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Poole sending off sums up sixth defeat in a row - 24/11/07

United's miserable run of results continued this afternoon, as their first ever meeting with an unpredictable Boreham Wood side ended in yet another defeat for Nigel Kane's struggling side. United's fighting spirit has seldom been in doubt this season, but it was sadly evidenced a little too literally by substitute Tom Poole, who was shown a straight red card for violent conduct barely five minutes into his return from a hamstring injury, by which time the home side already had the win sewn up, with Tommy Williams having added to a first half brace from striker Elliot Onochie, which included a stunning tenth minute opener. And although there was no obvious gulf in class between the two sides on the day, Boreham Wood always looked sharper and more incisive in attack, as well as being stronger and more organised at the back, while United perhaps allowed their frustration at some questionable refereeing decisions to get the better of them in the end.

New signings Frankie Sawyer and Ryan Andrews were both named amongst the substitutes in a sixteen man squad for the trip to Meadow Park, with thigh strain victim Dan Williams also only fit enough for a place on the bench, forcing United into one of their two changes to the starting line-up against AFC Wimbledon. Kevin Rose earned a recall to the defence, playing as part of a back three, alongside Rhys Whyborne and skipper Jimmy Elford, while Russell Eldridge also returned to play as a wing back on the left, Danny Ellis the player to make way. Danny Spice took up the right wing back role, with Scott Kirkwood, Lee Carey and Tim Olorunda patrolling central midfield, and Sam Adams forming a familiar strike partnership with Ade Olorunda. Tom's return after a four match absence, and the addition of the recent arrivals, meant that there were no places in the squad for Antonio Gonnella, Nathan Russell and John Bradley, although the latter would have missed out with a groin strain in any case. Boreham Wood went into the game with a slightly better playing record than United, and a near identical goal difference, but a midweek home defeat to then bottom of the table Heybridge suggested this to be a winnable encounter from United's point of view. Wood were also missing the suspended Fiston Manuella, a key influence in the heart of midfield, and injured club captain and defensive rock Mark Smith, although Onochie, a recent acquisition from Harrow Borough, would provide a significant goal threat, alongside the equally prolific Simon Thomas.

The contest kicked off at a decent tempo, with both sides apparently keen to pass the ball out of defence whenever possible. It was United who seemed to have the edge in the early exchanges, with the first contentious decision of the game coming within three minutes, as Lee Carey tumbled over Chris Bangura's clumsy challenge in the Boreham Wood area, only for the referee to wave away United's penalty appeals. Moments later, Ade scooped Russell's inswinging free kick over the bar to waste the game's first clear chance, with the home side proceeding to soak up the rest of United's early pressure, before hitting them on the break with a sublime goal out of nothing. There appeared to be little real danger, as Onochie took up possession of a long ball on the left hand side, drifting infield and suddenly producing an incredible strike from twenty-five yards, that curled in off Lee Worgan's far post to put the home side in front. United responded positively, with Sam having a close range shot superbly blocked by defender Michael Cox, and Ryan Moran heading over from beneath his own crossbar to prevent Lee Carey's cross from reaching its intended target. Onochie fired over when well placed inside the United area, while Ade flashed a right wing cross along the edge of the six yard box with no one on hand to supply the finishing touch, Russell later providing a similar delivery from the left, which teasingly evaded both of United's strikers. In between those efforts, Sam missed United's best chance of the game, failing to connect properly with a free header from ten yards out, after Ade's inch perfect cross from the left. It would prove to be a costly miss, with Boreham Wood poaching a second goal on the break six minutes before the interval, poor marking allowing Bangura time and space to curl in a low shot from the right hand side of the area, which Lee Worgan could only manage to palm out as far as Onochie, who calmly knocked in the rebound. Lee's routine save from Williams in stoppage time saw the first half to a close, with United's neat build-up play simply having lacked the finishing touch twice provided by the lethal and predatory Onochie for Boreham Wood.

