TT MATCH PREVIEW
Steve Harris – @SteveHarris84
Match details: Boreham Wood versus Torquay United
Venue: Meadow Park, Borehamwood
Date: Saturday 13th March 2021
Kick-off: 5.20pm
Current form (last six all competitions):
Boreham Wood: W, D, D, L, D, D
Torquay United: W, D, L, W, L, L
Top scorers:
Boreham Wood: Kabongo Tshimanga 13
Torquay: Asa Hall 10
Head to Head:
Boreham Wood: 6
Draw: 1
Torquay: 5
Last time the two teams met: Boreham Wood 0 – 4 Torquay United, Tuesday 19th January 2021, FA Trophy fourth round
Torquay United marked Gary Johnson’s 100th game as manager of the Gulls in the best possible way as they hit four past Boreham Wood to book their place in the Last 16 of the FA Trophy.
After a goalless first half, United took the lead in the 49th minute when skipper Asa Hall found the target with a shot on the turn with his seventh goal of the campaign.
With eight minutes to go, substitute Billy Waters doubled United’s lead, after he was teed up by Ben Whitfield. A minute later, Waters turned provider as he set up Plymouth Argyle loanee Adam Randell for the Gulls’ third of the evening, which effectively ended the game as a contest.
However, the scoring wasn’t finished there as a ball into the box from Whitfield fell to Waters, who then set up Connor Lemonheigh-Evans to tap home from close range with his sixth goal of the season; it was United’s 59th win under Johnson in all competitions.
Manager: Luke Garrard
Since succeeding Ian Allinson as manager of Boreham Wood in 2015, Luke Garrard has turned out a number of competitive sides on a regular basis during his five years in charge. In his first season in charge, the 2015-16 campaign, he steered the Wood to safety, which was followed by an 11th place finish in 2016-17. In the subsequent 2017-18 campaign, the Wood enjoyed arguably their finest season under his reign when they reached the National League play-off final, where they were beaten by Tranmere Rovers. Last season Garrard led the Wood to the play-offs again, where they were eliminated by FC Halifax Town in the quarter finals.
One to watch: Kabongo Tshimanga
The Plainmoor faithful first came across Kabongo Tshimanga during their title winning season in National League South, when he found the back of the net for Oxford City in their 7-2 defeat to United in January 2019. His exploits brought him to the attentions of Boreham Wood manager Luke Garrard who snapped him up for the Wood in the summer of 2019. Tshimanga has continued to find the back of the net for Boreham Wood in the National League and has attracted the attentions of numerous Football League clubs.
Probable line-ups:
Boreham Wood (3-5-2):
Nathan Ashmore
David Stephens – Jamal Fyfield – Femi Ilesanmi
Kane Smith – Mark Ricketts – Gus Mafuta – Kieran Murtagh – Jordan Whitely
Tyrone Marsh – Kabongo Tshimanga
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Torquay (4-2-3-1):
Shaun MacDonald
Ben Wynter – Sam Sherring – Joe Lewis – Jake Andrews
Adam Randell – Asa Hall
Armani Little – Connor Lemonheigh-Evans – Ben Whitfield
Scott Boden
