The Word In The Wood

Our U18 Girls welcomed Oaklands Wolves to Pursley for a second home league game in as many weeks, with the reigning County Cup holders arriving nice and early for a first-ever encounter between the two sides. They clearly meant business.

The Wolves were an unknown quantity for us, but we knew we were in for a tough afternoon given their strong position in the U18 division last season and the fact that their squad is made up almost entirely of Year 13 girls.

The Wood started brightly and looked comfortable, although without quite dominating proceedings. So there was a definite sense of relief when the breakthrough finally came.

After 10 minutes, Abi opened the scoring. A great move saw Abi set the ball back to Milly on the halfway line and spin, with the ball then played in behind the defence. Abi held off her defender, raced 30 yards towards goal and calmly finished into the bottom-left corner to make it 1-0. A fantastic finish and a deserved reward for the bright start.

Abi doubled the lead soon afterwards when Amie slipped a ball through for her, leaving her one-on-one with the keeper. From there, she did what Abi does best, kept her composure and finished to make it 2-0.

The game remained competitive, with both sides working hard, and the effort from the girls was tremendous. On a hard, dry pitch, combined with some more warm late-September sunshine, it was a demanding afternoon physically. But the girls kept going.

After 65 minutes, Amie made it 3-0. Martha’s wayward shot turned into a cross, which Amie controlled before bundling the ball home. Another reward for the pressure and hard work.

Just five minutes later, Olivia added a fourth. She collected Milly’s assist before racing through on goal and finishing at the second attempt to put the result beyond any real doubt.

Oakwood pulled one back with a long-range strike in the 75th minute, making it 4-1, but it proved little more than a consolation as the Wood saw the game out comfortably.

Today’s performance was all about the team and they all played their part. Nicole was alert and assured in goal, making sure the Wolves had very little to work with. The back four of Leni, Missy, Amy and Rose played the full 90 minutes and were excellent throughout. Solid, disciplined and composed, they provided the platform for everyone further forward to express themselves. Amie, Olivia and Milly all added guile and attacking flair, contributing goals and assists and causing problems for the Wolves defence. And Player of the Match Jess was the standout in central midfield. She covered ground tirelessly, competed for everything and brought the composure and quality needed to keep the team ticking throughout a demanding game, ably supported by the ever willing running and pressing of Martha and Scarlett.

Four goals against a strong, experienced Oakwood side, just one conceded and another huge shift of effort from the girls. There will be plenty of tougher challenges ahead, but this was another important step forward for a team still finding its feet at U18 level. Two home league games. Two wins. Nine goals scored and just two conceded. Days to savour and The Wood are up and running!

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☀️ What glorious weather for Borehamwood 2000 U12 Girls! ☀️

Today the girls took on Bedwell Rangers at their beloved home ground, Pursley, and WOW… what a game! 🔥⚽️ The girls brought their energy and focus to the pre-match team talk, where we talked tactics, holding our positions and pushing the ball up through the pitch using our skill and teamwork. Boy, oh boy, did we excel at that today! 👏

Borehamwood were led onto the pitch by our Captain, Sienna, who won the toss and gave us the great advantage of not playing into the sun. 🌞 The whistle went and Borehamwood soared into action! Our strikers Gracie, Elsie and Daisy showed great runs up the wings, backed by midfielders Katy and Xyla, who were reading the game brilliantly. Katy was ready for the rebound off a cracking sideline throw into the middle from Elsie. Borehamwood took a deep breath as Katy found Gracie, who hurtled our first shot at goal… just missing by a cat’s whisker! 😱

The girls weren’t hanging around. We saw a strong defence holding their line and positions, leaving no room for Bedwell’s strikers to penetrate our barrier. Sienna was winning fierce and determined tackles, Maisie was like a fearless rocket across the middle, and Amber was taking no prisoners on the right, flying that ball up the wing at every opportunity. 💪

Then came an impressive kick-out from Olivia, finding Sienna, who ran up the line towards Gracie. Gracie had already read Sienna’s mind and knew exactly where that ball was going. Sienna passed to Gracie, who effortlessly glided the ball up the wing and smashed it into the back of the net! ⚽️🔥 1-0 to Borehamwood 2000! The crowd went wild! 🙌

Borehamwood had found their flow, and no sooner had we come down from the first goal than a second push came after a smashing clearance from the box by Amber landed perfectly at Daisy’s feet. With her usual speed and skill, Daisy raced up the wing with Elsie beside her pushing forward. Daisy produced the perfect cross to Elsie, who was positioned perfectly to hammer in our second goal! What teamwork! 👏⚽️

Bedwell were starting to fight back, but Olivia was ready for them, pulling off a brilliant save and letting Bedwell know that even when they did break through, they would still meet a determined keeper. She confidently came off her line, pushed through the crowds to get HER ball and even threw her entire body on it to stop it crossing the line! 🧤🔥

Then Bedwell got lucky. An awkward ball close to the box meant the score was 2-1.

With 10 minutes to go before half-time, Sienna came off, suffering from the heat. Xyla slipped back into defence, with Leah fighting hard in midfield alongside Katy.

