WOOD SIMPLY LOV A SHOCK
WEMBLEY’S arch can be seen from Barnet’s Hive Stadium – and Lee Ndlovu’s double fired Boreham Wood one step away from a final at the home of football.
The former Brackley man slotted Wood into the lead against the run of play before gobbling up a rebound on the stroke of half-time to put Luke Garrard’s side two up at the break.
Harry Pritchard halved the deficit seven minutes into the second half but Wood stood strong to advance to Sunday’s semi-final at Notts County and prompt joyous scenes among the travelling supporters.
“That wasn’t celebrating a play-off eliminator, that was celebrating beating your local rivals,” Garrard said. “We know how tough (Notts County) are and we need to mirror this performance on Sunday.”
Finley Potter had a golden chance for Barnet and George Broadbent headed a Bees effort off the line by the time Garrard’s side went in front.
Defender Chris Bush clipped a perfect ball over the top for Ndlovu to control and steady, before finishing low past Laurie Walker.
There was concern at the other end with Wood keeper Nathan Ashmore hobbling around after an innocuous looking slip when claiming a ball. Not that it stopped the shot-stopper from making a flying save from Idris Kanu after the winger had danced inside before hitting a curling effort that looked destined for the top corner.
The Bees saw half-chances come and go and the visitors made them pay for it before half-time when a low cross was turned onto the woodwork and fell back into the path of Ndlovu to finish.
Dean Brennan sent his Barnet side out looking for a quick response and they had that through Pritchard’s emphatic finish, rifling in a loose ball following a corner.
With the crowd up, they went looking for more – Nicke Kabamba had a penalty shout when he looked to have been barged over in the box, while he headed another chance wide.
Ashmore had to push away Kanu’s low drive but Garrard’s side are well used to coping with the onslaught in these one-off game situations and they stood firm, even when keeper Walker was sent up late on and nearly got on the end of a ball into the box.
“It’s tough to take,” Brennan said. “I thought we performed to a good level but not enough of our players in the first half came to the party. You can’t give a team like them a two-goal start.
“The goal on half-time was a real kick in the teeth. Full credit to Boreham Wood, they’ve done a job on us.”
BARNET: (4-2-2-2): Walker; Cropper (Armstrong 59), Collinge, Okimo, Potter (Beard 89); Gorman (Senior 84), Pritchard; De Havilland, Kanu, Kabamba, Smith. Subs not used: Hall, Moyo,
BOREHAM WOOD: (3-5-2): Ashmore; Evans, Fyfield, Bush; Kelly-Evans (Agbontohoma 72), Payne, Ilesanmi; Broadbent, Brunt (Ricketts 79); Ndlovu, Marsh (Newton 87). Subs not used: Rees, Lewis STAR MAN: Lee Ndlovu (Boreham Wood) ATT: 2,256 ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★✩✩ REFEREE: Daniel Middleton