Our U16 Boys took on a very considerable challenge in the league against Colney Heath, the rump of whose players came from their recently folded EJA side and contained to a man, players that physically outgunned the Wood's boys and no doubt, any team at this age. However, it's the size of the fight in the dog that matters, not the size of the dog in the fight, and the Wood warmed up well and looked focused on the battle ahead, unphased by their opponents' reputation and burgeoning goal tally already this season, having faced everyone over the years.
The whistle blew and the Wood flew forward immediately pressing Colney's defence. Their early attempts to play out failed and they quickly reverted to an aerial bombardment, as expected from a team with so many players well in excess of 6ft. Quite frankly, at this age, it's hard to bridge that physical gap when quality balls are played into dangerous areas. However, the tactic loses effectiveness when all the growing is done and, in any case, the Wood attacked the ball well all game, with the defensive unit of keeper Elboukhari, Boshjaku, Hones and Manning all enjoying really outstanding games.
However, one early corner did catch the Wood napping and Colney briefly held the lead before Ifeacho, enjoying a very strong first half, produced a finish of great equanimity from a difficult high ball to draw the match level. The Wood fought on and Montgomery was the busiest of the midfield players, producing some excellent play there, before Colney worked a good move out wide that finished in the Wood goal for 2:1. The score stayed this way despite a vicious shot from Da Silva that was superbly parried by the home keeper.
The Wood made changes throughout the game but, continued to maintain their endurance levels with Makamian making an excellent cameo up front, securing multiple free kicks to win the Wood time and possession, while McGuinness was a constant threat down the left wing, at times linking up with Manning to breathtaking effect.
Da Silva was making some crunching tackles from the front and came closest to equalizing, sending a free kick to the right top corner before a last ditch clearance sent it clear, while Boshjaku made some massive challenges to stop Colney scoring another. The match ended 2-1 and all the boys in attendance knew they'd been in a proper game, with a thorough physical and technical examination, testing and improving them. With juniors, the points are immaterial against that backdrop and to a player, the boys can take great pride in their performances today, and certainly, produced a glow of pride from their management team, who marvelled at their endeavour and drive!
MoM went to Elboukhari who produced top quality handling that was imperative in allowing the team to compete against such an advanced physical opponent. The boys march on with confidence surging and two more tough games away to Enfield in the Cup and League before Hitchin in the County Cup, a team unbeaten all last season. That's how we like it so bring it on!
_
In the West Herts League, our U15 Boys secured an impressive 7-2 victory against Hemel Aces to move near the summit of their division; great stuff!
_
Our U14 girls had a tricky away game against early league pacesetters Bury Rangers, boasting a perfect 3 from 3 record so far in the league. The Wood lost Hazel early doors due to a nasty overnight sickness bug and skipper Annie was a little off colour too but, our midfield warrior couldn’t be kept off the pitch!
The girls started very quickly again today and put Bury under immense pressure immediately. The team is beginning to purr like a finely tuned machine, with a front 3 of Lola, Gabby & Kara putting Bury under constant pressure with wave after wave of attacks, supported superbly by a midfield 3 of Lucy, Aanya and Captain marvel Annie.
Despite the early pressure it was looking like it could be a frustrating day in front of goal.
Even with all the attacking flair on show the Wood's girls squandered chance after chance time and time again. Then up stepped Lola to calm the nerves as she rifled home into the top corner with an assist for Gabby. 1-0 the Wood.
Bury tried hard to get a foothold in the game, but in the first half particularly this talented group of Wood girls where irresistible. Yvie came into the fray and scorched the Bury keeper's palms with a long range effort from right back; another very solid display from one of our newcomers. Poppy N also came on and showed what a big talent the management believe she can become; she is slowly gaining fitness, confidence and is having more and more impact on the games weekly.
Pheidi entered the fray and used her tactical nous to shut up any holes Bury hoped to exploit while the starting back four of Elsinho, the CB pairing of Ava and Poppy S with POM contender Theaya all their usul combative selves and starting to play as a tough and uncompromising unit. Theaya particularly today didn’t lose one 50/50 ball and was constantly looking to play forward progressively and to back up her winger Lola.
Half time came and we went in 1-0 up.
The second half started and the Wood's girls knew the importance of the next goal, after having so much dominance and creating so many chances to be pegged back level would have been a dagger to the heart. So up stepped todays POM Lola to calm the nerves and create a bit of distance between the two sides. Lola robbed the home right back on the edge of the box, and somehow managed to get a shot away with the outside of her boot to score in the far corner! 2- 0 Wood and some breathing space.
This inspired Bury who really stepped up their effort and commitment to the game as they fought for every ball. More chances came and went for the Wood and Bury had a few breaks to jangle the nerves! The game needed putting to bed and up stepped POM Lola to grab a third and complete her hat trick. Another assist for Gabby who saw her on fire teammate in space; she fed Lola who released a left footed thunderbolt into the roof of the net. 3-0 Wood.
