becoming a fantastic defender after spending her career thus far as a GK. Our excellent GK Emily had a very good game and didn’t put a foot wrong, these games are arguably the hardest for a GK when for long periods they are inactive. Emily kept her concentration and another clean sheet!

Our first goal came after 18 mins and was from excellent wing play from Elsie and a fine finish after beating 3 players. The teams second and first of 4 came from Lonaldo in another excellent performance from this young lady, she has now got 10 goals in her last 3 games from the wing. The 3rd came from our midfield general with a howitzer shot from outside the area after breaking two tackles. Our skipper lead from the front and sets the tone for all we do well. Lonaldo got her second after turning the away fulll back inside out and leaving her reeling then breaking into the box and smashing the ball home past the keeper. Lo’s completed her hatrick in fine style in the second half by shifting the ball in the box and curling it past the keeper into the top corner. Poppy N got a rare goal after some tidy work breaking from midfield and a sumptuous pass from Aanya finding her, the keeper saved the shot but Poppy was alive and reacted quickest nodding home the rebound!

It was a miracle that G9 hadn’t opened her account considering we had scored 6 but, she wouldn’t be denied and a fine solo run beating two players and then slotting past the keeper. Lonaldo was to have the last word that her devastating display warranted and she closed the game out with a fine finish at the back post.

A devastating team performance this evening dispatching a good Harpenden team in a fashion we haven’t seen often enough from the girls. They clicked like never before and gave a display worthy of TV!!

U18 Boys were down to the last 4 of 60 West Herts U18 Boys' teams in the semi final of the Challenge Cup but, facing a formidable opponent in Tring, unbeaten for many months and recently crowned Herts FA County Champions. The boys had faced this opponent only last week in a double header, ultimately losing both games but, leading both times and pushing their opponents to the limit in both matches. However, those fixtures and the win against another top older side in Harpenden the week before had taken their toll on the lads, with many players carrying injuries and knocks in a game where no quarter would be given.

The boys fought hard first half with many players reaching their levels and the Wood were competitive as the game went from end to end. Captain Ifeacho and Collier had to depart early with recurrent injuries but, their replacements in Hones and McGuinness performed well, maintaining momentum with Zefi also heavily involved in the fray. Fearon-Mcdonnell was asked to do a job for the team and did, keeping things tight at the back and his presence and excellent long balls were important to the team's progress.

With half time imminent, it seemed the Wood had yet again shot themselves in the foot with the craziest of fouls resulting in a stone-wall penalty. However, Elboukhari between the sticks enjoyed an excellent match and was too sharp for the Tring forward, making an incredible save to keep his team 0-0 at half time. It felt like an important moment and the team were urged to build on it and give everything to win the game second half.

Unfortunately, it just didn't happen, and with Tring much more physically powerful this week and gifted a goal out of nothing when the Wood again pressed the self destruct button, the game quickly ran away. 0-1 turned to 0-4 and the Wood were also reduced to 10 men as discipline wavered. However, the lads showed great strength from this difficult position and saw out the match with no further concessions, Pop even hitting the crossbar with an outstanding drive from distance.

Good chances did not flow today with talisman Silva flooded by the away team, but, if from nothing else, the Wood should have scored many from the numerous corners put on the money time and again by Makamian and McGuinness that just had to be nodded in but, that saw Tring win out every time. That was disappointing as were the peals of laughter heard from some of the boys off the pitch when their team-mates were giving their all on it. When the going gets tough, the tough get going; there's nothing funny about that, and too many of the lads were unable to find that extra gear when it mattered today, a consistent theme in the 5 semi finals this side has lost these last 3 seasons. One player who did excel though was MoM Manning, filling in wherever required and playing to a very high and consistent level throughout.

With a free weekend imminent, the boys will rest and recover now then see out our remaining league games, looking to build on what has been a much improved period of performance these last few weeks. This time next year, they will be the older team and if they perform as they have done of late (the second half today aside), then the future looks rosy and this squad may just yet get to that final in the future. What's ceratin is that we don't ever give up on that aspiration and live to fight another day.

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U15 girls had a tough away fixture today against our good friends at Ware FC. We had a midday KO on an exposed and windy pitch that made the conditions very, very tricky! The girls meant business from the off today though and they took no prisoners.

