Match Report | Blunt Cards beaten by Wood

Woking 0-1 Boreham Wood
‘Vanarama National League’
‘3rd February 2024’

Following last week’s away win at Oldham, Michael Doyle made just two changes, both enforced, to the side that started at Boundary Park. Jim Kellermann, who went off with injury, missing out in place of goalscorer Jermaine Anderson, whilst Rhys Browne made way for Charley Kendall to make his first Woking start.

Like the Oldham game, Woking started well, and were passing the ball around nicely. Just two minutes in, an excellent cross field pass from Scott Cuthbert was touched down well by former Wood player Dennon Lewis, but he just couldn’t quite pick out Lewis Walker inside the box.

However, 14 minutes in, a long ball was headed by Lee Ndlovu across goal, and Woking switched off, allowing Angelo Balanta to tap in at the back post.

Woking aimed to respond almost straight away, and when good work from Jayden Luker saw him feed Kendall just inside the box, the forward really ought to have done better with his shot, sending it high over the bar.

Then, a bizarre moment on 41 minutes as a confrontation between Lee Ndlovu and Dion Kelly-Evans saw Ndlovu sent off for his reaction to referee Aji Ajibola after fouling Kelly-Evans, with players and spectators alike baffled as to why Ndlovu was shown his marching orders.

This got the crowd going, and after good work from Kelly-Evans saw him close down Femi Ilesanmi’s clearance, Luker tested Ashmore from distance.

However, Boreham Wood went into the break a goal to the good, in a stop start half full of controversy towards the end.

Half-time: Woking 0-1 Boreham Wood

Michael Doyle responded to the first half performance by bringing on new signing Curtis Edwards in place of Tunji Akinola. After having lots of possession but not doing too much with it, Woking put together a good move on 67 minutes, with Anderson, Lewis and Walker involved, but the former couldn’t quite finish from Lewis’s cutback.

The introduction of Ricky Korboa from the bench saw him test Ashmore after nice footwork inside the box on 74 minutes, before Walker’s turn and shot was held by the Wood stopper a few minutes later.

But that was to be it, as Boreham Wood saw the game out comfortably with ten men. Work will need to be done ahead of home games against Oxford City and Hartlepool in the next week.


Woking: Alexis Andre Jr, Josh Casey, Scott Cuthbert, Lewis Walker, Dennon Lewis, Jermaine Anderson, Tunji Akinola (Edwards 45’), Charley Kendall (Grego-Cox 57’ (Korboa 71’)), Dion Kelly-Evans, Jayden Luker, Max Dyche

Unused subs: Moss, Ince


Bookings: Akinola 45’, Kendall 45’, Edwards 60’, Casey 90’

Boreham Wood Nathan Ashmore, Femi Ilesanmi, Jack Payne, Chris Bush, Mo Sagaf, Lee Ndlovu, Angelo Balanta (Fyfield 88’), David Agbontohoma, Kabongo Tshimanga (Coxe 94’), Erico Sousa, Billy Sass-Davies

Unused subs: Coxe, Appiah, Clayden, Cullum

Bookings: Sass-Davies 5’, Ilesanmi 18’

Goals: Balanta 14’

Referee: Aji Ajibola

Attendance: 2163

Man of the Match: Dennon Lewis