Boreham Wood (0) 1 Bath City (0) 0 – Saturday 10 August 2024 – Vanarama National League South – Meadow Park
Match Report by Mark Stillman.
Tyrone Marsh’s late strike consigned depleted Bath City to an opening day defeat at Boreham Wood.
The forward’s first goal of 2024 finally broke down a stubborn makeshift backline, further hampered by a serious injury to Zac Smith.
Ben Morgan was drafted in late to cover for Kieran Parselle, who missed out through personal reasons.
He and the rest of the defence performed admirably in trying circumstances, before they were finally breached by one of last year’s relegated teams.
Parselle’s absence left City shy of five first teamers with Dan Greenslade, Elliott Frear and Luke Russe injured and Nick Grimes suspended.
Sol Wanjau-Smith made a bright start on five minutes when he chased down Alex Fisher’s header but blasted into the side netting from an acute angle.
Marsh was denied by Harvey Wiles-Richards, making his second debut, when he collected Tom Whelan’s through ball and tried to round the keeper, but he made himself big and patted behind.
A few minutes later, Lee Ndlovu’s shot across goal was gloved away by Wiles-Richards who just beat Whelan to the loose ball, narrowly avoiding a horrible collision.
Morgan’s important block deflected Ndlovu’s shot behind for a corner as Wood were proving difficult to handle, knocking the ball around at pace on a faultless playing surface.
City’s task was made tougher on the half hour when Smith crumpled to the ground after intercepting Erico Sousa. The hosts played on and Charles Clayden saw his drive tipped behind by Wiles-Richards, before concern switched to the stricken stand-in full-back.
After a five minute delay, Smith was stretchered off and replaced by Jordan Alves, forcing Jerry Gill’s hand into matching Boreham Wood’s 3-5-2 formation with the substitute and Ewan Clark employed as wing-backs.
It nullified the hosts who seldom troubled the previously over-worked Wiles-Richards for the rest of the half, and the theme continued after the break.
Alves skewed wide soon on 47 minutes when Clark’s ball was missed by Chris Bush at the back post.
Scott Wilson was harshly denied a run on goal when he was penalised for a supposed clip on the off-balance Charlie O’Connell. Chasing Joe Raynes’ long ball, Wilson appeared to do little wrong but was stopped in his tracks and received a yellow card for his troubles.
Sousa dragged wide when well placed for the hosts and Ndlovu headed Sagaf’s precise cross wide with City searching for an offside flag.
Wilson’s goalbound volley was vitally blocked behind by Josh Hare and on 72 minutes he was unwittingly denied a telling shot on goal by one of his teammates.
Alves brilliantly span away from Clayden and pulled it back but Wanjau-Smith’s slightest touch took the ball away from his teammate and prevented testing Nathan Ashmore in the home goal.
Boreham Wood made the breakthrough with 10 minutes remaining. Whelan’s incisive pass was raced onto by Sousa, who pulled it back from the byline for the onrushing Marsh to sweep into the roof of the net from six yards.
It ended a 21-game drought for the striker, whose last goal was in a win over Oxford City last December, then managed by his current boss Ross Jenkins.
City responded by bringing on Louis Sweeten for his league debut aged 16 years and 337 days, making him the youngest player to represent the club in National League South.
Opposition substitute Junior Dixon combined with Sousa to tee up fellow replacement Johnny Goddard, but his low effort was helped away from the line by the well-placed Raynes.
While City took a lot of heart from a brave display, they left Hertfordshire empty-handed and will look to bounce back in their first home game of the campaign against Welling United this Saturday.
Att: 732
City’s Line-Up: Wiles-Richards, Raynes, Batten (c), Wanjau-Smith (Davies 72), Humphrey-Ewers, Wilson, Clark, Smith (Alves 34), Fisher (Sweeten 83), Tillson, Morgan. Sub not used: Sardo.
Scorers: City – none; Boreham Wood – Marsh (80)
City Bookings: Tillson (24), Wilson (56)
Officials: G Laflin, A Tregoning, B Khimych, R Carter (4th)