Bedwell kept the pressure on, but Amber, Maisie and Xyla worked incredibly hard to keep them at bay, with Katy and Leah providing fantastic support. They moved with the ball, waiting for that break so they could scoop it up and push forward.

Half-time 🔄 Sienna was back in defence alongside Maisie and Amber, with Katy and Leah in midfield and Daisy, Elsie and Gracie up front. Emily took her position in goal. 🧤

Bedwell came back fighting, and it wasn’t long before the ball found its way into the back of our net. 2-2. Despite our best efforts, a third followed. 3-2 to Bedwell. The tables were turning… could Borehamwood keep their heads up and fight back?

A quick change at the back saw Amber come off for a well-deserved rest, with Xyla moving onto the back line supporting Sienna and Maisie whilst linking up with Leah to push up on the wing. And fight back we did! 💪 Elsie produced a fantastic power shot… OFF THE CROSSBAR! 😱 Katy was still battling away in the middle, but the ball broke through and Emily made a brilliant save, pushing the ball away from her net and straight into her defence. Maisie cleared to Sienna, who smashed the ball out of the box and down the wing. It was crossed to Elsie, whose ball rebounded to Katy. Katy saw her chance…AND TOOK IT! ⚽️ 3-3!!! ⚽️

Straight back to it, and Bedwell were showing their frustration. It was getting brutal out there, but our girls stood tall, kept their composure and stayed focused on finding that winning goal. And we certainly weren’t going to give Bedwell another one! A fabulous clearance from Xyla in the box found Daisy, who needed no encouragement to charge forward. She crossed to Elsie, but unfortunately it ran past her and was picked up by Gracie, who passed it straight back to Elsie. And Elsie flew that ball into the net! ⚽️🔥

The goal she had been planning since that first crossbar shot! 4-3 TO THE MIGHTY BOREHAMWOOD 2000! 💙⚽️

BUT IT WASN’T OVER YET! 😱 The ref called for a hydration break. The girls were hot and took the chance to discuss their tactics. We were going back on from a throw-in by Sienna. They made their plan… and implemented it beautifully. Sienna ➡️ Katy ➡️ Daisy

A quick decision from Daisy found Katy in midfield, who unleashed a cracking shot on target. But their keeper was ready and waiting. Then Bedwell changed tactics. They were going all in, and it seemed every one of their players was in our box!

Emily was having none of it. She saved a tasty high incoming ball and smashed it out, only for another shot to come hurtling back at her. Again, she stood strong, never taking her eyes off the ball, and got it out to Xyla, who battled hard to find Maisie. Maisie pulled out all the stops to get that ball out of the box and up the pitch. Next came a free kick after a back pass to the Bedwell goalkeeper. Daisy stepped up. Knowing she couldn’t shoot, she passed to Katy, who found the bar! The ball flew back into play to a waiting Elsie, who was immediately surrounded by red shirts. The ball broke free…Gracie was there!

A great shot, but the keeper was adamant Borehamwood weren’t getting a fifth! 🧤

Bedwell charged forward towards our goal, but they were intercepted all the way by Leah and Katy. They broke through……but Sienna, Maisie and Xyla were waiting. Maisie came forward, putting on the pressure, with Sienna backing her. The ball broke through and Sienna smashed a clearance from the box…

…and THAT’S THE WHISTLE! 📣FULL TIME: BOREHAMWOOD 2000 4️⃣ – 3️⃣ BEDWELL RANGERS 🏆💙 One thing’s for sure… these girls mean business!

Today they showed all of us what they can do when they play it smart. We know they have the ability. We know they have the pace. We know they have the power. But today, they showed us that they also know how to play clever, use their space and work together as a team. 👏 And that teamwork has helped them maintain their position at the top of the league! 🥇🔥 Gareth, Kacey and I are so incredibly proud of you girls. I hope you know just how amazing each and every one of you are. ❤️

⭐ Captain of the Day - Sienna 👑

🧤 Players of the Match - Our two brave and fearless goalkeepers…Emily & Olivia! 🧤👏💙 What a team. What a game. What a performance! COME ON BOREHAMWOOD 2000! 💙⚽️🔥

The HGFPL 2026/27 season kicked off this weekend amidst scenes of great joy and excitement! Unfortunately, despite sharing the same pitches, our boys will have to wait a good while longer after the start of the West Herts Youth League was put back until 4th October due to hard ground conditions, a decision that has been received by our club with bemusement.

Anyway, onwards and upwards and our U12 Girls began their season with an excellent team performance and a hard-earned draw against a resilient Evergreen side. Led out by captain Juniper, Borehamwood lined up in a 3-3-2 formation, aiming to control the tempo through midfield. From the opening whistle, the players demonstrated their team-first mindset: "We play as a team and cover each other."

Borehamwood made a blistering start. The wide midfielders immediately began supplying Daisy and Elsie in attack, and Elsie produced the first opportunity when she controlled a half-volley, spun quickly and fired narrowly wide. The pressure continued. Tippi commanded the back line from centre-back, using her strength and composure to prevent Evergreen from gaining a foothold. She also went close at the other end with a long-range effort that flew just over the crossbar. Elsie then broke free on a powerful solo run, but Evergreen's determined defence managed to block her path.

