HITMAN TY CLINCHES A WIN DOUBLE FOR WOOD

BOREHAM Wood secured their second National League win in a row in a hard-fought match against Oxford City with all the goals coming in an action packed first half.

Tom Whelan’s third-minute opener and a Tyrone Marsh strike put Wood in control before Reece Fleet halved the deficit for third-bottom Hoops two minutes later.

But Garrard’s side held out for the three points to move out of relegation danger.

“It was an important three points, especially given the position we’re in and the opposition today,” Garrard told The NLP.

“We had other chances to score today and with only one goal in it, Oxford we’re always a threat. However, a win is a win.”

Wood looked like they would run away with it after a blistering start. Whelan saw a second-minute shot blocked by Canice Carroll before Marsh’s follow up was cleared of the line by Andre Burley.

But, less than a minute later, they made it count when Lee Ndlovu’s shot was turned in by Whelan.

Oxford, to their credit, were unfazed by going behind and slowly started to grow into the game.

On 14 minutes, they might have equalised when some excellent hold-up play from Josh Parker created a chance for Lewis Coyle whose shot was well save by Wood keeper Nathan Ashmore. A minute later, an excellent block from Wood defender Billy Sass-Davies denied Parker again.

Wood, however, always looked the most likely with Jahmari Clarke curling a shot just wide before Whelan was denied by City keeper Jack Bycroft.

Marsh then saw a shot cleared off the line by Burley but, from the resulting corner, he made no mistake with a header at the near post to double the lead – his fourth goal in three games.

Two minutes later, however, City pulled one back when Parker played in Fleet who finished well past Ashmore in the Wood goal.

This spurred the visitors on with Zac McEachran’s corner falling into the path of Nya Kirby, who shot just wide.

Then, three minutes later, McEachran should have equalised when an excellent run led to him shooting wide with the goal gaping.

Parker went close again for Oxford before the break before his shot was blocked by Wood defender Chris Bush. The half time break came at the wrong time for the visitors as they were never as fluent after the interval.

McEachran did go close again but Wood were the team controlling possession without really creating anything of note.

Bush’s long throw on tje hour was headed onto the post by Matt Robinson as Wood searched for a killer third goal.

Six minutes later, Ashmore denied City’s Aaron Williams-Bushell from distance but Wood held on relatively comfortably.