Boreham Wood boss Luke Garrard targets Arsenal cup clash after Rovers scalp

Posted Monday, November 28, 2022 by PA

Boreham Wood manager Luke Garrard hopes the National League side will be drawn against Premier League leaders Arsenal in the FA Cup third round following a 2-0 win over Bristol Rovers.

Garrard would relish the opportunity to pit his wits against Gunners manager Mikel Arteta on the Emirates touchline after masterminding a comfortable win over mid-table League One opposition.

“I would love it if we were drawn to play against Arsenal at the Emirates,” Garrard said. “I’m an Arsenal fan and I live in North London and we’ve got lots of ties with the club.

“It really would be a dream come true for me to face Arsenal and be alongside Mikel Arteta on the sidelines.

“He is doing a fantastic job and if we did come up against each other I’m sure I wouldn’t watch the game because I’d just be stood there admiring him.”

First-half goals from centre-back Will Evans and David Stephens proved enough to book Boreham Wood a place in the third round for the third year running.

“It’s a brilliant achievement and I gather it hasn’t been done by a non-league side in almost 20 years since Dagenham & Redbridge did the non-league scene proud,” Garrard added.

“I have to say I couldn’t be more proud of my players, many of whom helped us earn a trip to Everton in the fifth round last season.

“What we achieved then was magical, but to be in the third round again is unbelievable, they have risen to every challenge.

“To be in there again takes some going and I’m really excited about the draw.

“I’d have taken a draw just so we were in the hat, but the players delivered and I’m ecstatic. My responses are muted but inside I’m giddy.

“To have beaten a team that have been formidable at home of late is a brilliant achievement.”

Rovers manager Joey Barton said: “This result has shown that if your attitude and your application aren’t right and you don’t respect the competition then you will get dumped out of it.

“We lost some players beforehand who went down with illness but we’ve got no excuses. Boreham Wood deserved to progress.

“We should have scored in the opening moments of the game but we found to our cost that the FA Cup is a great leveller.

“We rang the changes at half-time with four substitutions because the onus was on us to get back into the game, but in the end we just weren’t good enough.”