24/25 - The Word in the Wood #1

Posted on 7th September, 2024

The 24/25 season is finally upon us and the Wood's juniors have shot out the blocks!

 

With our U16 Boys kicking off their season next week, our U15s got off to a super start in the West Herts league with a mighty 1-9 victory away to Watford Sports.

 

Callum scored the first from a great Julian cross, while good football and a smart switch of play from Taylan set up Will to make it 2. Dan stepped up next to score a bullet header from a corner with Julian making it 4 from a quality Taylan through ball. The half ended 1-4 after the opposition pulled one back late.

 

The second half kicked off with Louis making it 1-5 from a Lucas ball over the top. Louis grabbed another from a Julian cross shortly after before Caleb pulled off an amazing bit of skill before playing Callum through to make it 1-7. Taylan scored to make it 8 from a solo run and then finished the scoring with a shot across the keeper after another super Caleb pass.

 

A really good performance from the side and an early boost to the goal difference made for a perfect start to the season. Next up is Sun Sports and the boys will be raring to go again!

 

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First up were our U10 Girls playing their first - much-anticipated - 7-a-side match of the season. The game kicked off with an explosion of energy and excitement, and the Borehamwood 2000 girls lived up to every bit of the hype! Under a radiant sunny sky, the atmosphere was electric with anticipation from both players and spectators.

 

From the very first whistle, it was clear that Borehamwood was ready to make their mark. The opening quarter was a whirlwind of action. Elsie set the tone with two thunderous shots in the opening minutes, only to be thwarted by some exceptional goalkeeping. Not to be outdone, Juniper showcased her defensive prowess with crucial clearances that kept the Hemel attack at bay. Meanwhile, Sienna’s tireless tracking back and remarkable crunching tackles, along with Daisy’s dazzling turns and powerful shots ensured that the Hemel Aces were constantly on its toes.

 

As we moved into the second quarter, Amber took charge of the defensive duties with a calm and composed approach. Polly and Ruby were a dynamic duo, effortlessly taking on multiple Hemel players and linking up brilliantly with their teammates. The Borehamwood support were in full voice, their chants and cheers acting as an extra player on the pitch and it seemed only a matter of time before Borehamwood’s relentless pressure would pay off.

 

Juniper’s solo run and Elsie’s near miss had everyone on the edge of their seats. But the breakthrough came as the game entered the third quarter. Maisie, stepping into a central role, used her footballing intellect to spread the play and open up the game. Tippi’s confident runs and trademark turns added a spark to the team’s attacking play, while Leah’s quick feet and well-timed clearances alleviated pressure on the Borehamwood goal. Then came the moment the Wood Army had been waiting for. Elsie’s corner kick was perfectly placed over the Hemel defence, and Daisy’s sublime half-volley soared into the top left corner of the net. The roar from the crowd was deafening as Borehamwood celebrated their first goal of the season!

 

But the excitement didn’t end there. With the final quarter underway, Borehamwood was hungry for more, yet Hemel fought back fiercely. Fortunately, Captain Emily was in outstanding form, making several crucial saves, including a spectacular sprawling effort that pushed the ball onto the far post. As Borehamwood continued their assault, Daisy delivered a precise cross to Elsie. With poise and precision, Elsie controlled the ball, assessed the situation, and expertly lobbed the keeper to add a second goal to the tally, earning herself a well deserved Player of the Match.

 

As the final whistle blew, the score stood at 2-2. It was a fitting reflection of the spirited contest that had unfolded. Every single player gave their all, displaying grit, determination, and a commitment to teamwork. The season has started with a bang, and if this match is anything to go by, it promises to be a fantastic journey ahead. Congratulations to the entire team for a phenomenal performance and a remarkable start to what will undoubtedly be a thrilling season of football. The future looks incredibly bright for Borehamwood 2000!

 
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Next, it was our U15 Girls, facing a tough Stevenage Starlets Gold side in their first competitive game and after some very wet pre-season matches, the sun was shining on a glorious day at Pursley.

 

The day started with a minute's silence to mark the sad passing of a friend of the club, and with that respectfully observed, the game kicked off and the new season was underway. The early action was all at our own end to start with and the Wood quickly fell behind from a corner that was prodded home at the second attempt. The girls were visibly shocked and still hadn’t recovered by the time the visitors went 0-2 up with a well hit strike from the edge of the box.

 

The Wood struggled to get into rhythm in the first quarter of the game and our passing was far less fluid that we have seen in pre-season. Credit should be given to Stevenage who made it hard for us to play and closed us down at every opportunity. As the clock ticked on we started to take hold of the game and played much the better football. Chances came and went before great work down the right hand side by Amie and Jess saw the ball arrive at the feet of Scarlett for a neat finish at the back post. 1-2 and game on.

 

We pressed for the equaliser and several shots found the keeper’s arms rather than the net. Amie came closest to scoring after robbing the opposition defender on the half way line, racing through on goal, only for the keeper to make another good save. It was cruel thereafter when the visitors went up the other end and scored almost immediately with another long distance strike: 1-3.

