PREVIEW | Wrexham vs Boreham Wood

After their Goodison Park warm-up, it's time for Boreham Wood to face the Racecourse Roar

7 March 2022

In-form Wrexham will look to maintain the title push against a Boreham Wood side fresh from their cup heroics.

With five consecutive wins under our belt, Wrexham have terrific momentum. One of those wins was against Boreham Wood – a 3-0 win in the FA Trophy which saw Callum McFadzean provide two assists in a spectacular debut.

Since losing to Yeovil in November, The Red Dragons have been in fine form at home, winning 7 games out of 8 and scoring 22 goals in the process. The one exception was the 1-1 draw with Maidenhead, which we dominated despite playing 86 minutes with ten men, and only conceded the equaliser deep into injury time.

Paul Mullin has returned from suspension with a bang, scoring 3 goals in 2 games, but there are selections headaches for Phil Parkinson to conjure with. Tom O’Connor and Jordan Davies have both suffered muscular injuries recently, so a midfield reshuffle might be required.

Boreham Wood, of course, have been making national headlines with their spectacular run to the fifth round of the FA Cup. The high point was their superb win at AFC Bournemouth, and last week they were able to swell their coffers further with a televised cup tie at Goodison Park. A 2-0 defeat was an honourable way to exit the competition, with Everton comfortably kept at bay until the second half.

The cup run might have been lucrative, but it has led to a build-up of fixtures which The Wood must negotiate if they are to achieve their main objective: an unthinkable elevation to the Football League.

They have the second-best points per game in the division, and would overtake Stockport at the top of the table if they were to win their games in hand. However, they've played 4 games fewer than the Hatters - indeed, everone in the division has played at least 2 games more than them - so their schedule is already looking rather busy.

They will also hope to get back to winning ways, as results have dipped since that win over Bournemouth. That was a third win in a row, and a 17th game unbeaten, but their next match was that 3-0 defeat at Wrexham's hands in the FA Trophy, which started a sequence of 2 wins, 2 losses and a draw heading into the Everton match.

They still boast the best defence in the division, having conceded just 17 goals in 27 matches, and have lost the fewest games too. With 5 points dropped from their last 2 away games, they need to get back into the routine of winning league games after their cup escapades.

Boss Luke Garrard will hope to have 37-year old cup hero Mark Ricketts available. The muscular midfielder has been playing through the pain, and will hope the 4 days between matches will be long enough for him to recover from the exertions of Goodison Park.

There are a couple of familiar faces in the Boreham Wood squad, of course: Jamie Reckord returns for the second time in 4 weeks following his January departure and Scott Boden has experienced a remarkable 12 months, from being furloughed by Chesterfield to spearheading The Wood's campaign in both league and cup.

HEAD TO HEAD

Wrexham’s record against Boreham Wood is remarkably good considering how the Wood have established themselves as regular promotion challengers. We’ve faced them 12 times and won 10 of them, keeping 7 clean sheets in the process.

The most recent win, and clean sheet, came just last month. Ollie Palmer and Jordan Davies gave us a 2-0 half time lead which Aaron Hayden added to in added time as we equalled our biggest win over Boreham Wood.

Our other 3-0 victory over them came in August 2018, as Mike Fondop, Jordan Maguire-Drew and Rekeil Pyke struck to erase memories of our sole defeat against Boreham Wood, at The Racecourse four months earlier.

It was a bad tempered and controversial match. Manny Smith was harshly judged to have pushed his man in the area, allowing Borehamwood to score the only goal of the game early on, and our attempts to fight back were hampered by another controversial decision as Kevin Roberts was sent off soon after the break, and a great deal of time-wasting by the visitors went unpunished.

In March 2016 The Wood’s first trip to Wrexham was decided by an early Connor Jennings penalty, and the following season spot-kicks were again decisive. Anthony Barry gave us the lead from a penalty, but the visitors equalised the same way. The game remained level until the third minute of added time, when another penalty was given to Wrexham. Barry had been substituted by then, so John Rooney stepped up to score the winner.

The only other time Boreham Wood came to The Racecourse was on the opening day of last season. Debutant Reece Hall-Johnson opened the scoring and, after The Wood equailsed, Luke Young struck magnificent winner from a free kick.