They pounced on Ware from minute one with Lonaldo in particularly devastating form.

Lo’s got her 1st of the day with a great jinking run and a fine, placed finish into the roof of the net where the keeper had no chance to save it.

Our midfield maestro Aanya then stole the show with a sublime finish full of class that she passed into the top corner of the net from the edge of the box for 0-2 the Wood. The Wood’s engine room of skipper extraordinaire Annie, schemer Aanya and the magnificent Amie was purring and creating chance after chance for the rampant Lonaldo, G9 & Elsinho!

This game could literally have been double figures in the first half with the girls terrorising the home side.

The 3rd was to come from more magic from our wing wizard Lonaldo who was rampant against the home FB, with her every involvement on the ball; 0-3 the Wood. The Wood's defence of Yvie, Riss, TJ & Poppy N who was playing in an unfamiliar position of CB today due to Ava being away were imperious; the first half in particular they were all dominant and played on the front foot with Poppy N outstanding.

Gk Emily didn’t have much to do today but stuck to her task and did all that was asked of her. Our 4th was to come from the hard working G9 who created lots of chances today but the ball just wouldn’t sit for her in the final moment; on another day Gabby would have had 5 but today had to settle for 1.

Our 5th goal came from a great run and cross from Elsie who was very unlucky not to score herself today, Else put in a phenomenal shift for the team today and from her cross into the box ended with a pen from a Ware handball. Up stepped our majestic box to box No8 Annie to bury the ball into the corner for 0-5 the Wood and the end of a truly devastating first half performance.

As often happens with young teams our intensity dropped going out for the second half and we let this dangerous Ware side back into the game, even though we spoke about this exact same thing at HT and to be aware of complacency. The Ware girls who are a good side came out fighting and managed to get 2 goals back to make it 2-5, they then had a half chance to snatch a 3rd!

The girls knew they had to score next to take the game away from Ware again, and it was Lonaldo completing her second hat trick in two games who stepped up with another fine composed and ruthless finish, Lo’s quality in front of goal is second to none, she has a keen football brain and knows where to put the ball to beat any keeper and also has the skill to do it. 2-6 the Wood.

We still had time to get our 7th and most important strike of the day when our Amie got the goal her tremendous display deserved, striking true after a late run to the back stick to meet a fine cross. This was a moment of deep meaning to Amie and a fitting tribute to all the Adam's family after suffering so much, with great reserves of courage and strength displayed. We were proud to have you as part of our team today Amie and we send our love and prayers to you, to dearest mum Kristi, Joe & Leni ❤️xxxx.

After taking on top of the table Harpenden last weekend, our U18 Boys faced Tring in a double header at Pursley. The boys moved through the divisions over the years precisely to measure themselves against the very best grassroots teams and as recently crowned Herts FA County champions, Tring are just that, and an older team to boot.

The Wood are a different animal now though and playing full of confidence, with effective players in all the starting positions taking the game to Tring and flooding them with a tight press, committed tackles, sharp interceptions, towering headers and clinical passes. Collier was first to sting the away keeper’s hands with a well struck shot before keeper Elboukhari pulled of an amazing one on one save the other end. Fearon-Mcdonnell enjoying another excellent match released Silva with a fine pass, his shot just wide after a mazy dribble, with Fan’s determined play shortly after seeing Silva’s next shot well saved.

The boys really deserved a goal and then the breakthrough came. Fan and Collier were very good indeed all game long and again won their duels allowing Fearon-McDonnell to poke through another perceptive pass to Silva. His good effort was saved but, the on-rushing Makamian, brushing off a nose bleed to enjoy an excellent half, sorted his feet out very well, sweeping the ball home instantly for his 6^th of the season and an important one too, giving the Wood a 1-0 lead they took into half time.

The boys came out second half and carried on where they left off, taking the game to their opponents who were being locked out by the immense Ifeacho with defensive play of the highest order. With just 10 minutes to go and the team cruising, MoM Carlow, so committed and giving everything at the back, completed another massive challenge resulting in a finger injury that needed treatment. In just a matter of seconds while this was administered, Lady Luck deserted the Wood with an away penalty from a challenge that really should not have been made given the Wood cover that was available.