 

To their credit the girls were not deterred by this and pulled another goal back just before half time with an excellent team goal. Nisa played out to full back Amy who took the ball under pressure and played in Yasmin; she galloped forward and a nice ball in-field to Milly freed Scarlett on goal and she duly duly finished off an excellent move! 2-3 at half time.

 

5 substitutes were introduced at half time with instructions to bring fresh energy, positivity and a bit more composure on the ball; they certainly delivered. Esme and Hailey brought pace to the wings (before Hailey unfortunately came off with injury). Twins Annie and Hollie brought neat, precise passing and movement to the game, while Rose brought some calmness to the left side of the pitch and restricted our opposition to very limited opportunities in the second half.

 

At half time we were confident we would get something out of the game and we were soon level just 10 minutes after the break. Good work by Esme on the wing found Scarlett. She teed up Jess who whipped the ball into the far corner; a classy finish and a classic celebration to suit!

 

From then on we were much the better side and back to playing our fluid football from back to front. It was only a matter of time before the goals came and they arrived courtesy of Abi who burst through the opposition to finish with aplomb, not once but, twice to put us 5-3 up! Further late chances came and went for us but we were generally in control. A late push from the opposition kept us honest and a fine save from Nisa late in the game saved a nervous end to the game.

 

After a challenging start, the girls showed great character and unity to get themselves back into the game. We played some great football, in the second half particularly, and in the end we were worthy winners. Special mentions to Scarlett who lead the line superbly, Leni and Abi who formed a great partnership at the back in the second half, and all off the subs who changed the game in their own ways, also Amie and Milly who were excellent on the ball.

 

Player of the Match rightly went to Jess who overcame an emotional start to the day to secure a goal and an assist, and covered every blade of grass in between. Take a bow young lady as we are all very proud of you indeed.

 

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Finally, our new look U14 Girls travelled away for their first competitive game of the season at Panshanger. This is an almost unrecognisable squad compared to last seasons U13s! We have 7 new additions to the team replacing 5 Wood girls that moved on. Lola, Aanya, Poppy S, Yvie, Pheidi, Poppy N and Isabella all joined and have added to this wonderful group of young women. Integrating 7 new players is never going to be easy, but with the quality of player signed, we hope to expedite the transition and 'getting to know you' process.

 

Today’s game started quickly with Panshanger showing their cards early doors with long clearances from their very impressive GK. Her aim was to quickly hit the fast front 2 on the downhill slope, which is how Panshanger caught the back 4 off guard to score the first goal. The long clearance was chased, squared and finished neatly at the back post.

The Bwood girls were visibly taken aback to concede so quickly into the season but they are made of stern stuff. The team quickly took control of the ball and set out to dominate possession for the remainder of the first half. New signing Lola was causing havoc down the left flank, the Panshanger RB will be having nightmares tonight! Lola combined with Gabby, Aanya and Annie, beating her player to win a corner late in the first half. Pheide attacked Lola’s cross and took a shot at goal that was blocked but Karadonna was there to be the fox in the box and smash the ball home for 1-1!

The girls were dealing with all Panshanger could offer with CB pairing Ava & Poppy now dealing with all the long balls that came at them with aplomb, with FB’s Elsie and Theaya helping to shut up shop. Up top we created chance after chance with wide players Kara and Lola both having storming halves and tormenting their opponents.

Gabby was her normal dominant self and was only stopped from opening her account by the inspired Panshanger GK; time after time she thwarted Wood attacks! Yvie, Isabella & Poppy N came into the game midway through the first half and all slotted into the team seamlessly and helped keep the game at 1-1.

The second half stayed the same until another long ball attack from Panshanger managed to get in behind us, the ball was rolled across the goal and we couldn’t clear our lines; Panshanger took advantage for 2-1. Subs were made with Gabby, Lola, Kara and Lucy coming back into the battle after a 15 min break to cool down and the girls started to wrestle back control; Gabby was soon to equalise with an excellent finish off a slide rule pass from Kara: 2-2.

The girls now looked like the team to go and win this game and were putting Panshanger under immense pressure. We are very lucky to have such a force of nature and an outstanding footballer in our No9 Gabby who was to get her second shortly. Played through by Lola with a beautifully weighted pass into Gabby’s run, she calmly passed the ball into the net and past the outstanding home GK: 3-2 Wood!

With 5 mins to go and our time in the lead, Pheidi was brought back on to be the terrier, ball winner and protector of the back 4. Somehow though, we conspired to shoot ourselves in the foot and coughed up another chance for Panshanger to get a soft equaliser with 4 mins to go: 3-3

Skipper Annie rallied her troops as did the sideline; we knew we’d get one more chance. Lola, dancing on the left, wriggled and pirouetted to try and get half a yard to shoot but 3 players closed her down; she found half a yard and dinked a ball over the defence for Gabby to chase down. Gabby beat the defence but, the onrushing keeper was getting closer; Gabby deftly lifted a delightful chip over the keeper and time slowed down for the Wood bench, fans and coaches as we watched the very last kick of the game float over the GK and just hit the bar!! The ref blew the whistle for an away 3-3 draw which could turn out to be a good point later in the season.