Hall-Johnson is Wrexham’s all-time top scorer against Boreham Wood with three goals. He got them all last season: apart from that first strike of the season, the others came in our remarkable 3-2 win at Meadow Park. We were trailing 2-0 at the break, but Hall-Johnson pulled a goal back after an hour, set up Jordan Ponticelli’s 87^th minute equaliser with a fine cross, then hit the last minute winner. Guess who was man of the match after that one!

Three other Wrexham players have scored more than once in this fixture: Jennings hit the only goal in each of the first two clashes between the sides; John Rooney scored at Borehamwood in October 2016, then kept his cool to score that penalty winner in 2017; and Ben Tollitt scored both goals in a 2-0 away win in February 2019.

There was a remarkable proliferation of penalties in the early history of this fixture. In the first six games, only eight goals were scored, and five of them came from the spot. Indeed, Boreham Wood didn’t score past Wrexham in open play until our 9^th meeting!

After 5 penalties in our first 6 meetings, the next 6 games featured no spot-kicks: will the pattern return for this match?

We’ll surely see a new mark established for the biggest attendance in this fixture. The current record is 4,746, established in that sole defeat in April 2018. There has never been a four-figure attendance to witness the sides clash at Meadow Park.

POTENTIAL MILESTONES

Ben Tozer’s 500^th career appearance.

Rob Lainton’s 200^th career appearance.

Rob Lainton’s 175^th league appearance.

Match Reports

REPORT | Wrexham 4-2 Boreham Wood

Lightning strikes four times, as a thunderous Wrexham slam four past promotion chasing Boreham Wood in a flashy win!

8 March 2022

Wrexham made it six wins in a row in all competitions with an impressive 4-2 victory over Boreham Wood on Tuesday, with four different players finding the net for the Red Dragons.

The ‘friendly giant’ Ollie Palmer guided Wrexham into the lead, as he headed home 15 minutes in, before former Red, Scott Boden, equalled the tie before half-time, as his deflected effort bobbled into the goal past a scrambling Rob Lainton.

A theatre worthy ten minutes from the 60th minute saw Aaron Hayden and James Jones give Wrexham a 3-1 lead, before Josh Rees’ header restored hope for the visitors.

Super Paul Mullin came to the rescue once more to slam a fourth past Taye Ashby-Hammond in-off the post with 70 minutes gone, sparking outright pandemonium in the stands.

Phil Parkinson was forced into one change for the game’s 11, as the injured Jordan Davies would make way for the versatile Liam McAlinden.

Club captain Ben Tozer made his 500th appearance of his career, as he sat in the middle of Max Cleworth and Aaron Hayden in a familiar back-three for the Reds.

Prior to this game, Wrexham had won their last five games, scoring 13 goals in order to rise to third and the automatic play-off places in the national league.

Jones was the first player on the pitch to have a shot at goal with 14 minutes on the clock, as he belted one on his left-foot from the right-wing for it to flash just wide of Ashby-Hammond's far-post.

Successive corners allowed Luke Young to really find his mark and land a set-piece right onto the onrushing Palmer’s head, for the striker to head home into the keeper’s far corner 15 minutes in.

Mullin caught Evans ball watching, as he made his run in-behind from a Young lobbed ball. However, the Wrexham striker could only muster up a tame, curled effort down the throat of Ashby-Hammond with 29 minutes gone.

Boreham Wood captain David Stephens was booked 31 minutes in, as his flailing arm caught Mullin and put the striker down on the floor, to anguished shouts from the home crowd.

The Wood’s first chance amounted to a goal 38 minutes in, as former Wrexham player, Scott Boden, was able to pick up the ball inside the box amidst a momentarily discombobulated back-line. He curled a seemingly deflected effort past a scampering Lainton to level the scores.

Half-time was called by referee Lewis Smith and the Reds were left slightly bemused at not taking a deserved lead into the dressing rooms.

The side from Hertfordshire started the second half as they did the first and number nine Boden was able to curl another effort at goal, but Lainton dived comfortably, catching the ball with three minutes gone in the half.