Handed a lifeline, Tring surged with confidence and took full advantage by scoring another straight after while the team’s focus was still wavering: a long throw flicked on, allowed to bounce and fired home. The game ended shortly after and despite being by far the better side, the Wood had nothing for all their good play and hard work.

Rallied at the break, the boys took to the field for the second match determined to go again, and once again they took the lead. Manning, enjoying a very effective and assured match, started it, winning a header, with the dynamic Wood midfield of Zefi, Fan, Collier and Green combined beautifully to present Silva with a chance he gobbled up, slotting home calmy for 1-0.

Despite continuing to try hard, the absence of Ifeacho at the back through injury was not ideal and Tring raided forward to score again, disappointing as Fan had made a huge initial header which should have allowed the danger to pass. The defensive shape was stretched now and Tring’s striker broke clean through leaving Elboukhari with no real option but, to take him down. The penalty was scored and then a pass out wide into the middle with danger written all over it was intercepted and worked into the goal for 1-3, the Wood’s defensive cover missing as their guy fired home under no pressure.

The boys then showed so much character to battle back with MoM Silva, tremendous all day, scoring two wonderful goals to take his tally to a mind-boggling 25 for the season. With the Leverstock Green 1^st team manager in attendance as the club’s guest, it was a good time to do so. Zefi and Fan working so hard all match won possession for Collier, also enjoying another monstrous game up front. His slide-rule pass released Silva who held off four away defenders to slot home with cold-blooded ease. That was just the starter though as main course was to follow 10 minutes later, Collier again winning the ball for Crucefix to ping a class ball high and forward. Silva effortlessly pulled it out the sky with his left foot, instantly slotting home with his right thereafter; a world class finish for 3-3!

The final half commenced and saw everyone drained from an intense work-out, the game see-sawing as a winner was sought. The boys fought like lions but, it must be said that on the day, the Wood didn’t enjoy the best of luck and the game was decided late by an away strike that wasn’t really worthy of it.

That’s how it goes sometimes but, what the boys did do however, was give up a year to the best side in Herts’ grassroots football and push them right to the edge of their limits. We’re proud of that and go again next week against them in the Challenge Cup semi-finals, fearing nothing, knowing we can do it and just needing a little more focus in the defensive areas to pull it off. Belief is back and strong in this Wood side and our time will come.

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U15 Girls climb to 5th in their Division 1 table with a super 6-0 win at home to Little Canfield.

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Their older peers, our U16 Girls, are up to third in Division 1 with an excellent double header victory against Harefield, with two shorter matches played back-to-back at The Wood’s home ground, Pursley. Under bright sunshine, the teams served up two highly competitive and closely contested games that showcased determination, resilience, and quality football throughout

Borehamwood’s defensive unit proved the foundation for success across both fixtures, delivering outstanding performances to keep clean sheets in each game and provide the platform for two hard-earned victories.

In the opening match, The Wood found their rhythm after a steady start as the squad adjusted to a new formation. Despite not displaying their usual fluidity through the lines early on, the girls continued to play positively, winning their individual battles and driving forward with intent. The breakthrough came courtesy of a well-taken finish from Gabriela, before Amie sealed the win in style with a stunning strike — a true banger that capped an excellent team performance. Gabriela’s all-round display earned her Player of the Match honours for Game 1.

The second encounter followed a similar pattern, with both sides battling fiercely in another tight contest. Borehamwood again showed discipline and composure, and it was the ever-reliable Olivia who proved decisive, netting the winning goal to secure victory. Lily B delivered an outstanding performance and was deservedly named Player of the Match for Game 2.

The two sides were promoted together last season, separated by only a point or two, making this weekend’s fixtures particularly meaningful. Their fortunes have diverged this year, however, with Borehamwood climbing to an impressive 3rd place in Division 1, collecting 26 points from 13 games. Harefield may currently sit at the foot of the table with just one win, but their effort, organisation, and commitment across both games showed a side far stronger than league position suggests, and we wish them every success for the remainder of the season.

These victories extend Borehamwood’s unbeaten run to an outstanding 12 games — a remarkable achievement given the high standard of opposition throughout the league.