Evergreen remained dangerous on the counterattack, and goalkeeper Olivia had to be alert when an opposition striker broke through one-on-one. Olivia bravely closed down the attacker and made a superb save. Her reading of the game was excellent throughout, and she regularly left her line to support the back three.

In midfield, Maisie, Juniper and Katy worked tirelessly. Juniper and Maisie tracked back to support the defence, while Katy took up a more attacking role. She came close to opening the scoring when she connected with an Elsie cross, only to send her effort narrowly wide.

Sienna stood strong at right-back and linked up well with Maisie and Daisy. On the opposite side, Anisia did what she does best, using her pace and positioning to force attackers away from goal and minimise the number of crosses into the box.

Evergreen defended deeply to withstand Borehamwood's pressure, with their goalkeeper producing several remarkable saves. Borehamwood's enthusiasm occasionally worked against them, as some excellent attacking moves were stopped by the offside flag. This is an area the team can improve by timing forward runs more carefully and looking across the defensive line before accelerating.

Daisy almost found the breakthrough after escaping down the right wing, cutting inside and shooting from a difficult angle, but the post denied her. With 15 minutes remaining in the half, Gracie and Polly were introduced to provide fresh pace and energy. Elsie soon tested the goal again with a long-range shot that went just wide.

Despite Borehamwood's dominance, Evergreen capitalised on a rare attack. Following a throw-in inside the Borehamwood half, a shot took a cruel deflection and found its way into the net. It was a harsh setback after such a strong performance, but Borehamwood dusted themselves down and immediately pushed forward again.

Borehamwood entered the second half one goal behind but with their spirits high. Sienna moved into midfield and showed her adaptability, delivering a pinpoint cross towards Katy. The team continued to enjoy the lion's share of possession and kept Evergreen under pressure.

Evergreen still posed a threat on the break. When they beat the defence and sent a long shot towards goal, Maisie sprinted back at full speed and produced a remarkable goal-line clearance. It was an outstanding example of determination and of the team's commitment to covering one another.

Borehamwood were playing well, but at times they tried to force the ball through crowded central areas rather than making full use of the wide players. With the team's speed and skill on both wings, switching the play earlier and creating more opportunities out wide will make Borehamwood even harder to defend against.

As the clock ticked down, frustration understandably began to build. Borehamwood had applied relentless pressure but continued to be denied by Evergreen's goalkeeper and an overly disciplined linesman.

Then the deserved chance arrived. Elsie broke free on the right, took on a defender and, from the tightest of angles, blasted a shot across goal. The ball skimmed the post before hitting the back of the net. It was a brilliant individual goal and no more than Borehamwood deserved.

Evergreen were not finished, but Xyla tracked back superbly to block a dangerous shot. At the other end, Juniper drove through the middle on a determined solo run, but her effort was saved. The final whistle brought an entertaining and closely contested game to an end, with the teams sharing the points.

Although the match finished 1-1, Borehamwood can take enormous encouragement from their first performance of the season. In attack, they were a force to be reckoned with and created chances throughout. The midfielders were the engine of the team, working tirelessly and controlling the tempo from the opening whistle. Defensively, Borehamwood looked as strong and composed as ever. Rather than simply clearing the ball under pressure, the defenders looked up and tried to find a teammate, showing how much their confidence and decision-making have developed. Olivia was outstanding in goal. Her reading of the game continues to improve, and her fearless willingness to dive at the feet of opposition players gives the whole team confidence.

The main areas to work on are timing attacking runs to stay onside, using the wings more consistently and remaining patient when facing a deep defensive line. These are small improvements that can help Borehamwood turn their territorial dominance into even more goals.

Player of the Match went to Maisie, whose work rate, determination and extraordinary goal-line clearance summed up the team's spirit. Evergreen's Player of the Match award went to Elsie, who scored a superb equaliser and was a constant threat throughout the game.

U18 Boys faced another older side in Watford Stags today, the game played on an excellent new astro facility in Bushey. 

The Wood raced into a lead with the in-form McGuinness racing on to the ball to deliver a cool finish for 0-1. At this point there only looked like one winner but, things quickly turned and the Wood conceded two goals out of nothing to enter half time 2-1 down.

Second half was even more of a struggle as so many of the squad were unable to pass the ball simply and often tied themselves up in knots instead. Stags romped to 6 with Carlow pulling one back with a classy curler into the right hand top corner.

We didn't learn anything new today as the performance was typical of the squad. A lack of character, fight and courage always results in a hammering and though it hurts to say it, most the boys hid, were not ready to stand up and be counted and were intimidated by their older and louder opponent. MoM went to McGuinness who enjoyed a fine match, closely pushed by Manning who was prepared to get stuck in and played strongly as a result.

