Veteran Adedeji is Wood hero at Tooting

8:08am Monday 18th August 2008

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Tooting & Mitcham 1 Boreham Wood 2 . . .

Ryman League Premier Division . . .

Thirty-eight-year-old Ollie Adedeji produced one of the most memorable individual performances to ensure Ian Allinson maximum points in his first game as a manager at Ryman Premier level.

Up against a team raring to go after being promoted last season via the play-offs with an 88-goal haul in the league, Adedeji turned in a faultless performance. He was so dominant against the major strike threat of Paul Vines that Wood keeper Noel Imber was rarely troubled throughout.

It was Wood's ability to nullify and frustrate that led to victory, with a competent all-round team performance.

Water tight in defence, Wood showed a real hunger, with goals from Luke Donnelly after seven minutes and substitute Eugene Ofori in the last minute of normal time sealing maximum points.

Whilst Imber dominated his area throughout, the Terrors’ defence had a torrid time dealing with set pieces all afternoon and were duly punished early on.

Chris Watters almost took advantage of a fine clearance from Imber, and only hesitancy on his part allowed Oliver Hunt to make a saving challenge.

A minute later Watters sent over a free kick from the right which was completely missed by a defender, allowing Donnelly to head home from close range, leading to a spirited celebration with every player showing commitment to the cause.

Wood continued in the ascendancy with Mario Noto knocking a corner out to Lee Allinson, who shot just wide of Dave King's right-hand post.

Greg Morgan baffled Terrors captain Joe Vines with fleet-footed skills down the right as Wood fought for every ball.

Elliot Buchanan found Jamie Byatt flat-footed, stealing possession before testing King with a low drive, whilst Adedeji simply won every header and every challenge that he contested, leaving the home side second best. In fact, a weak shot that dribbled towards Imber from Paul Vines was pretty much all that Tooting could muster in the opening half, with Noto, Watters and Morgan engineering some neat and precise movements towards goal at the other end.

Tooting were equally guilty in conceding possession in the second half, with Noto and Buchanan both finding space to shoot. In contrast, Wood continued to battle as a team, covering acres of grass as a unit to nullify any threats of counter attack.

Tooting pulled level from a long-range low ball forward which found its way through a host of players to Paul Vines who kept his head to take full advantage of his advanced position after 63 minutes.

Jon Wordsworth earned an immediate yellow card for questioning the assistant referee over the lack of an offside flag.

Morgan twice found himself in good goalscoring positions, thanks to the superb movement of his team-mates and the hesitant defending of the home side.

The Terrors mounted a fine attack on goal when substitutes Craig Pitterson and John Henry-Haydon combined down the right, with the latter's cross destined for the boot of Paul Vines, save for a brilliant sliding clearance by Paul Burrows.

What happened next was a mystery to all present, as the referee presented Wordsworth with a second yellow card for a foul that only he had perceived, thus winning over the rest of the crowd.

Tooting failed to make their man advantage count in the final 14 minutes, plus five more of stoppage time. In fact, the decision seemed to spur Wood on and Noto sent a brilliant ball from one side of the park to the other, finding Morgan who, had he controlled his volley, would have sealed the points in style.

Danny Barber troubled King with a thirty-yard pile driver, whilst Aaron Goode teed up a blunderbuss of a shot at the opposite end that Imber duly gobbled up, before Wood took the points through Ofori.

A corner delivered by Donnelly was headed back across goal by Allinson who found the ex-Braintree striker, who powered home at the near post with his head.

Wood manager Ian Allinson said: “I was pleased to see how far we have come. Every player stuck to their task and did their job. We succeeded in nullifying their strengths as an attacking outfit, with Ollie Adedeji, in particular, in outstanding form. We were very organised and competed well throughout.”

He added: “You only have to see the way the players congratulated each other after the two goals that we have a set of proud players who want to succeed for this club. In amongst the squad are a group of players I brought along from my previous club who are only used to winning. They do not take kindly to losing and that showed throughout the side.”

WOOD: Imber, Burrows, Barber, Wordsworth, Adedeji, Donnelly, Morgan, Allinson, Buchanan (Ofori 75), Noto, Watters (Donovan 79). Subs not used: Reidy, Burgess.

JOHN MEAD