REPORT: Boreham Wood 5-1 Wealdstone

Wealdstone were comprehensively defeated 5-1 by high-flying Boreham Wood at Meadow Park. Despite a Sean Adarkwa strike, goals from Zak Brunt, Abdul Abdulmalik and a hat-trick from James Clarke secured the Wood’s spot in the play-offs. 

Gary Waddock made just two changes to his side that thrashed Hartlepool United on Tuesday evening, as Mason Barrett and Terrell Agyemang returned to Wealdstone’s starting line-up.

After a low-tempo start, Connor McAvoy was called into action, reacting quickest to clear an onrushing Brunt. Despite the Wood attacker going down in the box, the referee waved away calls for a penalty.

Minutes later, the home side tested Wealdstone once again as Matt Rush threaded the ball to a pouncing Tom White, whose fierce effort was met by a valiant block from Jack Wells-Morrison to keep the Wood at bay.

Moments later, Boreham Wood looked to break the deadlock, but Baptiste produced a heroic fingertip save to deny Abdulmalik’s close-range strike.

Wealdstone’s first sight of goal came on the half-hour mark, as a corner effort found the towering Deon Woodman, but the giant centre-back’s header flew wide of Ted Curd’s post.

The hosts duly took the lead on the 33^rd minute mark after Baptiste’s fingertip save rebounded kindly to Clarke, who was on hand to fire a strike into the bottom left corner.

As half time loomed, Brunt threatened one on one with Baptiste, but the Stones keeper produced another world-class save, forcing Enzio Boldewijn to see the ball out of play.

Minutes before the break, Brunt floated a perfect cross to Clarke at the back post, who volleyed home to give the hosts a two-goal lead at the interval.

In an attempt to get back in the game, Gary Waddock made a triple substitution at half-time as Sean Adarkwa, Jack Hinchy and Anthony Georgiou took the field.

Minutes into the second-half, Adarkwa made an instant impact, capitalising on a slip from Bush before cutting round Ted Curd and firing into the net to half the host’s lead.

On the 53^rd minute mark, Rush fed Brunt through on the right edge of the box and slotted the ball into the bottom left corner to restore Boreham Wood’s two-goal cushion.

Moments later, Waddock’s men found some attacking rhythm as Dylan Kadji created a hat-trick of close attempts in quick succession, but Curd kept him out on each occasion.

In the 72^nd minute, Brunt broke through on goal and laid left to Abdulmalik, but Baptiste’s challenge earned the host a penalty, which Clarke dispatched successfully to complete his hat-trick.

As the game entered the latter stages, Bush launched another looping ball into the feet of Abdulmalik, who drilled a deflected shot into the bottom left corner to make it five for Boreham Wood.

Following some world-class saves from Baptiste in extra time, the game ended 5-1 at Meadow Park.

Wealdstone return to league action on Easter Monday at the Vale, where they entertain Aldershot Town in a 3pm kick-off.

Wealdstone: Baptiste, Woodman, Barrett (Cook 68), Boldewijn (Georgiou 46), Kadji, Obiero (Olomola 78), Hutchinson, Tshikuna, McAvoy, Agyemang (Adarkwa 46), Wells-Morrison (Hinchy 46)