AFC WIMBLEDON 0 WOOD YOU BELIEVE IT! Mark’s boys are Don for
BOREHAM WOOD 2
LUKE GARRARD hailed his “greatest achievement” after National League side Boreham Wood reached the fourth round for the first time.
The 36-year-old (below) has been in charge of the non-League outfit for six years and this shock win over League One AFC Wimbledon was fully deserved.
In a previous incarnation, the Dons lifted this trophy with one of the great upsets against Liverpool.
But they were on the other side yesterday as
Wood’s ‘Ring of Steel’ defence kept an incredible fourth straight clean sheet in this season’s competition.
The goalscoring heroes were striker Tyrone Marsh and former gas engineer Adrian Clifton.
A delighted Clifton, 33, has turned his life around since serving time in prison as a young man after being released by boyhood heroes Arsenal.
Garrard said: “It is my greatest achievement as a manager of this club – and the chairman Danny Hunter deserves a big tie next for all he has done.
“I feel on top of the world, it is indescribable and all credit to the players.
“Tyrone’s finish was amazing. They threw everything at us but we are good defensively.”
Dejected AFC boss Mark Robinson said: “They sat back and protected their lead as they had to.
“And we didn’t have enough to get round them.
“I keep saying we are a young team that are learning, but we must learn quicker.
“Even though we are the League One team, they probably had more FA Cup experience.”
A 3,500 crowd packed into Meadow Park and the hosts led after only 10 minutes.
Josh Rees slipped a superb through-ball to Marsh, who turned Nesta GuinnessWalker and lashed his shot past keeper Nik Tzanev.
Taye Ashby-Hammond only had one save in the first half from a cross deflected off Kane Smith.
Perhaps surprisingly, it was Boreham Wood that went looking for a second.
Marsh went marauding down the left and, after cutting in, Tzanev tipped his deflected effort away.
Rees had a great chance but hesitated and then failed to find a finish, and Gus Mafuta headed wide.
But Clifton, only just on for Marsh, made sure of the historic win with a near-post flick from Jacob Mendy’s cross – only his third touch of the ball.
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