As with most non-league visits, this one began in the pub. I was joined on my trip to Melbourne Park by two Toms - a brother and a friend. Forgoing all normal decency and meeting in the nearest pub to the station (this was surprisingly lovely however), the two Toms were introduced and the drinks began to flow (I had given my brother a truly special treat for his birthday - a day at Chelmsford City with a few beers thrown in). Soon, it was time to catch a taxi to the ground, taking in the view along the way. I had been warned that Melbourne Park wasn't in the most desirable area of Chelmsford, but was pleasantly surprised when we got to the ground. This was a professional looking setup, and the swelling attendance of over 1,000 only added to this.
After paying for entry (£11.50 standing, £12.50 for the privilege of a seat), we sought a programme seller, but were met with a fine man called Bill, who would turn out to be a lucky charm for our day. Bill is one of those people you would only find at a Non League ground - a true custodian who did a bit here, a bit there and had been around for years. His role today was to sell raffle tickets for the draw, and his charm and quick wit had convinced my brother to buy an extra ticket off him, with me and the other Tom waiting behind to grab one ourselves. After some more decent banter exchanged, we went inside to sample the club bar.
Now this was nice - a large open bar, with a queue system and a variety of decent drinks on tap, including Chelmsford's own 'City Ale', which although coming in at a cheeky 6%, was a big hit with Tom A (for the sake of not calling him 'other Tom any longer. I know far too many Toms for the record). With a couple of pints consumed, we made our way out to pitchside for the game to kick off.
In my last post, I had expressed how concerned I was at the prospect of watching a game from behind a running track, so imagine my delight when I discovered that you could stand behind either goal in a designated area which was inside the running track! Hooray! We took our place in the away end (I think there was 10 of us?) for the first half, behind the goal which Boreham Wood were attacking.
'Attacking' is somewhat of an understatement, as Wood were on the backfoot for 95% of the game. This was expected, as Chelmsford were heavy favourites who were looking to end a poor run of form, and despite Wood's excellent win against Welling nobody was really giving us a chance. In what was a phenomenal defensive showing, Boreham Wood managed to keep Chelmsford at bay and come away with a fantastic away point, and almost as important, a clean sheet. Working as a unit and at times riding their luck big time, this was the best defensive performance I have seen from Wood by a country mile. With O' Loughlin and Wilkinson now firmly established as the first choice pairing at centre back, and with Charlie Hunter (who continues to impress at right back and might just be a find in that position) and Daniel Brathwaite excelling in their roles at full backs, this looks like the makings of a very settled Wood defence. Add to that the defensive cover of captain Justin Cochrane and new boy Chez Issac,Boreham Wood look to have a very solid core to the side for the time being.
The first half was a blur of almost relentless Chelmsford attacking, with Michael Jordan being called into action on more than one occasion to deny the hosts, for whom Cliff Akurang, Kezie Ibe and Ricky Modeste were threatening throughout. Wood were fortunate to go in at half time on level terms, with Chelmsford having at least six decent chances to score. Wood's best chance being a snap shot from Nathan Koranteng, which was a welcome distraction from Chelmsford's constant possession and chances, including a succession of corners which required two goal line clearances from either full back to keep the scores even. This was one way traffic, make no mistake, but Wood were holding firm and frustrating City. Wood's main outlet was David Bryant, who gave another tireless performance upfront, chasing and harrying play without any real support. With my brother expressing the now traditional opinion on the standard of play, we crossed the ground to get a half time burger (cheese and Bacon - 8/10) and pints. On our way we saw Bill, with whom we exchanged some more banter, before getting the round in.
Bill returned about 5 minutes later with the board detailing who had won the pre-match raffle. Of course, it was my brother who claimed the prize, with his winning ticket being the extra one he bought because Bill had been such a good laugh. I don't think I need to tell you that if he hadn't of done that, I would have been £135 better off, with my number being next.
As my brother sauntered off to pick up his winnings in the boardroom (he was presented with his winnings by the Chelmsford Chairman - pictured above), we had a chat with a couple of local disgruntled fans about the game, many of whom bemoaned Chelmsford's lack of sharpness in front of goal (with good reason). Switching ends, as in tradition, we awaited the second half.
The second half was much the same as the first, and it took another goal line clearance from Daniel Brathwaite to save Wood's skin. However, as the game went on, Wood grew into the game and actually managed to push forward. Sensing blood, Ian Allinson threw on Inih Effiong for Darren Currie, who took his frustration of being subbed out on an unsuspecting water bottle. I'm not going to criticise Currie as it was obviously frustration, and if a player was happy at being subbed then you probably wouldn't want him at your club. Sadly Inih had resorted to his past form, of making one good contribution and then sauntering around without too much exertion. Wood's best chance came to Sam Hurrel, who managed to round Chelmsford keeper Carl Pentney but managed only to find the side netting, much to the away supports frustration.
With the game reaching it's closing stages Chelmsford won a hotly disputed free kick near the edge of the area after what seemed like a fantastic Luke Wilkinson challenge. With all of us fearing the worst after the Truro match, thankfully the ball was cleared and Wood held onto a precious point, much to my delight. It was a disciplined and professional performance from a team that had been sloppy for the opening stages of the season. I cannot express how solid and committed the back four were, and they have every right to feel proud of themselves. A draw was probably not the right result in terms of chances and possession, but was definitely earned with a classic backs to the wall performance from Wood.
Wood lined up as follows:
Team: Jordan, Hunter, Brathwaite, Cochrane, O’Loughlin, Wilkinson, Lechmere, Isaac, Bryant, Currie (Sub – Effiong 58 mins.), Koranteng (Sub – Akinola 90 mins.).
Subs (Not used): Sankofa, Beckford, Putnins.
With the game over and the side applauded off the pitch, we again returned to the bar to have a chat with the locals (including Bill of course), and I even managed to catch a great 10 minute chat with left back Daniel Brathwaite, where we discussed the game, his brothers progress at Hendon and general thoughts on the season so far. Daniel was a great guy to chat to, answered any questions and was very honest - just a shame I didn't have anything to bloody record our chat with! This was the essence of what makes this level so different to the higher leagues. Here we were, in the away bar, mingling with other fans and chatting with the players. It was so refreshing to be a part of, and hopefully it will continue as the season goes on.
A massive thank you to all at Chelmsford for making us feel welcome and for a great day out. If you ever get a chance to go down to Melbourne Park, I would highly recommend it. With crowds of over 1,000 there is a great atmosphere, coupled with good beers, good burgers, pic and mix sweets and with lots of kids wearing Chelmsford kits, a real family feeling around the ground. Highly recommended.
Wood travel to Slough on Saturday in a FA Cup qualifier, as I travel to St Austell for a wedding. Nevertheless, I shall write a brief preview tomorrow morning before I set off.
Thanks as always for your support, comments, shares, RTs etc, it is always appreciated. I can be found in the comments section below or on twitter @wearethewood.
Until next time....
WE ARE THE WOOD
No comments:
Post a Comment