Attention now turns to a challenging run of league fixtures in April as The Wood look to finish the campaign strongly before preparing for an exciting Cup Final on 9th May. Their place in the final was secured last weekend with a dominant semi-final victory away at Garston Ladies, setting the stage for what promises to be a memorable end to the season.

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Meanwhile, under glorious sunshine at the fortress of Bedwell Rangers, Borehamwood 2000 U11 Girls arrived brimming with energy, confidence, and a clear determination to put on a show. Led proudly onto the pitch by Captain Maisie, the Wood Army looked ready from the very first whistle, and they didn’t disappoint.

Like a bullet out of a gun, Borehamwood exploded into action. Early pressure paid off when Elsie burst down the wing and set the tone, narrowly missing the target. At the other end, Emily showed calm composure in goal, confidently gathering the ball during a tense goalmouth scramble before launching a pinpoint kick out wide. Daisy picked it up, whipped in a dangerous cross, and Elsie made no mistake firing home the opener.

The goals kept coming. Elsie turned provider, powering in a cross that Juniper flicked home with a touch of real class. Soon after, Daisy and Juniper combined again. Daisy crossed the ball into the box and a battling Juniper grabbed her second from close range. It was teamwork at its very finest.

In midfield, Polly was tireless, linking play, supporting attacks, and keeping the tempo high. Another Daisy corner found Elsie lurking on the edge of the box, and she wrapped her foot around the ball beautifully to make it five.

Bedwell, aided by an extra player, began to apply pressure, but Borehamwood stood firm. Sienna produced a crucial interception at the far post, while Tippi showed strength and vision, nearly scoring from the halfway line with an audacious effort.

Then came a moment of magic. Daisy unleashed a rocket from just inside the Bedwell half that soared into the top corner. A stunning strike to cap a dominant first half.

The second half continued in the same vein. Elsie completed her hat-trick with a brilliant solo run, while Gracie grew into the game, dazzling defenders with her footwork and pace. Maisie was immense in midfield, a true wall that forced Bedwell into speculative long shots.

Olivia, now between the posts, was outstanding, pulling off save after save, including a brilliant diving stop that looked destined for the net. Polly, dropping into defence, made a crunching tackle that had hearts in mouths but showed her commitment to the cause.

At the final whistle, it was pure joy. High-fives, smiles, and celebrations all around. This wasn’t just about the goals, it was about teamwork, movement, support, and belief. Every player played their part in a truly special performance.

Player of the Match: Elsie – unstoppable in attack with a brilliant hat-trick.
Opposition Player of the Match: Daisy – outstanding crossing and an incredible four goals.

After the disappointment and manner of their cup exit last weekend, our U18 Boys squad returned to training mid-week with one message repeated again and again; to put in a big shift whenever pulling on the Wood shirt: running, tackling and heading from the start to the finish.

The boys’ first test of this renewed approach was away against Harpenden Colts, the match held at the Harpenden Town FC stadium. A massive club that hosts 8 teams at U18, the boys faced their top side, unbeaten in the league and at home since September, 5 points clear at the top of the top division, with all their players in the older age bracket. This was, therefore, a formidable challenge.

Nothing less than total commitment would do but, two minutes in and two balls had bounced unchallenged on the right with possession gifted away carelessly on the left. Such play is no longer acceptable in this team and the players were rightly and roundly chastised. Their response was simply perfect and the Wood were now off and running.

Keeper Elboukhari was hugely vocal from the off, bossing his box and demonstrating assured handling all game. Crucefix, Captain Ifeacho and Carlow at the back were just not in the mood to mess around, constantly attacking the ball with solid headers and covering each other so well to thwart what was a very sharp Harpenden attack. Fearon-Mcdonnell’s physical presence in the holding role was crucial but, there was even more to come from him the other way. Makamian and Green on the wings were required to work back and forth endlessly and did so with gusto, constantly out-duelling their bigger opponents and winning many free-kicks in the process, with their centre midfield partners Fan and Zefi putting in equally lung-busting shifts, snapping in the challenges time and again while producing high quality passes between the lines. Up front, Collier and Silva gave the team plenty physically and loads of quality as they harried the home defence throughout. In that first half, none of them stopped running and competing and Harpenden just couldn’t handle it.