If the half time message from Nigel was for United to toughen up and to add a touch of grit to their game, he certainly wasn't let down, and the home side appeared to take none too kindly to United getting firmer in the challenge. Passions were already running high, after Kevin's tackle from behind left Onochie in need of treatment, and although the referee saw nothing illegal in that incident, the same could not be said for Bangura's ugly lunge at Lee Carey that then earned the home skipper the game's first caution. Boreham Wood's apparent retaliatory gesturing then took a more sinister turn, Luke Gregson reacting to a niggly foul from Scott by shoving the United man in the face in full view of the referee, who bizarrely opted to show each of them a yellow card, presumably in a misguided effort to diffuse the situation. As all twenty-two players converged to debate the situation in the usual hostile manner, Tim was enraged after he too was allegedly struck in the face by an opponent, an offence that sadly went unseen by the three officials, who were all too busy needlessly discussing the original incident to have noticed. After a three minute hold-up, the football match itself finally resumed, and Williams was able to deliver the Boreham Wood free kick into the United area, for Gregson to meet it with a glancing header that Lee did well to palm away, with Onochie not connecting properly with the follow-up and allowing Lee to gather. Onochie went much closer to completing a hattrick just past the hour mark, when Lee failed to collect a hanging cross from Marvin Samuel, but the striker's rather scuffed effort was cleared off the line by Kevin. Good work down the right from Onochie then forced Lee into an awkward block, which bounced up for Joe Reynolds to send a diving header over the bar, while Onochie then turned Rhys on the left hand side of the area, but Lee was equal to his low shot at the near post. Frankie was handed his senior debut, as United threw on an additional forward at Scott's expense, but a third goal for Boreham Wood still looked more likely than a first for United, and it duly arrived in the seventy-second minute, as another Samuel cross was only half cleared, and Williams was afforded two attempts at steering a low shot past Lee's outstretched left hand and into the bottom corner for another well taken goal. With the game effectively over, the home side allowed United back into the contest, with Moran producing a decisive clearance after Frankie had broken quickly down the left, and Lee Carey sending a thirty yard half volley just wide of a scrambling Noel Imber in the home goal. But indiscipline reared its ugly head again with eight minutes remaining, as Tom's seemingly innocuous challenge on Williams provoked a furious reaction from the Boreham Wood midfielder, with the usually affable Tom seen to throw a punch or two in the confrontation that followed, with Reynolds also becoming involved in the altercation, both he and Williams curiously only doing enough to be shown a yellow card apiece for their troubles, and Tom an obvious red for his violent conduct. Sam had previously talked his way into a late caution, while Rhys also acquired a booking, for failing to await the referee's signal to return to the field of play after receiving treatment for an injury, and with Ade firing well over after more good work from Frankie in stoppage time, it all added up to another pretty bad day at the office for United.

This time last year, United were just embarking on the first of two long unbeaten runs that would ultimately lead them to play-off glory and put them where they are today. What United would give for just one of those victories currently, as the ghosts of seasons past begin to loom ever larger, with the beginning of December, and a trip to Harrow Borough, just seven days away. Don't have nightmares!

Match facts	Efforts on target	Efforts off target	Free kicks conceded	Corners won	Offsides against
Boreham Wood	7	2	13	4	3
Hastings United	2	4	18	5	5

Boreham Wood (4-4-2)							Hastings United (3-5-2)
1 Noel Imber							1 Lee Worgan
2 Marvin Samuel							2 Danny Spice
3 Ryan Moran							3 Jimmy Elford (c)
4 Tommy Williams							4 Rhys Whyborne
5 Michael Cox							5 Kevin Rose
6 Luke Gregson							6 Scott Kirkwood
7 Joe Reynolds							7 Lee Carey
8 Elliot Onochie							8 Tim Olorunda
9 Chris Bangura (c)							9 Ade Olorunda
10 Simon Thomas							10 Sam Adams
11 Chris Watters							11 Russell Eldridge
Substitutes
12 Ola Williams (for T Williams 90)							12 Danny Ellis (for T Olorunda 83)
14 Francis Otira							14 Tom Poole (for Adams 77)
15 Mauricio Rivera (for Bangura 90)							15 Frankie Sawyer (for Kirkwood 62)
GK Daniel Lewis							16 Ryan Andrews
							17 Dan Williams

Attendance 159

Referee Mr A Quelch

Assistants Messrs L Francis & V Sharan