GARRARD: WE’RE STILL DREAMING!
Ndlovu keeps the flag flying
BOREHAM Wood boss Luke Garrard is still dreaming of another glamour FA Cup tie after seeing his side fight back to earn a replay against League One Accrington Stanley.
The National League side were behind for the majority of the match after Ryan Astley’s sixth-minute opener but Lee Ndlovu headed in the equaliser 12 minutes from time to resore parity at Meadow Park.
Wood boss Luke Garrard has led his side to the third round for the third successive year and says he still harbours hopes of mirroring last season’s exploits when they beat Bournemouth away to earn a fifth round tie at Everton.
“We go into the fourthround draw on Monday, we can still pluck the Arsenals and still dream,” Garrard said. “We can improve but how can I grumble? I’m extremely proud of what the group has achieved.”
“They scored a goal within eight, 10 minutes. I don’t think they then stuck it on us, I just felt we didn’t really get our game going.
“The conditions were tough. The wind and rain made for a manic game. We needed to put our foot on the football. We went in at halfof time, spoke about having a bit more calmness. I said ‘go and win the second half ’ and we did that.
Wood went into the game as the lowest-ranked team left in the competition but they were not helped by injuries, with Garrard only able to name five substitutes.
Defender David Agbontohoma, signed on loan from Sheffield Wednesday on Friday, came in for his debut.
Garrard’s side had already knocked out League One opposition this term in Bristol Rovers but found themselves behind after only six minutes when Astley, on loan from Everton, bundled in from close range.
Stanley had the better of the few chances after that, with Shaun Whalley twice going close to a second, but they paid the price for not making the game safe when Femi Ilesanmi crossed for Ndlovu to equalise.
The National League side might have won it but Jack Payne was unable to convert from a corner.
This led to a backs-to-thewall effort from Stanley in a bid to keep Wood at bay, managing to desperately scramble away a corner in the fourth and final minute stoppage time.
Stanley boss John Coleman was frustrated his League One strugglers were unable to hold on, saying: “Conditions were bad, the wind was howling, difficult to control the ball. But leading for so long we’re disappointed we haven’t seen it out. We’re in the hat, which is a good thing. we had to do a job to stay in the game and you have to give the lads credit for that.”
Lee Ndlovu (Boreham Wood)
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