So often this season, the long ball has bounced or headed towards the Wood’s goal; not today. With 25 minutes gone, Fearon-McDonnell rose like a condor to power it back 30 yards where it came from. Like a flash, Collier reached it first to clip a sublime lob over the keeper and give the Wood a fully deserved 0-1 lead. Harpenden responded forcing a penalty that levelled the match at half time. At the break, all the boys were blowing and in need of plenty of water, just how it should be when a shift has been made.

Second half started and the same 11 continued just where they left off and it was Fearon-Mcdonnell again who pinged a stunning, driven ball 40 yards into the path of the on-rushing Green, controlling seamlessly before being hacked down in the box. Makamian stepped up hoping to fire home his 6^th successive penalty but, the Harpenden keeper guessed correctly this time and pulled of an excellent save. No matter as MoM Green was in the process of reaching another level and after picking up possession deep, he now had the Harpenden defence on toast. Striding forward he beat one, cut inside another and then fully unleased the Kraken, the ball lodging in the top bag from 30 yards; a goal of incredible beauty!!

Harpenden fought back with everything they had in a desperate attempt to salvage the points that would all but seal the top division championship, pressing their younger opponents hard as they looked for cracks. However, there were no cracks to be seen as the Wood fought back equally hard, blow for blow, as Pop bolstered the right side and Hones announced his entry with a tackle bomb on the unsuspecting home defence. McGuinness produced a vital tackle too just when it seemed Harpenden would score and the recently injured Manning was able to get a welcome run out at the end before the ref blew up and the Wood secured a famous victory!

Over 9 seasons of learning, there has been no bigger result than the one the boys’ earnt today. They took on an outstanding, top of the table side in their own back yard, unbeaten for six months in the league and gunning for the title. As they absorb the buzz and euphoric high of their achievement, we can reflect that the source of this success was really very simple; just putting in a mighty shift and playing for each other. With this approach, anything is possible and now the boys know it and have proved it by themselves to themselves.

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Meanwhile, our U16 Girls have been steadily climbing the table after a hard start and are now up to 4th spot. They faced Garston in the Junior League Cup this weekend, winning 1-2 away from home and securing the club's first final of the season!! Well done to all the girls and staff and we have a fine May day to look forward to!

Despite heavy rain in the lead-up to kick-off and initial doubts about whether the match would go ahead, a late decision was made to play — and it proved well worth it as Bwood2000 U16 Girls produced a superb performance away at Brook House in Hayes.

The Wood started brightly, coping impressively with both the opposition and the challenging pitch conditions. Their positive approach was rewarded on 27 minutes when Olivia tapped home at the back post after Abi beat her defender and delivered a superb low cross.

Seven minutes later it was 2–0. Jess released Scarlett with a perfectly weighted pass, and she drove forward from inside her own half, carrying the ball around 40 yards at pace before calmly firing the ball beyond the advancing keeper.

The second half followed a similar pattern, with The Wood in control and restricting the hosts largely to set-piece opportunities. A series of corners provided Brook House’s main threat, but they were unable to make them count.

On 60 minutes the visitors extended their lead to three. A lovely exchange of passes between Olivia and Martha carved open the defence, allowing Martha to slot confidently past the keeper.

The hosts responded with determination and pulled a goal back on 70 minutes, briefly raising hopes of a comeback. However, those hopes were quickly extinguished when Olivia produced a moment of real quality, bending a superb strike into the top corner from a tight angle.

This was a true battle in testing, muddy conditions, but The Wood’s victory was thoroughly deserved. It was a stark contrast to last weekend’s match against Chesham on the astro, where our performance merited more but the result didn’t follow. Given the difficult conditions and the challenge of this venue, this win felt especially satisfying. Every player contributed to an excellent team performance, but Player of the Match went to Scarlett for her outstanding goal and relentless work rate throughout.

We are now unbeaten in 5 games and in great form as we head into the later part of the season. This is no more than the girls deserve after enduring a difficult start to the season but they have bounced back strongly and deserve immense credit.

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The U15 Girls had a depleted squad heading down to Goffs Oak for the lunch time ko on Saturday. A couple of late loan signings completed by the legendary Mary needed to be formalised late Friday in order to ensure we could get an XI on the pitch.

