WOOD GET OVER THEIR BOXING DAY HAMMERING
BOREHAM WOOD returned to both winning ways and the National League play-offs with victory over Torquay.
It took just 11 minutes for the hosts to get off the mark, with Angelo Balanta leaping highest to head home Bruno Andrade’s whipped corner.
The Wood dug in deep to keep the persistent Gulls away from goal, thanks to a particularly gutsy performance from Keiran Murtagh.
Despite considerable pressure, the visitors struggled to create any true goal-scoring chances, and their best opportunity possibly came in the opening ten minutes.
A low cross from Jamie Reid had allowed Ruari Keating to get across his man in the box, but he put the ball over from a difficult position.
The Wood looked comfortable during the second half and earned a two-goal cushion from the penalty spot after Bruno Andrade had been brought down in an off-the-ball incident.
The Portuguese striker stepped up and confidently struck past Vincent Dorel with ten minutes to go.
Wood manager Luke Garrard praised his side’s response to the 4-0 Boxing Day defeat to Sutton United, commenting: “I don’t think that we have ever not had a reaction (after a defeat), you see the Barrow result, we then go and win the following game.
“I felt that everyone across the board needed a reaction and that included me and my staff.
“Was it to the levels that we set? No. But, the wind was hurling, and we were playing a team who are fighting for their lives and their National League status, sitting in the bottom four at the minute, so I think that is a great result today. “Two, three years ago, we were fighting for our lives and I know what it takes, and those three points are massive.” Torquay supporters made the trip to Hertfordshire, and United manager Gary Owers insisted that the side will do everything to improve for them. He said: “Up until the penalty, we hadn’t really looked like we were going to get anything out of the game, so I am disappointed with the performance. “The support was brilliant, but they want more for their pound, they want me to be better and they want the players to be better and I understand that and that is what I am going to try and do.”