Palmer’s tenacity and willingness to win the ball back fairly next to the Wood corner flag enabled him to pick up the ball 55 minutes in and subsequently drill a ball across the face of goal, but the ball evaded every player.

Mullin matched Palmer’s tenacity and won the ball on the by-line to slam a shot from the angle at Ashby-Hammond to win a corner.

The subsequent corner then found Mullin at the back-post with acres of space, but he could only pick out the side netting with 57 minutes gone.

How many times have the Wrexham fans been treated to a Tozer long-throw, matched with an Aaron Hayden goal? Well, it’s one more today as Hayden buried his chance in the 61st minute to absolute pandemonium across the whole stadium.

Jones was fancying the long-ranged strikes this game and this was true when the ball flew off his boot in the 65th minute, forcing Ashby-Hammond to glide across his net and push the ball out at full-stretch.

Palmer then went charging through the centre and hit a ballooned shot at Ashby-Hammond, who pushed it out for Jones to karate kick the ball over a Boreham Wood head and into the goal, just five minutes after the third.

Wrexham’s two goal lead was cancelled out quickly, after Tyrone Marsh flicked a Josh Rees corner into Lainton’s net with 68 minutes on the clock.

Not to fear, Mullin is here. Similar to his goal against King’s Lynn, Mullin went charging through one minute later, to slap a bouncing ball against Ashby’s post and into the goal. It’s safe to say that the Racecourse ERUPTED.

Wrexham claimed their first dangerous free-kick in the 79th minute. Usual kick-taker Davies wasn’t available, so up-stepped Mullin to curl an awkward, yet tame effort through the wall and into Ashby’s hands.

Seven minutes of added time took an age to end, but when it did, scenes of jubilation engulfed the Racecourse, as the Reds surpassed promotion rivals Boreham Wood 4-2.

Wrexham AFC: (5-3-2): Lainton (GK), Hall-Johnson, Hayden, Tozer, Cleworth, McFadzean, Jones, McAlinden, Young (C), Mullin (Ponticelli 90+3'), Palmer

Subs not used: Dibble (GK), Jarvis, French, Hosannah

Boreham Wood: (4-3-3): Ashby-Hammond (GK), Evans, Stephens (C), Rees, Boden (Clifton 81'), Marsh, Raymond, Lewis, Mendy, Smith (Orsi 72'), Stevens (Comley 58’)

Subs not used: Ashmore, Ranger

Referee: Lewis Smith

Attendance: 8,705 – 27 Boreham Wood

Wrexham Bookings: None

Boreham Wood Bookings: Stephens 32’ (foul), Boden 38’ (celebration), Smith 42’ (foul)

Man of the Match: Ollie Palmer

Match Reports

Ticket News

SUPPORTER INFORMATION | Wrexham AFC vs Boreham Wood

Everything you need to know about attending the Racecourse Ground for tonight's game

8 March 2022

For the second time in consecutive weeks, Wrexham are at home at the Racecourse Ground for a Tuesday night Vanarama National League match under the lights.

The game against Boreham Wood, on Tuesday March 8, kicks off at 7.45pm. The game is all-ticket and tickets are selling fast – with just a few left to buy in store and online in the Wrexham Lager Stand, from our eTicketing website.

If you have opted for collection, tickets must be collected ahead of the game from the locations detailed below. If you have chosen print-at-home/eticketing, please see more detailed instructions on how to use your ticket below. There are no cash turnstiles in operation.

Please also read the important information about visiting the Racecourse Ground tonight, and continue to be patient with staff and volunteers on the day.

Thank you for your incredible support so far this season. For a full list of ground regulations, please see here.

Ticketing and entry

If you selected collection for your match-day tickets, please report to the collection points detailed below. We urge all supporters to collect their ticket in advance wherever possible.

The Wrexham AFC Club Shop is open from 9am-7.30pm for all home ticket collections for this game.
From 6.15pm on match-day, the Wrexham AFC Club Shop is only open for collections for fans in the Wrexham Lager Stand (home and away).
From 6.15pm, Macron Stand ticket holders should collect their tickets from the collection point on the Mold Road side of the stadium.
From 6.15pm, WREXRENT Stand ticket holders should collect their tickets from the collection point next to the RCF Classroom.
See the map below for these locations.