With Pola returning to the side for the first time since the U13s and Isabela back after a lay off. Team stalwart Theaya was required to play in goal and star striker Gabby took one for the team to play alongside Poppy N in an unlikely back 4.

The side had two sets of twins with Annie and Hollie who play up a year in the U16s helping out this week. Annie and Elsie lined up in familiar positions in midfield with Lola putting in a great shift at left back and Maisie up top.

Wood raced into an early lead with the lightning Maisie leaving the home defence for dead and calmly slotting the ball away. Soon afterwards Maisie again beat the offside trap (and a somewhat flag-happy home Lino). She slipped passed the hapless keeper and was all set to pass into an empty net when she was cynically chopped down. It was a reckless mistimed tackle which caused terrible damage to Maisie’s ankle as she was forced off the pitch.

The remainder of the first half was a scrappy affair, but with Annie J putting in a great shift in the centre of the park and Gabby playing superbly at the back we managed to see the half out.

After halftime the girls really started to play and soon went 2-0 up after some smart work from Lola ‘Lefty’ Phillips. From that point there was only one winner as the Wood pressed for more goals. Annie B jinked her way through the defence to score a class solo goal to make it 3 and could’ve followed with a second when she hit the post trying to score a pen she had won herself. The Wood dominated the majority of the second half with Elsie beating her full back regularly and with Pola and Hollie really starting to dominate in midfield with skipper Annie.

All in all it was a good 3 points against limited opposition, but it was great to get the game on and get the W. We are looking forward to getting Skippy, Aves, Embo, Aanya, and Ris back next week as we look to advance in the League Cup away at Bury!

U18 Boys faced Berkhamsted in the league looking to grab three points and get match fit for their massive Challenge Cup semi final next weekend. Conditions were brutal with a slick surface, monsoon rain and an Artic blast.

However, to their great credit, the boys were not phased by the conditions, rolled their sleeves up and got stuck in. The football was excellent and the team created chance after chance. On this occasion though, none could be taken; Fan and then Green finding the keeper, Fearon-Mcdonnell firing over, Silva unable to find the target.

It wasn't easy at all but, on rare forays forward, Berko found the Wood net twice without issue, two clean headers dispatched with no Wood defender challenging. It's a familiar story and the half time score didn't seem to reflect the sides' performances but, small differences mean a lot when scoring and conceding goals.

Second half saw Berko score twice more, Silva pulling back a consolation goal and the match ended 1-4. In summary, it was important to play minutes and the boys will be stronger for it next week. They also learnt much about themselves, with some clearly enjoying the unusual challenge presented by the conditions.

Performances of note saw Elboukhari enjoy a solid game, Ifeacho was lively and a supplier of numerous chances, Montgomery put on a shift in the midfield while Manning and Makamian were solid on the wings. Zefi looked lively on his return from injury too, while MoM was shared between Crucefix and Hones, who were both massively up for the match and played superbly from the first whistle to the last.

Now the focus turns to the Challenge Cup semi final and a top, older opponent in Tring, who are beating all-comers and already in the final of the County Cup. With the Wood 26-7 down against the older teams this season, only a fool would think a shock was in the offing, right? WRONG, and the Wood will give it everything next week knowing that records are just there waiting to be smashed when chances are taken one end and players are marked up properly at the other.   

U16 Boys put in an excellent squad performance today. Questions were asked last game about attitude but the boys showed it was a small blip. At 0 0, a penalty was awarded to Nascot Wood only for Pointer to pull off a wonder save to deny the forward!

The Wood dominated for large periods and took a well deserved lead just before half time when a clearance fell to the edge of the box to Wilson, who finished with a thunderous effort into the top corner.

In the second half it was all Wood pressure and chances were going begging until Sheppard broke the offside trap and found Gilsenan at the back post to wrap the game up 0-2.

A special mention to Lennard up front for his relentless running and pressure up top, so unlucky not to score, and also for MoM Fernando who was a class above at the back.

Back to the top of the league with 7 games to go!

