ASHMORE THE HERO AS KIDDY KEPT OUT
LEE NDLOVU struck twice for Boreham Wood but it was goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore who they were thankful for as they claimed three points at Kidderminster Harriers.
Harriers peppered the Wood goal with 21 shots and thought they had rescued a point right at the death but Amari Morgan-Smith’s header was ruled out by referee Michael Crusham.
Boreham Wood boss Luke Garrard paid tribute to Ashmore, saying: “I work with him day in, day out and what he delivers and how he goes about his business is exactly how he was today. We rode our luck and had the goal been given at the end, that would have been a sucker blow.
“I thought the boys rolled their sleeves up at times. The conditions were tough. We’ve picked up four points from the two games with Kidderminster and that’s a good return.”
A howling wind made life difficult in the first half, but Wood took the lead on 27 minutes when good play from Tom Whelan saw him find Ndlovu who skipped past the challenge of Krystian Pearce and slotted the ball under Harriers’ stopper Christian Dibble.
Harriers, however, should have equalised five minutes later. Erico Sousa’s mistake was seized upon by Jack Lambert who laid off to a free Ashley Hemmings, but Harriers’ top scorer scuffed his shot into the arms of Ashmore.
Indeed, Wood made them pay with a second goal on the stroke of half time –Tyrone Marsh’s cross dummied by Mo Sagaf and Ndlovu squeezed the ball past Dibble.
Seconds later, however, Harriers earned themselves a lifeline by halving the deficit – Sammy Robinson crossing for Gold Omotayo to place a strong header over Ashmore for his first Harriers goal.
Buoyed by their goal back, Kiddy threatened in the second half with Omotayo and then Shane Byrne drawing saves from Ashmore.
And Lambert, also foiled throughout, finally beat Ashmore on 75 minutes, only for his clever strike to rebound off the post.
The dangerous Lambert then squandered a golden opportunity, drilling his volley over the bar, before Kiddy eventually had the ball in the back of the net with seconds remaining of stoppage time but Omotayo was penalised by referee Crusham for a foul on the keeper.
Harriers’ manager Russell Penn, who watched from the stands due a touchline ban, said: “I can’t believe we haven’t come away with anything. It’s very frustrating. Full credit to the lads, they’ve given everything today.”
And on the decision to disallow the goal at the end, he added: “I didn’t see a lot in it myself. It was easier for the referee to give the foul than give the goal. It was soft.”