Racecourse Ground map.jpg

To avoid the risk of long queues on match-day, and leading up to kick-off, we ask all supporters to collect their tickets as far in advance as possible and consider using Print-at-Home/eTickets in future.

Gates open for this game at 6.15pm. Please note, there will be no cash turnstiles in operation for this all-ticket game.

Again, we ask all supporters to get to the Racecourse Ground early where possible, to reduce queuing times and ensure any enquiries can be dealt with promptly and well in advance of kick-off time.

Print-at-home/eTickets

If you selected the print-at-home/eTicket option, please remember the following key steps to help ensure a smooth entry into the Racecourse Ground:

Print it out as a paper ticket, in its original size (A4)
Print on plain white paper, and do not alter the ticket in any way
Ensure the print is of sufficient quality to be read by the scanners on the turnstiles, and not faded/discoloured
Make sure you do not fold along the barcode code

How to use an eTicket on your phone

Load your ticket up on your phone before getting to the turnstiles
Ensure your phone is carrying enough charge before leaving for the Racecourse Ground
Ensure your screen is not damaged in anyway
Set your screen brightness to full
Zoom in on the barcode section of the ticket to help the turnstile operators to scan you in

Wrexham Lager Stand ticket holders should enter via turnstiles 3-10. Macron Stand ticket holders should use turnstiles 25-30. WREXRENT Stand ticket holders should enter via turnstiles 36-42.

Please only sit in your specified seat, and keep hold of your ticket in case any issues arise. Supporters found inside the Racecourse Ground without a valid ticket may be ejected.

Please stay off the playing surface at all times, and abide by the ground regulations.

COVID-19 guidelines

We continue to follow the existing Welsh Government guidance at the Racecourse Ground.

At present, you do not need a COVID-19 pass to enter matches at the Racecourse Ground.

We do, however, urge all supporters to continue to remain vigilant and respectful of your fellow fans and consider them when making decisions on match-day.

It is noted that face masks are not required in outdoor settings or hospitality (including concourses). We strongly advise the wearing of face masks, especially while entering the stadium and when queuing at toilets and food and beverage kiosks. It is a recommendation that face masks are worn in all other areas / at all times.

Where possible, when moving around the stadium, we ask supporters to be mindful of social distancing and to try to maintain it wherever they can.

Please also maintain good hand hygiene, use hand sanitisers where provided and avoid touching your face, handles or railings wherever possible.

You are responsible for deciding whether or not you should attend any match and, prior to attending each match, carry out a personal risk assessment based on your own age, health and susceptibility to infection and clinical vulnerability and of those in your household or support bubble (based on government guidelines).

You must not attend this game if you have been asked to self-isolate, and you should not attend if you or anyone in your household has developed any COVID-19 symptoms.

Please avoid unnecessary movement away from your seat, and wherever possible wait until gangways are clear to avoid queuing and crowded concourses as much as you can.

Supporter conduct

After a small number of incidents at the Racecourse Ground this season, we urge all supporters to consider their conduct when watching Wrexham AFC, and how this impacts your fellow supporters’ safety and match-day experience.

As above, you must not enter the playing surface at any time. Furthermore, anybody found throwing objects or using pyrotechnics will be dealt with as strictly as possible. Pyrotechnics and smoke bombs, in particular, have no place in a football stadium.

Incidents at some of our matches this season has resulted in the Club being charged and hit with financial penalties.

Do not let your Club and your fellow supporters down with your behaviour, and please report any concerns to your nearest steward.

We are aware that this refers only to a very small number of isolated incidents, but we urge all supporters to work together to help us to stamp this out.

Should you encounter any trouble or unacceptable behaviour, you can report this to your nearest steward or, confidentially, by emailing info@wrexhamafc.co.uk.

Away supporters

Away supporters for this game will occupy the lower university end of the Wrexham Lager Stand. Entry is via turnstiles 1-2.

Parking

Parking is available in the Wrexham Glyndwr University car park, adjacent to the stadium, at a cost of £3 per car. Blue badge parking is also available.