U18 Boys faced Bushey and Oxhey Bulldogs in the league looking to continue an upturn in their recent form. The boys romped to an 11-1 victory with a devastating display of attacking football with top scorer Silva in imperious form bagging 4 to take him to 29 for the season. Green and McGuinness helped themselves to a brace each, with Zefi, Fan and Fearon-McDonnell all scoring excellent efforts.

Bushey were not passengers in the game and would have scored many more were it not for the heroics of Elboukhari in goal, producing one of the best keeping displays in this league all season. Captain Ifeacho returned from injury and was totally dominant in the air, adding greatly to the team's defensive capabilities. Collier slipped into the holding role and completed the job properly to solidfy the team further at the back, while Manning was superb going forward and equally good when asked to drop into defence after Bushey threatened.

MoM went to Song who produced a much livelier display to showcase what he is capable of when he puts his mind to it, the highlight of which was a missile like shot that flew narrowly over the crossbar!

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U16 Boys faced Sun Sports knowing a win was required to continue their Championship dreams. The boys went behind 1-2 but, struck back with some tremendous goals to romp home 4-2. They sit atop their division now and have every chance of securing the title!

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U9 Boys have enjoyed a tremendous debut season at the Wood, playing in the highest ranked West Herts league for their age and faced a hot Croxley Green side today.

The boys were in sparkling form and scored quickly; Lennon, Vinny, Archie and Mehdi passing the ball superbly to find Archie F to strike the ball like a hammer as it flew into the top corner from 20 yards out!

Lennon then produced a lovely turn to swerve away from danger centrally and speed into space safely down the line, feeding Vinny with a precise pass. He streaked away and his pinpoint cross was struck truly by Archie, producing a great save from the away keeper. Mehdi was alert, however, and pounced for his first. Straight from the kick off, Archie and Vinny combined electrically for livewire Mehdi to drill home his second! Mehdi was to complete his hatrick with a sublime finish lobbed over the keeper, after being picked out by a visionary crossfield ball from Archie F.

Home keeper Lake enjoyed an outstanding match peppered with top quality saves including one at full stretch that somehow saw him push a piledriver on to the crossbar! He was to setup the next Wood goal with a precise long kick, Vinny first to the ball to feed the on-rushing Lennon who slammed home in style.

With Kasper, Arthur & Ronnie all enjoying excellent games and keeping things very tight at the back, this was a Wood performance of the highest order. The boys' natural ability, their unselfishness in possession, as well as their work rate and desire, mean this team is going to get better and better; under the shrewd management of Dan and Ant, they will be a force for anyone going forward. MoM went to Vinny who wore the soles off his boots covering every blade of grass, in the process supplying one superb cross after another whilst also tracking back diligently throughout. Take a bow young man!

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The mighty Borehamwood 2000 U11 Girls made the short trip to local rivals Evergreen Dragons under bright sunshine and perfect footballing conditions. With the last encounter ending in a draw, both teams knew this would be another closely fought battle. Borehamwood arrived with a clear plan: let the ball do the work and move it with purpose and precision.

Evergreen looked dangerous on the break, opting for long balls forward, but Olivia in goal was outstanding, reading the game brilliantly and coming off her line to make crucial clearances. Borehamwood responded with attacking intent, winning a corner that was delivered perfectly, only to be denied again by a superb save. Moments later, a powerful strike rattled the post.....Borehamwood were knocking on the door.

At the other end, the Borehamwood defence stood firm, calmly defusing any threat. Gone are the days of simply clearing the ball to safety. This Borehamwood team showed real confidence, building play from the back with intelligence and teamwork.

As the first half drew to a close, Borehamwood’s persistence paid off. A dazzling piece of footwork from Elsie saw her glide past defenders before laying the ball perfectly into Juniper’s path, who coolly slotted home into the bottom corner. A well-deserved lead going into half time.

The second half began with excitement in the air. Evergreen were never going to make it easy, and Borehamwood knew they had to stay focused. Emily stepped into goal and continued the strong presence between the posts. Borehamwood dominated midfield, though Evergreen worked hard to limit play down the wings.

Defensively, Borehamwood were rock solid, their pace proving too much for the opposition. However, Evergreen managed to pull one back from a goalmouth scramble. For many teams, that might have been a setback, but not today. Borehamwood responded with even greater determination and belief.

The forwards dazzled with skill and confidence, weaving through defenders and creating chance after chance, only to be denied by an in-form goalkeeper or inches wide of the target. The energy, the fight, and the teamwork were clear for all to see.

As the clock ticked down, the sense of another goal grew stronger, and Borehamwood delivered. Sustained pressure and clever, close passing in the box found its way to Elsie, who struck with power and precision to restore the lead. A brilliant team goal, built on patience and unity.

The final moments were tense. Evergreen pushed everyone forward, even sending their goalkeeper outfield in a last-ditch attempt to equalise. Coaches, families, and supporters watched through their fingers as the seconds ticked away. But Borehamwood held firm, covering for each other, battling for every ball until the final whistle blew.

A remarkable performance from Borehamwood 2000. Every player contributed, showing incredible fight, determination, and togetherness. This was a team performance in every sense. Player of the Match went to Sienna for her strength and versatility in defence, even stepping up to support the attack. Opposition Player of the Match was awarded to Elsie for her creativity, a goal and an assist, and outstanding footwork throughout.

