Boreham Wood turned in a somewhat disjointed performance in stark contrast to their previous two home victories.

Missing the influential Victor Boyle-Renner through injury, and Scott Honeyball through suspension, the starting line up still looked solid on paper.

Both sides offered up little to warm the chilled spectators in the first half.

Noel Imber sent a long ball through to Adam Parker, whose glancing header forced the veteran keeper Blake to save.

Maidenhead caught Wood cold, when in the 15th minute Ryan Ashe hit a quickly taken free kick past Imber, who had scarcely positioned himself to deal with any eventualities.

Maidenhead rarely failed to test the Wood again in this half, with Gary Wotton stronger than the loan striker Yaku to the ball on several occasions.

Corey Browne ran from midfield, laying the ball out wide to Marvin Walker, his cross was knocked down by Gary Dixon into the path of Parker who shot high from a dangerous position.

On the half- hour Boreham Wood began to play football, with Parker augmenting some promising forward play with his intelligent lay offs.

Gary Dixon weaved his way into the six-yard box from the corner flag, cutting a fine ball back for Browne, whose first time effort missed the target.

Marc Leach took command of proceedings at left back, and only when Ashe intercepted his clearance and found space to shoot was the Wood keeper called into action, producing a fine blocking save, just one minute before the break.

The second half began in the same vein as the first, with neither team producing any defining attempts on goal.

Then in the 60th minute a hitherto stifled Brian Jones burst into action.

Gary Wotton controlled an aerial ball, and sent a superb ball down the right wing for Jones, who found Dixon. The Wood centre forward played back into the path of Jones, who with a drop of the shoulder and burst of speed fired in a telling shot which the keeper was glad to turn away for a corner.

Jones worried the Maidenhead rearguard further with a run into the box and shot on goal, then with an intelligent chip from 25 yards which floated just wide of the target.

The home side worked at reducing the deficit with a sweeping move from right to left, involving Harvey and Parker to allow Leach on to fire in a powerful and testing cross. Again Leach on the left threaded a long ball to Browne, whose cross was just too mighty for Forrester at the far post.

Maidenhead sensing the game was up for grabs won a free kick after the ex wood favourite Paul Kelly fought hard in midfield to advance a move to the edge of the box. Substitute Glynn struck the free kick around the wall and it bounced past a hapless Imber.

Two minutes from the end substitute Allen, just four minutes out of his thermal track suit, ran from the right into space unleashing a thunderous shot into the roof of the Wood net.

Wood surrendered the ball in midfield all too easily, and were eventually well beaten, giving the hardy fans who braved the elements little to enthuse over.

WOOD: Imber, Grime, Leach (Adolphe 84), Wotton, L Harvey, Parker, Meah (Forrester 50), Browne, Dixon, Walker, Jones. Subs not used: Sappleton, C Harvey, Addai.

Boreham Wood 0

Maidenhead United 3

Ryman League Premier

December 11, 2002 12:00