Luke Garrard thrilled as Boreham Wood reach second round and make club history

Posted Sunday, November 07, 2021 by PA

Boreham Wood manager Luke Garrard saluted his history boys after watching his side edge past Eastleigh and into the FA Cup second round.

Wood striker Scott Boden scored in each half as the National League leaders saw off Ben Strevens’ men.

Boden struck in first-half stoppage time when he turned in Kane Smith’s cross at the far post. The 31-year-old added Wood’s second goal on 61 minutes when he poked home a pass from Josh Rees.

Boden was cruelly denied a hat-trick by the assistant’s flag late on, yet the hosts held out against their fellow fifth-tier opponents.

Wood manager Garrard said: “Job done. All we want to do in the FA Cup is get to the next round. The result is the main focus and I thought our attitude was superb.

“We’re in the hat for the second round and that’s a little bit of history for our club, as I believe we haven’t done that in back-to-back seasons since 1977.

“’Bodes’ is a one-in-three striker at this level, he’s a bright individual and he’s gone and scored two today. His third finish was outstanding but unfortunately it’s been chalked off.”

Spitfires manager Strevens accused Boreham Wood of gamesmanship after home goalkeeper Taye Ashby-Hammond went down and received lengthy treatment during a spell of first-half pressure from the visitors.

Strevens said: “We were the better team in the first half but the goal just before half-time meant I had to try and pick the players up at the break.

“They’ve scored in injury time of the first half that the ref’s added on for when their goalkeeper went down to give them the chance to stop us playing.

“He wasn’t injured but that’s the rule, that he can’t go off the pitch. But it gives them a couple of minutes to try and tell their players how to stop us.

“It’s football, it’s gamesmanship, but it’s frustrating.”