U15 girls had our first night game of the season vs our good friends at Harpenden Colts.
We lost by a very narrow margin 2-1 in the reverse fixture earlier in the season, it’s a game we should have won and was the topic of conversation prior to this game, we needed to right this wrong!

The girls started on fire with our dynamic front 3 of Lonaldo, G9 and Elsiho causing mayhem and forcing the Harpenden GK into numerous saves ! The front 3 where ably backed up by our dazzling midfield of ball playing magician Aanya who’s vision to find a defence splitting pass was on full display, our perpetual motion skipper Annie who covered every blade of grass at least twice! Rock solid Poppy N who had her best game as yet in a white shirt and has set herself a high bar to keep. All action Amie who kept the midfield ticking over with her nous on the ball as well as finding defence splitting passes. The defence was unbreakable with Abi coming in and giving a performance for the ages, her defensive steel and ability to turn defence into attack in a split second was on display for all to marvel at.

Full backs Yvie, TJ and Pola all had barnstormers themselves pressing high winning the ball and causing panic in the away defence with their positioning and reading of the game.
Riss gave another solid performance covering any mistakes using her pace and power to shut out all comers, she is fast becoming a fantastic defender after spending her career thus far as a GK. Our excellent GK Emily had a very good game and didn’t put a foot wrong, these games are arguably the hardest for a GK when for long periods they are inactive. Emily kept her concentration and another clean sheet!

Our first goal came after 18 mins and was from excellent wing play from Elsie and a fine finish after beating 3 players. The teams second and first of 4 came from Lonaldo in another excellent performance from this young lady, she has now got 10 goals in her last 3 games from the wing. The 3rd came from our midfield general with a howitzer shot from outside the area after breaking two tackles. Our skipper lead from the front and sets the tone for all we do well. Lonaldo got her second after turning the away fulll back inside out and leaving her reeling then breaking into the box and smashing the ball home past the keeper. Lo’s completed her hatrick in fine style in the second half by shifting the ball in the box and curling it past the keeper into the top corner. Poppy N got a rare goal after some tidy work breaking from midfield and a sumptuous pass from Aanya finding her, the keeper saved the shot but Poppy was alive and reacted quickest nodding home the rebound!

It was a miracle that G9 hadn’t opened her account considering we had scored 6 but, she wouldn’t be denied and a fine solo run beating two players and then slotting past the keeper. Lonaldo was to have the last word that her devastating display warranted and she closed the game out with a fine finish at the back post.

A devastating team performance this evening dispatching a good Harpenden team in a fashion we haven’t seen often enough from the girls. They clicked like never before and gave a display worthy of TV!!

U18 Boys were down to the last 4 of 60 West Herts U18 Boys' teams in the semi final of the Challenge Cup but, facing a formidable opponent in Tring, unbeaten for many months and recently crowned Herts FA County Champions. The boys had faced this opponent only last week in a double header, ultimately losing both games but, leading both times and pushing their opponents to the limit in both matches. However, those fixtures and the win against another top older side in Harpenden the week before had taken their toll on the lads, with many players carrying injuries and knocks in a game where no quarter would be given.

The boys fought hard first half with many players reaching their levels and the Wood were competitive as the game went from end to end. Captain Ifeacho and Collier had to depart early with recurrent injuries but, their replacements in Hones and McGuinness performed well, maintaining momentum with Zefi also heavily involved in the fray. Fearon-Mcdonnell was asked to do a job for the team and did, keeping things tight at the back and his presence and excellent long balls were important to the team's progress.

With half time imminent, it seemed the Wood had yet again shot themselves in the foot with the craziest of fouls resulting in a stone-wall penalty. However, Elboukhari between the sticks enjoyed an excellent match and was too sharp for the Tring forward, making an incredible save to keep his team 0-0 at half time. It felt like an important moment and the team were urged to build on it and give everything to win the game second half.

Unfortunately, it just didn't happen, and with Tring much more physically powerful this week and gifted a goal out of nothing when the Wood again pressed the self destruct button, the game quickly ran away. 0-1 turned to 0-4 and the Wood were also reduced to 10 men as discipline wavered. However, the lads showed great strength from this difficult position and saw out the match with no further concessions, Pop even hitting the crossbar with an outstanding drive from distance.

Good chances did not flow today with talisman Silva flooded by the away team, but, if from nothing else, the Wood should have scored many from the numerous corners put on the money time and again by Makamian and McGuinness that just had to be nodded in but, that saw Tring win out every time. That was disappointing as were the peals of laughter heard from some of the boys off the pitch when their team-mates were giving their all on it. When the going gets tough, the tough get going; there's nothing funny about that, and too many of the lads were unable to find that extra gear when it mattered today, a consistent theme in the 5 semi finals this side has lost these last 3 seasons. One player who did excel though was MoM Manning, filling in wherever required and playing to a very high and consistent level throughout.

