- Rush (32')
Boreham Wood 1-0 Woking
Enterprise National League
Meadow Park
27th September 2025
Woking travelled to Hertfordshire to face a Boreham Wood side buoyed by their fantastic start to the season, seeing them sit fourth in the table.
Neal Ardley made several changes following the draw with Sutton, with Matt Ward, Timmy Akinola, Tunji Akinola and Jake Forster-Caskey starting in place of Aiden O’Brien, Aaron Drewe, Jamie Andrews and Jack Turner, who all made the bench.
The Wood had former Woking loanee Charlie O’Connell starting as well as Chris Bush, who played for the Cards fifteen years ago such is his longevity.
As far as the opening exchanges were concerned, it was the hosts who dominated the ball and created opportunities. Abdul Abdulmalik and Charles Clayden on the wings were looking dangerous, with the former’s cross diverted wide by a Woking leg after he got in behind well.
It took a brilliant challenge from Ward to deny the tricky winger after he danced down the right wing past a number of attempted tackles, with the Wood probing. Then it was Tariq Hinds’ turn to make a good interception, after Brunt’s pass was headed on by Clayden into Matt Rush’s path.
Pinball from a Clayden corner somehow saw the ball blocked away after an inital Wood header, before from the following long throw, Matt Rush was on hand to prod into the back of the net from a couple of yards out.
A brilliant move from the hosts between Abdulmalik and Joe Newton saw the latter’s cross just cleared wide as Boreham Wood went for a second.
Ardley made two changes before half time as Drewe and O’Brien replaced Timmy Akinola and Ward, responding to a half thoroughly dominated by the hosts.
Half time: Boreham Wood 1-0 Woking
Woking started the second half much better, and created their best opportunity of the game six minutes into it, when Forster-Caskey’s weighted pass found Hinds inside the box. He cut onto his left foot and fired at goal, but just wide of Fin Herrick’s far post.
Hinds was threatening from the left hand side, receiving from Beautyman before driving up the flank and then firing over the bar after 55 minutes. Ardley then decided to shuffle his pack further, making the last three subs available with Kelly, Forster-Caskey and Odusina replaced by Osude, Andrews and Sanderson.
Two chances for Rush to wrap up the points were saved by Jaaskelainen as first, a weak effort was straight at the Finn before a second attack saw Abdulmalik square to the striker, but this time Jaaskelainen saved with his feet.
As the game entered the last fifteen minutes, Woking began to press for an equaliser, with Andrews’ shot from distance taking a deflection, which meant Fin Herrick had to parry over.
Tunji Akinola then fired a powerful shot at goal, which Herrick caught well as he found himself being tested regularly.
It wasn’t enough, however, as the hosts saw out the remainder of the game to leave Woking winless in four and in the relegation zone. Despite a positive last fifteen minutes, Woking were second best for much of the game and the Wood should have potentially been out of sight were it not for Jaaskelainen.
Woking: Jaaskelainen, Richards, Okoli, Odusina (Osude 62′), Beautyman, Ward (O’Brien 40′), Hinds, Akinola, Kelly (Sanderson 62′), Timmy Akinola (Drewe 40′), Forster-Caskey (Andews 62′)
Subs not used: Norcott, Turner
Booked: Andrews 90+1′
Boreham Wood: Herrick, Bush, O’Connell, Brunt (Benton 77′), Abdulmalik (Dixon 82′), Newton, King (Coxe 64′), Reynolds, Clayden (Richardson 77′), White, Rush
Subs not used: Ashmore, Sousa, Henry
Goals: Rush 32′