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U18 Boys faced Harpenden Buccaneers in the league on a heavy surface at Pursley. Confidence should have been high after some good performances recently but, the boys seemed inhibited in the warm-up and there didn’t appear to be a great belief in themselves or what they needed to do to get a result.

As to be expected, the start wasn’t great and Harpenden looked much stronger and more focused as they laid siege to the Wood goal, spurning several good chances and seeing keeper Marshall push one on to the crossbar as the Wood’s players drifted in and out of the game. In return Ifeacho’s powerful run and finish was saved by the away keeper who was then beaten all ends up by Makamian’s excellent effort from Green’s corner, the ball cannoning off the post to safety. Shortly after, Montgomery’s creative pass saw Makamian drill another shot goal bound, the away keeper saving low this time.

Pop’s introduction saw an increased output in midfield and the Wood were now on the front foot, with Green setting away Silva whose long range effort was thwarted by another good save. However, Harpenden were to take the lead after too much space was afforded on the edge of the box, and though Carlow blocked the first one well, their player had two bites of the cherry and found the net.

A second followed almost immediately after a cross wasn’t dealt with, the Harpenden player out numbered 3 to 1 but, still able to steal in unnoticed. Then a third after a slightly fortuitous bounce and the Wood had another mountain to climb, once again mostly of their own making.

To their great credit, the boys responded so well second half, a resolve and determination about them that simply wasn’t there at the start of the match. They rolled up their sleeves, put in a massive shift and dominated the half against their older opponents with the best of the chances seeing Ifeacho almost turn in the away keeper’s clearance and Silva fire narrowly over from Elboukhari’s massive goal kick. At the back, Elboukhari was to produce a stunning penalty stop to ensure Harpenden did not score again and Carlow also stopped a certain goal with a last gasp touch, to add to the aerial dominance he’s developing.

The game drew to a close with Makamian feeding Silva, his powerful drive palmed on to the crossbar by the keeper, then roles were reversed with Makamian just unable to turn in Silva’s cross. The final whistle blew and pride was restored.

The game saw several very good performances with Montgomery, Makamian, Green and Silva particularly impressing and giving it everything throughout while Manning put in an excellent display in several positions, showing what a talented and adaptable player he is.

MoM went to Elboukhari for a second half clean sheet that he contributed much to securing.

The squad moves on, mid-table having stumbled against all those teams above us, but, too good for those below us. The boys can do it against the better teams though and already do so for long periods, but, they have to prove they can deliver performances and results over the whole 90 minutes. Greater focus and desire, particularly at the start of matches will hopefully see that materialise in time.

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Today the U15 girls had a first round home draw in the Junior League Cup vs our friends from Ickenham Youth Raptors.

The game started really well for the girls with constant pressure on the away team goal; we managed the breakthrough when G9 got her first of another fine hat trick on the day.

G9’s second was an outstanding finish from this young lady and very reminiscent of the great R9; she picked the ball up just inside the opposition half and her first touch took her past and away from her marker, then a foot race and Gabby was soon into the box, then composure and a deft finish curled low and past the despairing keeper into the bottom corner! Pure quality and a joy to watch; Gabby has already reached 30 goals this season and we are not in February yet!

Maisie was in the mood and was not going be kept quiet, she helped herself to 4 goals with two outstanding finishes one into the roof of the net from an angle and another beating the keeper from 25yds!

Skipper Annie also got on the scoreboard with a screamer from outside the box that almost broke the net! This was the icing on the cake for our skipper in another dominant midfield masterclass.

Twin sister Elsinho hit a brace cutting in from the left flank after swapping wings, two absolute screamers that flew into the top corners. This girl’s dancing feet are a joy to behold, always a goal threat and now adding assists weekly to her game; Elsie is having a stellar season!

Our midfield schemer Aanya wouldn’t be denied a goal either, after helping create so many, a switch to right midfield helped her drift into the box unnoticed and get a shot off across the goal and past the keeper.

We made lots of changes today with our defence going up front and our forwards playing at the back for most of the second half. Yvie was POM today as she didn’t put a foot wrong, no pass astray, no tackle missed, aided by Ava & Riss with TJ as rock solid as ever on the left.

Ava and TJ both nearly got on the scoresheet today and deserved a goal for their performances. We finished the game with Lonaldo, our left wing maestro, marshalling the back line and showing her football brain across 5 different positions.

