TSHIMANGA DOUBLES UP TO HALT WOOD RUN
TWO late goals from Kabongo Tshimanga sealed all three points for Boreham Wood against local rivals Wealdstone – and in turn ended a run of 11 league games without victory.
Tshimanga struck twice in the final six minutes to clinch victory after Wealdstone’s Jacob Mendy had cancelled out Jamal Fyfield’s opener in a thrilling final quarter.
“It was nice to get the win,” said Boreham Wood boss Luke Garrard with his side six points off a play-off place.
“We should have been out of site in the first half but got the job done in the end.”
Wood dominated the first half and it was only a combination of poor finishing, dogged Wealdstone defending and excellent goalkeeping from George Shelvery which prevented them going in front at the break.
Top scorer Tshimanga dragged an early effort wide when well placed before Shelvey parried a Gus Mafuta free-kick, brilliantly smothering the rebound from Corey Whitely.
Wood thought they had taken the lead on 12 minutes when Kane Smith’s rasping shot was well saved by Shelvey before Tyrone Marsh put the ball in the net, only for the offside flag to be raised.
Whitely shot wide when it looked easier to score and it appeared Wood were beginning to look frustrated.
It was much the same after the break too. The dangerous Tshimanga shot straight at Shelvey with the second half ’s first real effort, before Smith found the net for Wood following Femi Ilesamni’s pass but, again, it was ruled out for offside.
Ilesamni tried his luck with a piledriver on 67 minutes which rattled the crossbar but just when it looked like it wasn’t to be their day, Fyfield got on the end of a free-kick and buried his header into the corner of Shelvey’s goal.
The lead was nothing more than Wood deserved but within ten minutes Wealdstone were level. Mendy gave warning with a shot over when well placed and, a minute later, planted a shot into the bottom corner of Ashmore’s goal following an identical move involving Dennon Lewis.
For Wood, who seem to have a habit of drawing games from winning positions, must have thought it was déjà vu.
However, three minutes later, Tshimanga put the home side back in front by smashing his shot into the roof of the net.
He should have scored again when put through one-on-one but was denied by Shelvey.
Stones were reduced ten men when substitute Craig Fasanmade was given a straight red card following an elbow on Tom Champion and Tshimanga punished him by making sure of the points for Wood with a stoppage-time third.