The Bury girls to their credit kept fighting and managed to breach our up to then water tight defence for a breakaway goal. 3-1 Wood. We thought that was the game over but we were given one more treat today with Theaya’s first goal of the season. Bury thought they’d cleared their lines from another Wood attack the ball came out to Theaya who travelled forward into the Bury half and looked up in one to see the Bury keeper way out of position; she then released the Kraken Thaboom, a scorcher of a shot from 40yds that flew into the top corner for a well deserved fourth Wood goal!
Well done girls our best performance to date and we keep improving, keep working hard and believing!
-
In what can only be described as an exhilarating display of footballing brilliance, our U10 Girls travelled to Berkhamsted, riding the wave of their recent stunning form. With confidence running high, they were eager to keep the momentum going and they certainly did not disappoint!
Led out by their unstoppable goalkeeper, Emily, Borehamwood were ready to make their mark. From the first whistle, Berkhamsted piled on the pressure, but Borehamwood’s defensive duo, Sienna and Polly, stood firm. Nothing was getting past them. In the blink of an eye, Borehamwood capitalized on a swift counterattack. Starting from the back, the ball was moved seamlessly by Elsie to Daisy, who picked out Juniper. With a powerful strike, Juniper sent the ball flying into the bottom left corner.
Moments later, Elsie nearly added to the lead, but was denied by a brilliant save from the Berkhamsted keeper. Gracie, commanding the midfield with confidence, was a force to be reckoned with making crucial tackles and bursting forward with energy. It wasn’t long before Daisy found herself on the scoresheet, launching a rocket of a shot from a set-piece orchestrated by Ruby.
With chants of "Wood Army!" echoing around the field as the second quarter began, Borehamwood were buzzing with energy. Ruby, holding everything together in midfield, was like a maestro directing the orchestra. Juniper showcased her versatility, tracking back to support the defense, while Sienna continued her no-nonsense defending with cool, calm clearances. Tippi, taking on the centre forward role, made some impressive darting runs, narrowly missing out on her own moment of glory. Daisy came agonizingly close to another goal, smashing the post with a thunderous effort, but she wasn’t done yet. Minutes later, she unleashed a stunning long-range shot, hitting the crossbar before finding the net with sheer power!
Gracie stepped in for goalkeeping duties and proved she’s just as talented between the sticks as she is outfield, making some quick saves to keep Berkhamsted at bay. As the third quarter unfolded, Borehamwood found their rhythm. Elsie teamed up with Ruby up front; Ruby's dribbling was sublime, only to be thwarted by some exceptional Berkhamsted goalkeeping.
Polly, seemingly unstoppable, was given freedom to surge forward from defence, taking on players with ease and almost finding the net herself. With endless energy, Polly's runs were a constant threat. Juniper took a chance from the right wing, and while her shot took an unlucky deflection off a Berkhamsted defender into the net, Borehamwood had another goal to celebrate. Ruby then dazzled the crowd with a solo run down the wing, scoring from the tightest of angles to take the goal tally to 5!
The fourth and final quarter saw Berkhamsted fighting back valiantly. But Borehamwood’s defender Emily stood strong, sticking to their strike force like glue, and backed by Gracie’s goalkeeping, stood strong. Polly dominated the final minutes, controlling the game with crunching tackles and darting runs, earning herself a well-deserved Player of the Match title.
As the final whistle blew, Borehamwood celebrated a great performance. This game was a true testament to their determination, teamwork, and resilience against a strong Berkhamsted side. If there’s one word to describe the team today, it’s "unstoppable". The fans were treated to a thrilling match, and the future looks bright for this talented team. Well done, girls!
_
Another gloriously sunny day at Pursley saw the Wood's U15 Girls welcome unbeaten Aylesbury United for what proved to be a great game of football. The pitch was immaculate, despite the torrential rain all week, which suited both teams who like to get the ball down and play football the right way.
The Wood started strongly and took a deserved lead after 10 mins through Esme; a delightful chip to the back post from the corner of the box following good work by Abi. Despite playing well and pressing for more goals we went in at half time just one goal to the good.
At half time we made several changes to ensure all our subs were on field by the start of the second half and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the numerous changes affected our flow and control of the game. An uncharacteristic lapse at the back allowed the visitors back into the game to equalise on 45mins and more hesitation moments later saw us go 1-2 down.
This was not what we deserved but sometimes in football that happens; how we responded from then onwards was excellent! We were on level terms on 67 mins with a superb, direct free kick from skipper Leni and we were now firmly back on top in the contest. We pressed for a winner and it duly came with just 3 mins left on the clock. Excellent work by Milly in midfield followed by a visionary through ball for make shift striker Abi to latch on to, like a greyhound chasing down a rabbit, was only going to end one way. A calm finish after rounding the keeper sealing a well deserved 3-2 win!
This was a very good team performance apart from a 10 min spell in the second half when we lost our way a bit. We showed great character to come back and win and everybody played their part. As always we thank our visitors for a great game of football, played in great spirit, and we look forward to the return fixture in due course. POM went to Esme for a great, great work ethic and excellent use of the ball throughout, after a superb week of training as well.