A massive shout out to the Ickenham girls who even at 11-0 never gave up, they are a credit to themselves and their club

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The mighty Borehamwood 2000 U11 Girls travelled to friendly rivals Croxley Green and were met with a warm and welcoming reception. Led proudly onto the pitch by captain Sienna, Borehamwood looked focused, confident, and ready for battle.

From the very first whistle, Borehamwood exploded into life. Making immediate use of the wide areas, the wingers were involved straight away. On the left, Gracie threaded a perfectly weighted ball through to Elsie, whose powerful shot was brilliantly denied by the Croxley goalkeeper. It was an early sign of things to come.

The heartbeat of the team sat in midfield, where Maisie worked tirelessly, driving the team forward while tracking back to support the defence whenever needed. The ball soon found its way to Daisy on the right. Showing real intent, Daisy sped down the wing, cut inside, and unleashed a fierce long-range effort, once again matched by an outstanding save from the Croxley keeper, who was quickly becoming a thorn in Borehamwood’s side.

Croxley had moments where they threatened to break through the middle, but Tippi stood tall and strong, reading the game superbly. With one powerful clearance, she delivered a pinpoint pass straight into the path of Elsie. Elsie controlled the ball well, drifted wide, and delivered a dangerous cross that was unlucky not to find a teammate in the box.

A few changes injected fresh energy into the game. Juniper entered the pitch on the left wing and made an immediate impact, weaving in and out of the Croxley defence, lifting her head and always looking to find a teammate. Xyla added pace and determination, announcing her arrival with a crunching tackle just moments after stepping onto the pitch.

It was all Borehamwood. Wave after wave of attack tested the Croxley defence, but their goalkeeper was in inspired form. Polly, now in central midfield, skillfully dribbled past defenders and fired off a close-range shot, yet again denied by a stunning save. Undeterred, Borehamwood kept pushing. Daisy turned provider this time, whipping in a perfect ball for Elsie, whose shot was once more saved.

The half-time whistle blew, and despite the scoreline not reflecting their dominance, there was an overwhelming sense of belief and confidence within the Borehamwood camp.

The second half picked up exactly where the first left off, with Borehamwood hogging possession and pressing high up the pitch. Elsie continued to be a constant headache for Croxley, striking the side netting within minutes of the restart.

With tactical tweaks, Gracie moved into midfield while Polly pushed into a more attacking role on the left. Gracie quickly found Elsie, who took on two defenders with impressive footwork before blasting a long shot that cannoned back off the post—yet another moment where luck refused to favour Borehamwood. A scramble followed, earning Borehamwood a corner. Juniper stepped up, drilling the ball to the edge of the box, where Elsie’s effort flew just over.

Croxley showed flashes of quality, especially when finding space on the break. One such moment saw them close in on Emily in goal. One-on-one, there was only going to be one winner, and it was Emily, who pulled off a superb sprawling save to push the ball away for a corner.

From that corner came the defining moment of the match. An eagle-eyed Daisy collected the ball on the right as it zipped through the box. Showing incredible pace and determination, she raced the length of the pitch, cut inside, nutmegged a defender with sublime skill, and calmly picked her spot to blast home a brilliant, well-deserved goal for Borehamwood. The crowd went wild.

At the back, captain Sienna led by example, controlling the ball with confidence and composure. Growing with every game, she showed she is not only strong defensively but also a skilful player capable of opening up play and driving the team forward.

Borehamwood continued to press. Daisy picked the ball up from the halfway line and surged down the wing once more, unleashing another long-range effort that was again saved.

In the final five minutes, Elsie produced a moment of pure magic. Skill that would have made Maradona proud and left Paul Daniels utterly bemused. Twisting and turning past three Croxley players with the ball seemingly glued to her feet, she fired off a shot that was somehow kept out by the outstanding Croxley keeper. Croxley were not finished, forcing Emily into two more excellent saves in the dying moments.

Results matter in the immediate aftermath, but performances are what lasts and this was a shining display of teamwork, grit, determination, and belief.

Player of the Match: Elsie – for being a constant attacking threat
Opposition Player of the Match: Juniper – for her work rate and never-say-die attitude