Boreham Wood returned to the summit of Conference South on Monday but St Albans City, despite playing for half of the game with just ten men, came so close to denying Ian Allinson’s side top spot before succumbing to a dramatic 2-1 defeat at Broughinge Road.
Having performed so meekly in losing to Chelmsford City just 48 hours earlier, the Saints staged a remarkable turnaround in determination and spirit only for their ten-men to be undone by a memorable goal by returning Wood hero Junior Morias, following his release from Wycombe Wanderers.
City had Darren Locke dismissed right on half time as the central defender instinctively punched over the bar a goal-bound header from Wood striker Lee Angol.
After a protracted delay referee Ian Rathbone sent Locke packing and Angol slid the resulting penalty wide of Joe Welch’s despairing dive.
But just five minutes after the restart James Comley sliced Wood open with a deadly low through ball that Sean Shields latched onto and darted wide of home keeper James Russell before clinically pulling City level with his right foot.
Wood may have had the greater share of the play thereafter but St Albans had chances to snatch an unlikely win, for effort alone the Saints deserved to take home at least a share of the spoils.
It was Shields who was first to demonstrate that City had put Saturday’s dire showing behind them and unleashed a shot from 25 yards that a somewhat startled Russell only just managed to claw around the post.
From the ensuing corner, taken by Shields, James Kaloczi saw his header gathered comfortably by Russell.
As the half wore on Wood gradually eased their way into the game and only good work by Welch to parry a snap shot by Austin Lipman – after Angol had been crowded out – kept the home side at bay.
The City keeper then had to dive to his right to smother a deflected effort by Graeme Montgomery.
Angol was proving to be handful for the City defence but they rose to the challenge well and a superbly timed tackle by Locke denied the Wood player a clean strike on goal.
There was lengthy delay midway through the half when City skipper Ben Martin suffered a head injury after appearing to collide with Welch, as the keeper punched a Lipman free kick out for a corner.
Martin saw out the remainder of the game with a bandage around his head.
Scott Thomas headed Montgomery’s corner into the goalmouth where Josh Hill swivelled swiftly but his hooked shot was kicked off the line by John Kyriacou.
Left-back Lee Chappell was next to make a crucial challenge when getting the ball out for a corner as Shakes sought to turn in the loose ball after a bouncing effort by Lipman had thudded into Welch’s chest.
But it was far from one-way traffic and some of the crosses that City whipped in from either flank was of the highest order and called for some dogged defending by the home side.
John Frendo was permitted precious few opportunities to find the target and a speculative volley of his following a lengthy Martin free kick ballooned high over the well-populated away terrace.
Comley, having wasted one free kick, redeemed himself with a clever chipped effort that Russell dived to his right to catch.
As the game moved deep into first half stoppage time City looked to be content to go in on level terms, but in a split second their fortunes dipped alarmingly.
Martin blocked a driven effort by Montgomery only for the ball to deflect out to the Wood right to Sam Cox.
Cox chipped a good ball towards the back post where Angol appeared to give Kyriacou a little shove before looping a header over Welch. The ball was heading for the back of the net before the sliding Locke stretched up his right arm to punch the ball over the bar.
Referee Rathbone, who had a particularly good game, consulted with his linesman to make sure that the ball had not crossed the line before Locke handled and then dismissed the defender.
Angol stroked the penalty right-footed to Welch’s right and from sitting pretty a few seconds earlier City were now a goal and a man down.
To their great credit, City’s joint managers Graham Golds and James Gray opted to start the second half with just three at the back rather than go for damage limitation.
As Wood piled forward in the minutes after the restart City did look to have taken an almighty gamble but on 50 minutes the risk was rewarded with a wonderful goal.
Shields had already forced Russell into making one good save when a clearance by Kyriacou set another City attack underway.
Frendo headed the clearance to Kaloczi who in turn found Comley with a first time pass.
From just inside the Wood half Comley sent a perfectly weighted pass between two defenders for the advancing Shields to reach just before the lunging Russell could apply a touch outside his penalty area.
With great assurance Shields nudged the ball left-footed wide of the keeper before steering a right-footed shot along the ground into the net from a tight angle.
Shields now played as if a load had been lifted from his shoulders and buzzed all over the pitch and received good support from the likes of the gritty Charlie Gorman.
But having drawn level City now had something to defend and on 53 minutes wide midfielder Steve Wales was sacrificed in favour of central defender Tom Ward.
Wood, knowing that they could rise to the top of the table with victory, regained some composure and started to apply pressure; the latter stages of the game was sheer cut and thrust football normally only found in cup ties.
Just after the hour Allinson sent on Morias and suddenly the Wood attack had more of a cutting edge.
City looked to be in danger of going down to nine men when Kaloczi cut down Cox but, as he had kept his feet on the ground when making the challenge, the midfielder escaped with just a booking.
The ensuing free kick led to more frantic defending with bodies flying in all directions before Montgomery cracked his shot wide.
Morias, receiving a short pass from Angol, hammered a shot straight at Welch, while a low corner by Montgomery was turned goalwards by Callum Reynolds for Welch to save and the rebound striking Ward to spark loud, unsuccessful, Wood appeals for handball.
As Wood continued to press forward City remained resolute with Martin and Chappell making crucial headed interventions.
But as hard as the home side looked for a goal it was still a surprise when, on 78 minutes, it came; it was also something special.
Shakes played the ball in from the left to Morias who, from around 30 yards, hammered a right-footed rocket that dipped as it fell inside the extended Welch’s right hand upright.
Wood wanted a third goal but it was City who almost found the net next when substitute Lee Clarke sent a header narrowly wide from a Kyriacou cross and then had a shot blocked during a frantic goalmouth scramble.
As the final minute approached David Keenleyside floated a cross from wide on the right that Russell appeared to misjudged as it dropped just beyond the far post.
By this time Martin had been sent forward to lead the City attack and not far from his side was fellow defender Chappell.
In the fifth minute of added time Wood should have added a third when a long kick by Russell sent Montgomery away down from the left and his low cross was about to be tuned in by Angol when Morias, somewhat greedily, stretched to stab the ball wide.
It mattered not and City returned home pointless, but having found honour in defeat.
The attendance, although 13 fewer than City’s average attendance, was still more than 250 higher than the previous best seen at Boreham Wood this season. |