With a free weekend imminent, the boys will rest and recover now then see out our remaining league games, looking to build on what has been a much improved period of performance these last few weeks. This time next year, they will be the older team and if they perform as they have done of late (the second half today aside), then the future looks rosy and this squad may just yet get to that final in the future. What's ceratin is that we don't ever give up on that aspiration and live to fight another day.

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U15 girls had a tough away fixture today against our good friends at Ware FC. We had a midday KO on an exposed and windy pitch that made the conditions very, very tricky! The girls meant business from the off today though and they took no prisoners.

They pounced on Ware from minute one with Lonaldo in particularly devastating form.

Lo’s got her 1st of the day with a great jinking run and a fine, placed finish into the roof of the net where the keeper had no chance to save it.

Our midfield maestro Aanya then stole the show with a sublime finish full of class that she passed into the top corner of the net from the edge of the box for 0-2 the Wood. The Wood’s engine room of skipper extraordinaire Annie, schemer Aanya and the magnificent Amie was purring and creating chance after chance for the rampant Lonaldo, G9 & Elsinho!

This game could literally have been double figures in the first half with the girls terrorising the home side.

The 3rd was to come from more magic from our wing wizard Lonaldo who was rampant against the home FB, with her every involvement on the ball; 0-3 the Wood. The Wood's defence of Yvie, Riss, TJ & Poppy N who was playing in an unfamiliar position of CB today due to Ava being away were imperious; the first half in particular they were all dominant and played on the front foot with Poppy N outstanding.

Gk Emily didn’t have much to do today but stuck to her task and did all that was asked of her. Our 4th was to come from the hard working G9 who created lots of chances today but the ball just wouldn’t sit for her in the final moment; on another day Gabby would have had 5 but today had to settle for 1.

Our 5th goal came from a great run and cross from Elsie who was very unlucky not to score herself today, Else put in a phenomenal shift for the team today and from her cross into the box ended with a pen from a Ware handball. Up stepped our majestic box to box No8 Annie to bury the ball into the corner for 0-5 the Wood and the end of a truly devastating first half performance.

As often happens with young teams our intensity dropped going out for the second half and we let this dangerous Ware side back into the game, even though we spoke about this exact same thing at HT and to be aware of complacency. The Ware girls who are a good side came out fighting and managed to get 2 goals back to make it 2-5, they then had a half chance to snatch a 3rd!

The girls knew they had to score next to take the game away from Ware again, and it was Lonaldo completing her second hat trick in two games who stepped up with another fine composed and ruthless finish, Lo’s quality in front of goal is second to none, she has a keen football brain and knows where to put the ball to beat any keeper and also has the skill to do it. 2-6 the Wood.

We still had time to get our 7th and most important strike of the day when our Amie got the goal her tremendous display deserved, striking true after a late run to the back stick to meet a fine cross. This was a moment of deep meaning to Amie and a fitting tribute to all the Adam's family after suffering so much, with great reserves of courage and strength displayed. We were proud to have you as part of our team today Amie and we send our love and prayers to you, to dearest mum Kristi, Joe & Leni ❤️xxxx.

After taking on top of the table Harpenden last weekend, our U18 Boys faced Tring in a double header at Pursley. The boys moved through the divisions over the years precisely to measure themselves against the very best grassroots teams and as recently crowned Herts FA County champions, Tring are just that, and an older team to boot.

The Wood are a different animal now though and playing full of confidence, with effective players in all the starting positions taking the game to Tring and flooding them with a tight press, committed tackles, sharp interceptions, towering headers and clinical passes. Collier was first to sting the away keeper’s hands with a well struck shot before keeper Elboukhari pulled of an amazing one on one save the other end. Fearon-Mcdonnell enjoying another excellent match released Silva with a fine pass, his shot just wide after a mazy dribble, with Fan’s determined play shortly after seeing Silva’s next shot well saved.

The boys really deserved a goal and then the breakthrough came. Fan and Collier were very good indeed all game long and again won their duels allowing Fearon-McDonnell to poke through another perceptive pass to Silva. His good effort was saved but, the on-rushing Makamian, brushing off a nose bleed to enjoy an excellent half, sorted his feet out very well, sweeping the ball home instantly for his 6^th of the season and an important one too, giving the Wood a 1-0 lead they took into half time.

The boys came out second half and carried on where they left off, taking the game to their opponents who were being locked out by the immense Ifeacho with defensive play of the highest order. With just 10 minutes to go and the team cruising, MoM Carlow, so committed and giving everything at the back, completed another massive challenge resulting in a finger injury that needed treatment. In just a matter of seconds while this was administered, Lady Luck deserted the Wood with an away penalty from a challenge that really should not have been made given the Wood cover that was available.

Handed a lifeline, Tring surged with confidence and took full advantage by scoring another straight after while the team’s focus was still wavering: a long throw flicked on, allowed to bounce and fired home. The game ended shortly after and despite being by far the better side, the Wood had nothing for all their good play and hard work.

Rallied at the break, the boys took to the field for the second match determined to go again, and once again they took the lead. Manning, enjoying a very effective and assured match, started it, winning a header, with the dynamic Wood midfield of Zefi, Fan, Collier and Green combined beautifully to present Silva with a chance he gobbled up, slotting home calmy for 1-0.

