Boreham Wood 2
(K.Smith 42′, Boden pen 46′)
United 0
There was disappointment on Tuesday evening, as United went down to defeat at Meadow Park against Boreham Wood.
Goals either side of the break from Kane Smith and Scott Boden did the damage, and despite another spirited late rally from Gary Johnson’s side, they were unable to alter the course of the three points.
Following the superb 5-0 home win over Wealdstone on Saturday, the Gaffer made just one change to the matchday squad, with Chiori Johnson replacing Gabby Rogers on the substitutes bench.
The first chance of the game fell United’s way in the fifth minute, as Dan Holman, with his back to goal, held the ball up well on the edge of the box before feeding Dan Martin to his right, however the left wing-back’s effort being drilled over the crossbar.
Both sides traded proverbial punches for a period thereafter, with some good defending at both ends preventing any real clear sights of goal.
A couple of Boreham efforts from distance did provide some hope for home supporters, however in truth, they occupied the attentions of the ball retrieval staff more than Shaun MacDonald in the United goal, as both strikes sailed well wide of the target.
In the 28th minute, a kind deflection from a Ben Wynter challenge inside the box presented ex-Gull Boden with a chance to punish his former club, but to the Yellow Army’s glee, his shot cleared the bar by some margin.
With little to report leading up to the break, it appeared as if the scoreline would remain blank until the change of ends, until the 42nd minute, when the hosts took the lead.
Kane Smith, sensing an opportunity, made the most of the space being afforded to him by progressing to the vicinity of Torquay’s 18-yard box, where he duly fired a low shot past MacDonald and into the back of the net.
With that deficit remaining intact as the players headed for the dressing rooms, Johnson’ s men had plenty of work ahead of them to get back into the game during the second 45 minutes, and that task got even greater within seconds of the restart.
With the first attack of the second half, Tyrone Marsh headed into the box before going down under a challenge from Joe Lewis, and despite plenty of appeals from the United contingent, the referee pointed to the spot.
Boden fired the ball wide to MacDonald’s right to double his side’s advantage.
The Gulls had no option but to gamble, and after weathering the storm for the next fifteen minutes, they nearly found a pathway back into the game just short of the hour mark.
Just short of the hour mark, a left-footed cross from Tom Lapslie was headed down into the direction of Connor Lemonheigh-Evans at the back post, with the Welshman just unable to squeeze his strike home.
The introduction of Klaidi Lolos a few moments later so nearly paid almost instant dividends, with the former Plymouth man seeing a goalbound effort from a corner blocked at point-blank range, before seeing a clever flick drift narrowly wide seconds later.
On 73 minutes, a cross from the left from Dean Moxey almost saw Lapslie net his third goal in successive matches, however despite the midfielder’s desperate slide at the back post, he couldn’t quite make up the ground in time.
Moxeys’ deliveries were looking more and more like a valuable source of promise for United’s travelling supporters, with another ball into the box picking out Chiori Johnson soon after, however the substitute couldn’t do anything other than head the ball over the bar.
Johnson’s men continued to plug away, without much reward, with a neat turn from Lolos seeing the ball divert out to the ever-willing Lapslie, however his 79th minute volley from a tight angle towards the far corner just wouldn’t dip quickly enough.
With two minutes remaining, the men in yellow continued in search of that all important goal, with their luck in front of goal showing no signs of turning, as Ashmore made an impressive triple save from Lemonheigh-Evans, Lewis – and from the resulting corner – Lapslie.
That final denial proved enough for the home side secure the spoils.
Not the result United or their Yellow Army were after, however with the National League fixtures continuing to come thick and fast, they do at least have a quick chance to put things right at Bromley on Saturday.
Boreham Wood: 1. Nathan Ashmore, 3. Femi Ilesanmi, 4. Mark Ricketts (c), 5. Will Evans, 8. Gus Mafuta (7. Josh Rees, 79′), 9. Scott Boden (14. Adrian Clifton 62′), 10. Tyrone Marsh (6. David Stephens, 90+3′), 12. Jamal Fyfield, 17. Jacob Mendy Mendy, 18. Connor Smith, 19. Kane Smith.
SUBS NOT USED: 11. Frankie Raymond, 15. Jack Munns.
TUFC: 37. Shaun MacDonald, 2. Ben Wynter, 3. Dan Martin (19. Klaidi Lolos, 62′), 4. Tom Lapslie, 7. Connor Lemonheigh-Evans, 8. Asa Hall (c) (5. Ali Omar, 84′), 10. Armani Little, 16. Keelan O’Connell (14. Chiori Johnson, 52′), 21. Dean Moxey, 30. Dan Holman, 31. Joe Lewis.
SUBS NOT USED: 1. Mark Halstead (GK),11. Jake Andrews.
Attendance: 701 (236 away fans)