MURTAGH’S MAGIC PUTS WOOD BACK ON TRACK

BOREHAM Wood ended a run of four straight defeats with an emphatic victory over Maidenhead United.

A goal from Keiran Murtagh broke the deadlock and put the home side ahead before Josh Umerah doubled the advantage 15 minutes from time.

Ryan Bird halved the Magpies deficit two minutes later but sub Justin Shaibu made sure of the points with a third for the home side.

Relieved Wood boss Luke Garrard said: “I’d have taken a scrappy 1-0 and I feel that it was a scrappy 3-1.

“The boys collared, the boys got around each other and the most pleasing thing was the third goal. Because, to go 2-0, you think go on, give us ten minutes of resilience.

“They go and score the goal and to go and get the third in the manner in which we did, we didn’t implode and we didn’t have a weak underbelly, so there are a lot of positives.”

With Wood having lost four on the spin and Maidenhead falling to defeats in their last two games, a cagey opening was perhaps understandable.

Wood frontman Gozie Ugwu saw an early header glanced over the crossbar, while, at the other end, Max Worsfold whipped a free-kick in for Jordan Archer, but he was unable to meet it.

It took a thunderous freekick from Murtagh into the top left corner on the brink of half-time to spark the game into life, as Wood went into the break with the lead. This inspired a much livelier second period with both sides threatening before Wood were awarded a 75th-minute penalty when Umerah was felled in the box as he attempted to latch onto Ugwu’s low cross and the Charlton loanee stepped up to confidently fire past Magpies keeper Carl Pentney. Maidenhead, to their credit, didn’t let their heads drop and within two minutes they reduced the deficit to one. Ryan Huddart kept out Chinua Cole’s initial attempt, but he was powerless to prevent fellow sub Bird poking home the rebound for his first league goal in Maidenhead colours. Nevertheless, the win was confirmed with five minutes to go as substitute Shaibu scored with possibly his first touch of the ball. A goal-line scramble was back-heeled by Shaibu and caused carnage amongst the defence, before beating Pentney. Maidenhead United manager Alan Devonshire reacted: “It wasn’t the best of games and the ball was in the air more times than it was on the floor, but those were the conditions. “Listen, we are not playing well enough, I know that, and if I have to make changes I will, it’s as simple as that.”

STAR MAN: Keiran Murtagh (Boreham Wood) ATT: 684 ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★ REFEREE: Joe Hull 7/10