Despite continuing to try hard, the absence of Ifeacho at the back through injury was not ideal and Tring raided forward to score again, disappointing as Fan had made a huge initial header which should have allowed the danger to pass. The defensive shape was stretched now and Tring’s striker broke clean through leaving Elboukhari with no real option but, to take him down. The penalty was scored and then a pass out wide into the middle with danger written all over it was intercepted and worked into the goal for 1-3, the Wood’s defensive cover missing as their guy fired home under no pressure.

The boys then showed so much character to battle back with MoM Silva, tremendous all day, scoring two wonderful goals to take his tally to a mind-boggling 25 for the season. With the Leverstock Green 1^st team manager in attendance as the club’s guest, it was a good time to do so. Zefi and Fan working so hard all match won possession for Collier, also enjoying another monstrous game up front. His slide-rule pass released Silva who held off four away defenders to slot home with cold-blooded ease. That was just the starter though as main course was to follow 10 minutes later, Collier again winning the ball for Crucefix to ping a class ball high and forward. Silva effortlessly pulled it out the sky with his left foot, instantly slotting home with his right thereafter; a world class finish for 3-3!

The final half commenced and saw everyone drained from an intense work-out, the game see-sawing as a winner was sought. The boys fought like lions but, it must be said that on the day, the Wood didn’t enjoy the best of luck and the game was decided late by an away strike that wasn’t really worthy of it.

That’s how it goes sometimes but, what the boys did do however, was give up a year to the best side in Herts’ grassroots football and push them right to the edge of their limits. We’re proud of that and go again next week against them in the Challenge Cup semi-finals, fearing nothing, knowing we can do it and just needing a little more focus in the defensive areas to pull it off. Belief is back and strong in this Wood side and our time will come.

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U15 Girls climb to 5th in their Division 1 table with a super 6-0 win at home to Little Canfield.

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Their older peers, our U16 Girls, are up to third in Division 1 with an excellent double header victory against Harefield, with two shorter matches played back-to-back at The Wood’s home ground, Pursley. Under bright sunshine, the teams served up two highly competitive and closely contested games that showcased determination, resilience, and quality football throughout

Borehamwood’s defensive unit proved the foundation for success across both fixtures, delivering outstanding performances to keep clean sheets in each game and provide the platform for two hard-earned victories.

In the opening match, The Wood found their rhythm after a steady start as the squad adjusted to a new formation. Despite not displaying their usual fluidity through the lines early on, the girls continued to play positively, winning their individual battles and driving forward with intent. The breakthrough came courtesy of a well-taken finish from Gabriela, before Amie sealed the win in style with a stunning strike — a true banger that capped an excellent team performance. Gabriela’s all-round display earned her Player of the Match honours for Game 1.

The second encounter followed a similar pattern, with both sides battling fiercely in another tight contest. Borehamwood again showed discipline and composure, and it was the ever-reliable Olivia who proved decisive, netting the winning goal to secure victory. Lily B delivered an outstanding performance and was deservedly named Player of the Match for Game 2.

The two sides were promoted together last season, separated by only a point or two, making this weekend’s fixtures particularly meaningful. Their fortunes have diverged this year, however, with Borehamwood climbing to an impressive 3rd place in Division 1, collecting 26 points from 13 games. Harefield may currently sit at the foot of the table with just one win, but their effort, organisation, and commitment across both games showed a side far stronger than league position suggests, and we wish them every success for the remainder of the season.

These victories extend Borehamwood’s unbeaten run to an outstanding 12 games — a remarkable achievement given the high standard of opposition throughout the league.

Attention now turns to a challenging run of league fixtures in April as The Wood look to finish the campaign strongly before preparing for an exciting Cup Final on 9th May. Their place in the final was secured last weekend with a dominant semi-final victory away at Garston Ladies, setting the stage for what promises to be a memorable end to the season.

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Meanwhile, under glorious sunshine at the fortress of Bedwell Rangers, Borehamwood 2000 U11 Girls arrived brimming with energy, confidence, and a clear determination to put on a show. Led proudly onto the pitch by Captain Maisie, the Wood Army looked ready from the very first whistle, and they didn’t disappoint.

Like a bullet out of a gun, Borehamwood exploded into action. Early pressure paid off when Elsie burst down the wing and set the tone, narrowly missing the target. At the other end, Emily showed calm composure in goal, confidently gathering the ball during a tense goalmouth scramble before launching a pinpoint kick out wide. Daisy picked it up, whipped in a dangerous cross, and Elsie made no mistake firing home the opener.

The goals kept coming. Elsie turned provider, powering in a cross that Juniper flicked home with a touch of real class. Soon after, Daisy and Juniper combined again. Daisy crossed the ball into the box and a battling Juniper grabbed her second from close range. It was teamwork at its very finest.

In midfield, Polly was tireless, linking play, supporting attacks, and keeping the tempo high. Another Daisy corner found Elsie lurking on the edge of the box, and she wrapped her foot around the ball beautifully to make it five.

