Boring Wood

To quote Danny Blanchflower "It is football's power to so readily and regularly corrupt emotions and senses that is the addictive and enduring appeal of the game" and on many occasions this is true, the buzz of a last minute winner (or two goals in 4 minutes to snatch a draw against Darlo for example) can leave you floating out of a ground buzzing with adrenaline and excitement at what you have just seen, however, sometimes football shafts you and makes you watch a game that is so devoid of entertainment that you find yourself praying for the final whistle.

Sadly, the game against Boreham Wood was one such game, other than being the topic of a fairly amusing terrace chant of last season (we're all going on a train to Boreham Wood) there is little to say of note about Boreham Wood, and they are just another of the South East teams we will have to face this season, and it was with this lack of excitement that an expectedly low crowd of 508 turned up.

City's seemingly never ending injury list continues, with Josh Low and Joe Burnell injured and the news that Sekani Simpsons knee injury collected at Salisbury was to keep him out until the new year at the earliest. So Luke Cummings continued deputising at rightback/wingback and a midfield three of Connolly, Keats and Allen provided little width, if some nice passing ability.

Within the first minute Guthrie was fouled on the very edge of the area, some say in the area, and a freekick was awarded, sadly it wasn't in the box as and early goal may have completely changed the tone of the game. As it was the freekick led to nothing and an early chance passed.

Guthrie then had the best chance of the game, when his powerful downward header from an Aaron Brown corner was cleared off the line by a desperate hack from the Boreham Wood defender.

The Boreham Wood keeper was looking nervy and pretty useless, but sadly City weren't able to capitalise on this and should have really put the custodian under greater pressure. A few chances came and went, but none seemed clear cut and nailed on chances.

The second half was more tedious than the first, and the only thing of note was a booking for Jimmer when he committed two fouls in quick succession to prevent the breakaway, a lusty rendition of "We love Jim Rollo" was sung in anticipation of the guaranteed red card, miraculously it was only a yellow, but the sad state of affairs is that a foul is my most vivid memory of the second half.

The game finished 0-0 the first stalemate since Luton Town visited in January 2011. While the performance wasn't great, it wasn't worth the handwringing and panic the draw has brought about, but God I hope the next game I see the men in black and white play is much more attacking and exciting.