Report | Wealdstone 0-4 Boreham Wood

Wealdstone were comprehensively defeated 4-0 by high-flying Boreham Wood at Grosvenor Vale on Boxing Day.

First-half goals from Abdul Abdulmalik and Matt Rush put the Wood into a comfortable lead, with a brace from substitute Lewis Richardson completing the rout for the visitors.

Sam Cox made three changes to the side that comeback to draw with Halifax midweek, as Enzio Boldewijn, Dan Nkrumah and Junior Tiensia returned to the starting line-up for the Stones.

Wealdstone made the worst possible start with Abdulmalik seizing on Anthony Georgiou’s under-hit back-pass and coolly chipping Dante Baptiste after just two minutes of play.

The Stones responded positively to going behind so early, with Nathan Tshikuna’s half-volley from the edge of the box forcing Ted Curd into a low reflex save on the 12^th minute mark.

Despite the Stones’ endeavours to battle their way back into the contest, the visitors doubled their lead in the 26^th minute as Rush profited from a scramble in the box to convert past Baptiste from close-range.

Garrard’s side had the ball in the back of the net again on the half-hour mark when Charlie O’Connell tapped the rebound home from Jeff King’s free-kick, but the linesman raised his flag for offside.

Boreham Wood continued in the ascendancy and nearly increased their advantage, but Baptiste pulled off a string of excellent saves to preserve the scoreline.

Four minutes before the stroke of half-time, the Stones came close to reducing the deficit when skipper Boldewijn drove forward and rifled an effort from range that whistled just over the crossbar.

On their return from the interval, Cox’s men were quick out of the traps, with Tshikuna stinging the palms of Curd with a powerful strike from distance.

However, it was the Wood that scored next as Dom Hutchinson was dispossessed near the half-way line, prompting a counterattack which resulted in Richardson slotting the ball past Baptiste in the 52^nd minute.

Again, Wealdstone responded well to conceding, with Junior Tiensia playing Nkrumah through on goal, but Curd was equal to the striker’s effort.

With end-to-end action, the Wood came close to adding another goal in the 57^th minute when Jeff King whipped a dangerous ball into the box, though Baptiste produced a brilliant point-blank save to thwart Zak Brunt.

Two minutes later, it was the Stones’ turn to nearly score, as Olufela Olomola was played through for a one-on-one with Curd, but the visitors’ shot-stopper denied the striker with a smart save.

In the 82^nd minute, the Wood notched their fourth goal of the match as Richardson pounced in the box to strike a powerful shot past Baptiste and seal his brace.

The Stones return to action on Tuesday evening when they travel to the EBB Stadium to face Aldershot Town in a 7:45pn kick-off.

Wealdstone: Baptiste, Boldewijn, McAvoy, Woodman, Hutchinson (Hassan 64), Georgiou (Mussa 46), Agyemang (Turner 84), Tshikuna, Tiensia, Obiero, Nkrumah (Olomola 55).

Subs not used: Johnson, Cook, Kadji.