Bedwell, aided by an extra player, began to apply pressure, but Borehamwood stood firm. Sienna produced a crucial interception at the far post, while Tippi showed strength and vision, nearly scoring from the halfway line with an audacious effort.

Then came a moment of magic. Daisy unleashed a rocket from just inside the Bedwell half that soared into the top corner. A stunning strike to cap a dominant first half.

The second half continued in the same vein. Elsie completed her hat-trick with a brilliant solo run, while Gracie grew into the game, dazzling defenders with her footwork and pace. Maisie was immense in midfield, a true wall that forced Bedwell into speculative long shots.

Olivia, now between the posts, was outstanding, pulling off save after save, including a brilliant diving stop that looked destined for the net. Polly, dropping into defence, made a crunching tackle that had hearts in mouths but showed her commitment to the cause.

At the final whistle, it was pure joy. High-fives, smiles, and celebrations all around. This wasn’t just about the goals, it was about teamwork, movement, support, and belief. Every player played their part in a truly special performance.

Player of the Match: Elsie – unstoppable in attack with a brilliant hat-trick.
Opposition Player of the Match: Daisy – outstanding crossing and an incredible four goals.

After the disappointment and manner of their cup exit last weekend, our U18 Boys squad returned to training mid-week with one message repeated again and again; to put in a big shift whenever pulling on the Wood shirt: running, tackling and heading from the start to the finish.

The boys’ first test of this renewed approach was away against Harpenden Colts, the match held at the Harpenden Town FC stadium. A massive club that hosts 8 teams at U18, the boys faced their top side, unbeaten in the league and at home since September, 5 points clear at the top of the top division, with all their players in the older age bracket. This was, therefore, a formidable challenge.

Nothing less than total commitment would do but, two minutes in and two balls had bounced unchallenged on the right with possession gifted away carelessly on the left. Such play is no longer acceptable in this team and the players were rightly and roundly chastised. Their response was simply perfect and the Wood were now off and running.

Keeper Elboukhari was hugely vocal from the off, bossing his box and demonstrating assured handling all game. Crucefix, Captain Ifeacho and Carlow at the back were just not in the mood to mess around, constantly attacking the ball with solid headers and covering each other so well to thwart what was a very sharp Harpenden attack. Fearon-Mcdonnell’s physical presence in the holding role was crucial but, there was even more to come from him the other way. Makamian and Green on the wings were required to work back and forth endlessly and did so with gusto, constantly out-duelling their bigger opponents and winning many free-kicks in the process, with their centre midfield partners Fan and Zefi putting in equally lung-busting shifts, snapping in the challenges time and again while producing high quality passes between the lines. Up front, Collier and Silva gave the team plenty physically and loads of quality as they harried the home defence throughout. In that first half, none of them stopped running and competing and Harpenden just couldn’t handle it.

So often this season, the long ball has bounced or headed towards the Wood’s goal; not today. With 25 minutes gone, Fearon-McDonnell rose like a condor to power it back 30 yards where it came from. Like a flash, Collier reached it first to clip a sublime lob over the keeper and give the Wood a fully deserved 0-1 lead. Harpenden responded forcing a penalty that levelled the match at half time. At the break, all the boys were blowing and in need of plenty of water, just how it should be when a shift has been made.

Second half started and the same 11 continued just where they left off and it was Fearon-Mcdonnell again who pinged a stunning, driven ball 40 yards into the path of the on-rushing Green, controlling seamlessly before being hacked down in the box. Makamian stepped up hoping to fire home his 6^th successive penalty but, the Harpenden keeper guessed correctly this time and pulled of an excellent save. No matter as MoM Green was in the process of reaching another level and after picking up possession deep, he now had the Harpenden defence on toast. Striding forward he beat one, cut inside another and then fully unleased the Kraken, the ball lodging in the top bag from 30 yards; a goal of incredible beauty!!

Harpenden fought back with everything they had in a desperate attempt to salvage the points that would all but seal the top division championship, pressing their younger opponents hard as they looked for cracks. However, there were no cracks to be seen as the Wood fought back equally hard, blow for blow, as Pop bolstered the right side and Hones announced his entry with a tackle bomb on the unsuspecting home defence. McGuinness produced a vital tackle too just when it seemed Harpenden would score and the recently injured Manning was able to get a welcome run out at the end before the ref blew up and the Wood secured a famous victory!

Over 9 seasons of learning, there has been no bigger result than the one the boys’ earnt today. They took on an outstanding, top of the table side in their own back yard, unbeaten for six months in the league and gunning for the title. As they absorb the buzz and euphoric high of their achievement, we can reflect that the source of this success was really very simple; just putting in a mighty shift and playing for each other. With this approach, anything is possible and now the boys know it and have proved it by themselves to themselves.

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Meanwhile, our U16 Girls have been steadily climbing the table after a hard start and are now up to 4th spot. They faced Garston in the Junior League Cup this weekend, winning 1-2 away from home and securing the club's first final of the season!! Well done to all the girls and staff and we have a fine May day to look forward to!