Please do not park in the main club car park, and please also be respectful of our neighbours when choosing where to park. Cars must not be parked in permit-only areas around the ground.

There will be no road closure outside the stadium after this game, so please take care when exiting the Racecourse Ground.

We know all supporters are proud of our place in the community, and we ask everybody to respect that when parking their cars so as to avoid disruption to our neighbours.

Please also be mindful of our neighbours when leaving the Racecourse Ground, and take care when walking to and from the stadium.

Travel information

By car: The Racecourse Ground is located on Mold Road. The postcode is LL11 2AH. By car, take the A483 from Chester or Oswestry to Wrexham. Exit at the ‘Mold’ junction and then follow signs for ‘Town Centre’ and the Racecourse Ground will come quickly into view.

By train: The nearest train station is Wrexham General, which is located next to the ground. Please note, under Welsh Government guidelines you must wear a facemask when travelling on Transport for Wales services.

By bus: Wrexham bus station is located in the centre of town. From the bus station, head towards the prominent multi-storey car park and turn right along Mold Road. The ground will be located on the right-hand side, just after you cross the bridge over the railway tracks, about half a mile along this road.

Hospitality

All hospitality areas for this game open at 5pm. Supporters in the Bamford Suite, Exec Room and Board Room should use the Bamford’s entrance – accessible from the main club car park.

Supporters in the 1864 Partners Lounge, Aviation American Gin Suite and executive boxes should enter via the reception on Mold Road.

Please contact geoff.scott@wrexhamafc.co.uk should you have any further questions regarding hospitality.

Centenary Club

The Centenary Club is open for this game, to ticket holders only. Tickets cost £5, and allow you access to the bar with reduced queuing times, and the chance to soak up the pre-match atmosphere with your fellow supporters.

Kiosks

Refreshment kiosks will be open for this game in the WREXRENT Stand, Macron Stand and Wrexham Lager Stand, serving a range of hot and cold drinks, alcoholic drinks, hot food and confectionary.

We ask all supporters to use card payments where possible.

Match-day programmes

Printed match-day programmes will be available to buy from our sellers in the Macron Stand concourse, at a cost of £3 each. Programme sellers will be situated within the concourse of the Macron Stand and WREXRENT Stand and outside the Wrexham Lager Stand turnstiles. The Club Shop also has programmes for sale.

If any programmes remain after the match, they will be available online from the club shop at shop.wrexhamafc.co.uk for delivery only, from Wednesday March 9.

Bags/luggage

Please only bring necessary personal items with you, and only one small bag if essential. You can see a full list of prohibited items in our Ground Regulations.

Disabled supporters

Our accessible viewing platforms in the Macron Stand and WREXRENT Stand will be open for this game. Supporters who have been contacted to use the Macron Stand platform, should enter via the Mold Road reception and use the lift.

Supporters who have been contacted to use the WREXRENT Stand should enter via gate 12.

Wheelchair users should enter via gate 12, to the left of the turnstiles on Mold Road, for the level entrance into the stadium.

We ask that all wheelchair users stick to their allocated spaces, due to the high demand for places this season. Ticket-holders in the Autism Friendly section should also use gate 12 – our designated quiet entrance. The refurbished sensory room will be open for this game. Please note, we have fitted a radar lock to the sensory room – if you require entry, please see the friendly-face stewards.

Our autism-friendly section is PG1 – a designated quiet area, with more space for supporters.

All of our accessible toilets at the Racecourse Ground have radar locks on – please ensure you bring your radar key, if you have one, to access these toilets. If you do not have a radar key, you can ask a steward.

Our audio-descriptive commentary service will also be available for this game. Receivers can be picked up from reception in the Macron Stand, but supporters must bring their own headphones. Your commentators for the game will be Alan Fox and George Randles.

Can’t make the game?

If you can’t join us at the Racecourse Ground for Saturday’s match, you can follow along wherever you are through the club website.

Live audio commentary will be hosted on WrexhamPlayer, for free – please register to access commentary.

A live text feed will also be available on the Live Match Centre, as well as updates on our social channels.

Ticket News

Wrexham AFC

Standings