Wood check out at Heartbreak Hotel

The visitors trooped off having failed for the third season in a row to clear the FA Trophy's first hurdle, and there were clear signs at Ship Lane last Saturday that they are crewing a less than happy vessel.

The departure less than 48 hours before kick-off of skipper Garry Wotton has appeared to open further faults in an already cracked faade, and when asked if the general mood was good, chairman Danny Hunter replied: "It's getting better."

The Wood body language, picked out as improving by boss Tommy Sampson a few days earlier at Basingstoke, told its own story on this day.

Shoulders were hunched, heads were down, and the men in white shirts were too quick to squabble with each other when the rub of the green inevitably went with the hosts.

At least most of them were wearing shirts though.

Striker Carl Drew, substituted for the fourth time in his last five outings, reacted angrily when called off, flinging his shirt at the bench before running straight to the dressing rooms.

However, there was much to admire about Wood's play among all the gloom at the Thurrock Hotel.

They took an early lead, played the better football throughout, and created by far the better chances, but lost because they were guilty of committing basic errors in vital areas.

Wood were unlucky not to secure at least a replay, but the goals they conceded belonged on Hallowe'en night.

It was a defensive horror show, and Sampson is surely the last man to need reminding of the ability of Fleet forwards Steve Marshall, who bagged two, and former Wood front man Martin Buglione, as both served under him during his successful spell at Deal.

Despite being the best team on the field, Wood were unfortunate, but not unlucky.

They had gone ahead in the 13th minute, when a fine ball up the right by Dominic Grime found Steve Sinclair in space behind the home defence, and his low shot went straight through Alex O'Reilly.

The visitors could have doubled their lead within a minute, but O'Reilly thwarted Drew with an outstretched leg as John Lawford's clever reverse pass set up the chance.

What Sampson later described as Wood's "soft underbelly" was soon exposed to crucial effect however, and two goals in under two minutes turned the game on its head.

Both strikes came from long throws on the left by Steve Pashley, and illustrated just how much Wotton's commanding presence was missed.

Paul Linger's equalising low shot in the 17th minute climaxed a series of untidy melees in the Wood area, during which they were offered and spurned several opportunities to clear their lines.

90 seconds later Marshall took advantage of Micky Engwell's complacent back header towards Noel Imber by stealing in to head Purfleet in front over the Wood keeper's despairing grasp.

Sampson observed: "Micky's a very experienced player, but maybe he was trying to be a bit too clever and he should know or be told what to do in that situation."

Their early cohesion now gone, the visitors nevertheless continued to deliver some excellent balls into the box, without possessing sufficient power on the receiving end.

An already tough task was made to look impossible six minutes into the second half as Fleet notched their third.

But Sampson will be asking serious questions of Imber, as the keeper allowed Linger's innocuous looking header from Craig Etherington's cross to drift across him and nestle just inside the far post.

Drew's petulant antics only added insult to injury, but Wood were suddenly back in the match in the 59th minute when the transfer listed Lawford poked the ball over the line after Jeran Meah had deflected it past O'Reilly.

It was the striker's first goal in open play for 12 matches, and although Lawford has stated that he wants to leave Meadow Park, one could certainly not fault his effort as Wood went in search of an equaliser.

Continued on page 71.Continued from back page.o

Three times he was just off target with headers, and both Meah and substitute Chima Eberendu also tested O'Reilly, but there was to be a final twist of the knife from the hosts with nine minutes to go.

Fleet sub Jamie Blunden latched onto a loose ball, wide on the right, sending in a shot that was so far off target that the corner flag was in acutely more danger than the Wood net.

But the ball took a wicked deflection off Marshall's head, and looped wide of the wrong-footed Imber.

Sampson's men were out, and Fleet had rode their good fortune to earn a lucrative home tie with Kettering in the next round.

The Wood boss said: "We went 1-0 up with a good goal, but were undone by two long throws, we just could not defend the second ball, and failed to deal with them.

"I can't fault the attitude of the players, but we made more mistakes than them.

"I've now identified where I need to make changes, and we'll be bringing one or two new faces in to strengthen certain areas."

When it was suggested that it had been a good cup tie to watch, Sampson replied: "I don't want to entertain. I want to win a few 1-0."

"It was very disappointing today as a result, but not as a performance. Ironically, the best two shows since we've been here are the two games we've lost!"

WOOD: Imber, McDonald, Engwell, Kodra, Harvey, Grime, Meah, Sinclair, Lawford, Drew (Eberendu 59mins), Capone, (Jones 46 mins). Subs (not used): Dixon, Kirby, Mehmet.

Purfleet 4 Boreham Wood 2

FA Umbro Trophy 1st round

November 7, 2001 14:20

By DAVE RAWLINGS