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Match details
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Boreham Wood 0-1 Stevenage Borough
Saturday, 31 July 2004
Friendly
Referee: Andy Osborne
Attendance:
Scorer: Craig McAllister (32)
Friendly
Referee: Andy Osborne
Attendance:
Scorer: Craig McAllister (32)
Stevenage team
Starting XI
13: Lee Farrow 24: Gary Schillaci 5: Jason Goodliffe 26: Darren Williams 6: Barry Laker 37: Anthony Elding 18: Ritchie Hanlon 12: Richard Hodgson 3: Jamie Gould 9: Dino Maamria 11: Craig McAllister |
Used substitutes
25: Shaun Batt (for 6, 70) Unused substitutes 8: Michael Brough 20: Jon Nurse |
Stevenage Borough FC official website
Under perfect skies more suited for a game of cricket, Boro’ nipped down the road to bask in the Meadow Park sunshine for this their first friendly away from Broadhall Way. A mixed side took to the field (while the remainder of the squad spectated from the stand) featuring some of Boro’s most promising EFCO graduates and most notably a first start for Barry Laker.
The first half showed some inventiveness from both sides although Boro’ held the upper hand territorially. An early flick from Dino Maamria found Craig McAllister on the wide, his cross whipped across the face of goal and past Noel Imber’s far post. However goalmouth action was at a premium this day as defence and midfield kept the play in the ‘Wood half with the frontline looking somewhat jaded. Richie Hanlon and Richard Hodgson controlled the middle, finding Jamie Gould down the left and it was these three that orchestrated the majority of play for the opening half hour.
Had the opposition shown more composure at vital moments, several testing crosses into Boro’s area could have caused some problems as the back four looking good in parts but were found wanting on the occasions when needed as a unit. One delivery in particular from Joe Baker on the right flank requiring the merest of touches fortunately eluded everyone and carried on almost to the corner flag. The heat obviously got to some of the ‘Wood players quite early into the match forcing manager Ian Allinson to withdraw both Sammy Winston and Stuart Lockhead as they squared up to one another presumably over some positional disagreement? As the game progressed both would re-appear as too would several others on the Wood team.
Hodgson managed a long range effort into Imber’s midriff before Gould fed Maamria down the left and cutting inside Ryan Moran his shot was beaten off the line by Imber. This was Boro’s best spell of the whole match as Jason Goodliffe met Hanlon’s corner with an almighty bullet header only to see his goal bound effort ricochet between a ruck of players and away to safety.
The deadlock was broken with Hodgson finding Maamria on the halfway line, looking up he saw the ‘Wood defence push up which was his cue to release McALLISTER who covered the half unchallenged to pick his spot in the top right corner.
A couple of meandering runs across the face of the area from Maamria, the second requiring Imber to push a low shot round the post concluded the first period and a welcome respite from the heat.
Half Time – Borehamwood 0 – 1 Boro’
Wood began with more of the play as Boro’ seemed content to sit on their lead and soak up any pressure. Dominic Grime sent in a long shot that was wide of Lee Farrow’s post before Hodgeson’s chip reached Maamria whose deft flick found McAllister in the clear but when a clinical finish was required the best he could muster was a save from Imber.
Boro’ reshuffled as Sean Batt replaced the tiring Laker on 70 minutes, the youngster taking up a position wide right with Gould dropping back to fill the space vacated by the departed defender. However the heat was beginning to take its toll both on players and spectators alike as the game took on the mantle of a typical pre-season friendly.
Hanlon managed a couple of free kicks, the first Maamria smashed into the side netting, while the second taken direct required a fine save from the alert Imber beating away what should have been a certain goal.
In the closing minutes Boro’ almost conceded a charitable equaliser to their hosts as Gary Schillaci and Jason Goodliffe both going for the same ball allowed Winston through but managing to hold him up sufficiently so that while his shot beat the largely untroubled Farrow it contrived to cannon off the back of team mate Richard Allicock on the goal line.
At the finish Elding did breakaway and deliver his cross but like so many times before there was little cohesion between the strikers today and we had to settle for the solitary goal on a day better suited for being on the beach.
