York City drew 2-2 at home against Boreham Wood in the Vanarama National League on Saturday afternoon, in what was Neal Ardley’s first game in charge of the Minstermen.
In sweltering conditions of 28 degrees Celsius, both sides started the game slowly, with City carving the first big chance in the 11th minute. Quevin Castro was denied from close range at the far post after a deep cross from the right, with Ashmore punching out his resulting save too.
Boreham Wood latched onto their first real chance of the game in the 17th minute as the ball bounced around City’s area before falling to Lee Ndlovu, who volleyed high and wide from the tight angle.
City took the lead in the 21st minute after a brilliant run down the right-hand side by Ryan Fallowfield, which was picked out deep by Kai Kennedy, beat the Boreham Wood offside trap. That resulted in the wing-back squaring to Dipo Akinyemi who prodded it home through the legs of Wood ‘keeper Nathan Ashmore.
In a rather bizarre moment on the 34th minute, goalkeeper Ashmore rushed out to collect the ball which was well outside of his area. Akinyemi lined up the resulting free-kick but fired just above the woodwork.
The Wood felt they should’ve had a penalty in the 40th minute as Tyrone Marsh took a tumble, but referee Michael Barlow waved away the claims in the first instance.
Boreham Wood grew further into the game as we entered eight additional minutes at the end of the first half, with Regan Griffiths fizzing an effort high from outside the area.
The linesman then bizarrely made a dash for the tunnel deep into added time, with the half further extended following a five-minute delay.
Instantly after the restart once the linesman had returned, Boreham Wood’s Tom Whelan found space outside the area to test Ryan Whitley, who tipped the effort over the bar.
Tyler Cordner’s positioning then kept City in front after a long throw deep into the area bounced to the outside of the area. The Boreham Wood player struck it hard after it landed in front of him, however Cordner blocked it off the line as the Minstermen headed into the break.
Minutes into the second half, Maziar Kouhyar looked to get amongst the action and trouble the Wood defence as he drove in down the left-hand side before firing wide of the far post.
Boreham Wood hit back in the 57th minute to level the game after a driving run through the middle from Chris Bush was unpicked up, he then slotted through Ndlovu who curled his effort past Whitley.
Great hold up play and a following flick on from Akinyemi unlocked Kouhyar to drive through the middle in the 60th minute, but the winger struck through the ball to slice it wide from the edge of the area.
City responded inside five minutes to re-take the lead in the 62nd minute. Castro’s effort from outside the area nicked off the Boreham Wood defender to wrong foot Ashmore and beat the shotstopper
Boreham Wood responded again just four minutes later when Ndlovu breezed past Cordner inside the area before executing a one-two to pull Whitely out of position and slot past the retreating Minstermen defence.
Substitute Alex Hurst did well in the 70th minute to deny Luke Garrard’s side the lead, backtracking to slide in on Marsh’s low-hit near-post effort.
In the 77nd minute, substitute Zanda Sibiza ran directly towards his man, charging down the right-hand flank, but his cross whistled past the box without connection.
Sibiza again looked to get City moving for the winner, linking up with Akinyemi in the middle of the field before a driving run eventually saw a fiery shot struck just wide.
The game started to become end-to-end, as both sides looked to claim the winner, when Boreham Wood went quickly down the other end to execute a shot from just outside the area, by substitute Ángelo Balanta, which Whitley dealt with.
Hurst then picked up the ball down the right-hand flank, meandering through to strike a hard shot at Ashmore’s near post which was dealt with and out for a corner.
Callum Howe latched onto the resulting corner in the 90th minute, firing a challenging side-footed volley on-target and out for another corner which was dealt with.
More corners followed for the Minstermen in additional time, with one landing at the feet of Olly Dyson who’s sweetly struck volley was dealt with.
YORK CITY: Whitley, Fallowfield, Crookes, Cordner, Dyson, Akinyemi, Castro (63’ Hurst), Kouhyar, Howe, Batty (45+9‘ McLaughlin), Kennedy (64’ Sibiza).
SUBS NOT USED: Stott, Latty-Fairweather
BOREHAM WOOD: Ashmore, Ilesanmi, Bush, Sass-Davies, Coxe, Griffiths, O’Neil (75’ Balanta), Whelan, Marsh, Abraham, Ndlovu.
SUBS NOT USED: Abayomi, Payne, Stephens, Miller.
ATTENDANCE: 3,993 (55 Boreham Wood Supporters).
WAITROSE & WILF WARD’S MAN OF THE MATCH: Callum Howe.