MOORS RUN OUT OF GAS IN BATTLING STALEMATE

MARCUS BIGNOT suggested his Solihull Moors side paid for their previous exertions as they missed out on a first win in seven outings.

After earning hard-fought goalless draws at Lincoln City and Gateshead, the Moors manager said his side looked mentally jaded against Boreham Wood and a 1-1 draw felt like two points dropped after they had taken the lead.

In a game of few clear-cut chances, Jamey Osborne fired the hosts ahead with a stinging 20-yarder on 48 minutes, but Boreham Wood hit back five minutes later, the unmarked Angelo Balanta finishing with aplomb.

Bignot said: “It was a tired performance mentally and the goal we conceded summed that up. At this level when chances are few and far between and when you get in front, you need to see out games.

Wood boss Luke Garrard felt it was a fair result, and was pleased with his side’s response after falling behind.

“The boys’ reaction was good and we had a couple of chances after equalising on the breakaway but overall I think it was a fair result,” he said.

It was nip and tuck in an entertaining contest but neither keeper, Moors’ Nathan Vaughan and Wood’s Grant Smith, were put under too much pressure.

Wood came closest to opening the scoring with midfielder Kenny Davis seeing his dipping 20yard shot clipping the top of the crossbar six minutes before half-time.

Moors threatened when striker Harry White’s near-post effort was deflected over just before the break, but they had the opener three minutes into the second period. Wood failed to deal with a long throw-in from Connor Franklin and Osborne picked up the clearance on the edge of the area and rifled home through a crowd of players into the net. The advantage, however, only lasted five minutes. Davis whipped in a deep cross and Balanta, left unmarked, had time and space to control and fire past a helpless Vaughan. Wood substitute Bruno Andrade wasted the best opportunity after smashing his shot high and wide with only the keeper to beat and Anthony Jeffrey fired into the side netting with the goal looming. Moors also ended strongly, but Liam Daly headed a deep Ryan Beswick cross just wide and then Beswick nodded inches wide from Akwasi Asante’s cross.