Borehamwood 0 (0) – (1) 1 Stevenage Borough
McAllister 32
Referee: Andy Osborne
Assistants: Andy Crawford, Martyn Bridgeman
Borehamwood:
Boro
13. Lee Farrow
24. Gary Schillaci
5. Jason Goodliffe
26. Darren Williams
6. Barry Laker (Sean Batt 70)
37. Anthony Elding
18. Richie Hanlon
12. Richard Hodgson
3. Jamie Gould
9. Dino Maamria
11. Craig McAllister
Subs not used – Michael Brough, Jon Nurse
Under perfect skies more suited for a game of cricket, Boro’ nipped down the road to bask in the Meadow Park sunshine for this their first friendly away from Broadhall Way. A mixed side took to the field (while the remainder of the squad spectated from the stand) featuring some of Boro’s most promising EFCO graduates and most notably a first start for Barry Laker.
The first half showed some inventiveness from both sides although Boro’ held the upper hand territorially. An early flick from Dino Maamria found Craig McAllister on the wide, his cross whipped across the face of goal and past Noel Imber’s far post. However goalmouth action was at a premium this day as defence and midfield kept the play in the ‘Wood half with the frontline looking somewhat jaded. Richie Hanlon and Richard Hodgson controlled the middle, finding Jamie Gould down the left and it was these three that orchestrated the majority of play for the opening half hour.
Had the opposition shown more composure at vital moments, several testing crosses into Boro’s area could have caused some problems as the back four looking good in parts but were found wanting on the occasions when needed as a unit. One delivery in particular from Joe Baker on the right flank requiring the merest of touches fortunately eluded everyone and carried on almost to the corner flag. The heat obviously got to some of the ‘Wood players quite early into the match forcing manager Ian Allinson to withdraw both Sammy Winston and Stuart Lockhead as they squared up to one another presumably over some positional disagreement? As the game progressed both would re-appear as too would several others on the Wood team.
Hodgson managed a long range effort into Imber’s midriff before Gould fed Maamria down the left and cutting inside Ryan Moran his shot was beaten off the line by Imber. This was Boro’s best spell of the whole match as Jason Goodliffe met Hanlon’s corner with an almighty bullet header only to see his goal bound effort ricochet between a ruck of players and away to safety.
The deadlock was broken with Hodgson finding Maamria on the halfway line, looking up he saw the ‘Wood defence push up which was his cue to release McALLISTER who covered the half unchallenged to pick his spot in the top right corner.
A couple of meandering runs across the face of the area from Maamria, the second requiring Imber to push a low shot round the post concluded the first period and a welcome respite from the heat.
Half Time – Borehamwood 0 – 1 Boro’
Wood began with more of the play as Boro’ seemed content to sit on their lead and soak up any pressure. Dominic Grime sent in a long shot that was wide of Lee Farrow’s post before Hodgeson’s chip reached Maamria whose deft flick found McAllister in the clear but when a clinical finish was required the best he could muster was a save from Imber.
Boro’ reshuffled as Sean Batt replaced the tiring Laker on 70 minutes, the youngster taking up a position wide right with Gould dropping back to fill the space vacated by the departed defender. However the heat was beginning to take its toll both on players and spectators alike as the game took on the mantle of a typical pre-season friendly.
Hanlon managed a couple of free kicks, the first Maamria smashed into the side netting, while the second taken direct required a fine save from the alert Imber beating away what should have been a certain goal.
In the closing minutes Boro’ almost conceded a charitable equaliser to their hosts as Gary Schillaci and Jason Goodliffe both going for the same ball allowed Winston through but managing to hold him up sufficiently so that while his shot beat the largely untroubled Farrow it contrived to cannon off the back of team mate Richard Allicock on the goal line.
At the finish Elding did breakaway and deliver his cross but like so many times before there was little cohesion between the strikers today and we had to settle for the solitary goal on a day better suited for being on the beach.
Borehamwood 0 (0) – (1) 1 Stevenage Borough
McAllister 32
Referee: Andy Osborne
Assistants: Andy Crawford, Martyn Bridgeman
Borehamwood:
- Noel Imber
- Marvin Samuels (Nick Grime 20)
- Dominic Grime (Paul Burrows 80)
- Ryan Moran
- Fergus Moore (Adam Shafer 80)
- Paul Stanley
- Olujimi Oshin
- Joe Baker
- Sammy Winston (Richard Allicock 25, Winston 45)
- Adam Shafer (Nick Cowley 45)
- Stuart Lockhead (John Coley 25, Allicock 88)
Boro
13. Lee Farrow
24. Gary Schillaci
5. Jason Goodliffe
26. Darren Williams
6. Barry Laker (Sean Batt 70)
37. Anthony Elding
18. Richie Hanlon
12. Richard Hodgson
3. Jamie Gould
9. Dino Maamria
11. Craig McAllister
Subs not used – Michael Brough, Jon Nurse