Town’s promotion deam fades after bright start
FOR 45 minutes, the dream was on.
Tobi Sho-Silva had scored one goal and nearly had another, Town were full of energy and Boreham Wood were rattled.
But while the hosts rallied after the break, Halifax faded, and they had no answer to goals from Kane Smith and Matt Rhead.
Never mind a play-off eliminator, the game had the feel of a low-key pre-season friendly before kick-off, taking you back to Farsley just over a year ago.
Who’d have thought then that this was where Town’s season would end up?
The Shaymen started with hunger and intensity, snapping into tackles, closing down opponents and passing with purpose, no-one more so than Sho-Silva, who leapt for flick-ons and, with strike partner Jamie Allen, chased down lost causes and harried defenders.
125 days on from Ebbsfleet, Town looked like they’d been counting down the days on a calendar.
Boreham Wood’s defenders looked unsettled by Town’s front-two, with some heated exchanges taking place between them after hesitancy on the ball and slack marking.
So much so that experienced centre-back Jamal Fyfield badly misjudged a long ball, and ShoSilva took full advantage by latching onto the ball ahead of keeper Grant Smith and finishing from close range.
Top-scorer Kabongo Tshimanga brought two decent saves from Sam Johnson, but Town’s defence was far sturdier than Boreham Wood’s flimsy construction.
Michael Duckworth, who looked fit and sharp on his return from a shoulder injury, saw his free-kick saved at the second attempt by Grant Smith shortly before the break, while ShoSilva turned and fired a rocket towards goal that Smith turned over brilliantly.
Had that gone in, moments before the break, parity would have felt a long way back for the hosts.
But Boreham Wood had begun to play with more urgency and attacking threat after the restart, although it looked nothing that Town couldn’t handle, until the ball broke to Kane Smith on the edge of the box, and his deflected shot wrong-footed Johnson.
The hosts had a spring in their step, making good runs off the ball, getting players into dangerous areas and now had the momentum behind them.
Sorba Thomas was a constant threat down Boreham Wood’s left flank, with the hosts getting joy in wide areas, pushing Town back.
The Shaymen weren’t offering much going forward, and were starting to lose the 50-50’s and second balls. Tyrone Marsh stung the palms of Sam Johnson with a free-kick as Boreham Wood remained in the ascendancy.
If half-time had come at a good time for Boreham Wood, then by the time the second-half drinks break came round, it was Town who were in need of it.
The Shaymen had disappeared as an attacking force, and Boreham Wood’s comeback was complete when Thomas’ corner was nodded home by Rhead from six yards.
Town forced some last setpieces, but never really had the hosts pinned back and never regained the attacking impetus they had long since lost.
Boreham Wood: G Smith, Ilesanmi, Ricketts, Fyfield, Champion, Thomas, Murtagh, K Smith, Marsh (Shaibu 87), Rhead, Tshimanga. Subs not used: Charles-Cook, Stephen’s, Mingoia, Shakes, Yussuf.
Scorers: K Smith (54), Rhead (80)
Halifax: Johnson, Maher, Brown, Clarke, Duckworth, Cooper, Staunton, Williams (J King 74), C King (Earing 74), Allen, Sho-Silva (Redshaw 63). Subs not used: Appleyard, Binnom-Williams, Nolan.
Scorer: Sho-Silva (19)
Referee: Paul Howard
Town man of the match: Nathan Clarke
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