The 23rd meeting of the Fleet and Boreham Wood is all set to end the 23/24 campaign in a huge climax for both clubs – and in one of the League’s tightest ever relegation battles – as Saturday’s televised showdown looms ever closer.
Since 1998, the two sides have battled it out in the National League, National South, Ryman League, FA Cup and FA Trophy – but this next one is without doubt the biggest meeting between us of this past quarter-century.
The stats lean in the Fleet’s favour with 11 wins compared to the Wood’s six, and six draws. The Fleet are also four unbeaten at Meadow Park with the last defeat there coming in March 2014 and our complete record at the Wood is won six, drawn one and lost four.
Not one of the 11 previous meetings at Meadow Park has ever generated a four-figure crowd – but this particular statistic is set to be buried as Fleet fans snap up the allocation to cheer their side on against a Boreham Wood team that needs all three points for survival.
That certainly gives this fixture a cup-tie edge or something more akin to a promotion final – although the two sides have only ever contested two cup ties: a win in the FA Cup for the Fleet (2010) and one in the Trophy for Boreham Wood (2006).
Arguably the previous biggest clash between the clubs from a Fleet point of view came in 2002 (pictured above) when lower mid-table Boreham Wood visited Stonebridge Road on the penultimate day of the season with the Fleet chasing the Isthmian Premier title. The Wood shocked the home side with a 1-0 win that could have derailed the title bid but for rivals Canvey Island having failed to win as well, leaving Fleet to wrap up the league on the final day.
Here are our last four visits to Meadow Park ahead of the most important of them this Saturday!
04/01/2015 : Boreham Wood 1-3 Fleet
With league leaders Boreham Wood going toe to toe with Bromley for the National South title, Fleet were trying to find their feet under new boss Jamie Day. After double home losses to Basingstoke Town and Chelmsford City, a depleted Fleet – “adopting a Jekyll & Hyde approach to home and away matches” according to the match report – sprung a surprise on the Wood courtesy of a Billy Bricknell double and an Anthony Cook goal. The brave visitors had to weather plenty of storms from the leaders but killed the game with two quick goals in the second-half. Current Wood striker Tyrone Marsh played for the Fleet that day.
23/09/2017 : Boreham Wood 0-1 Fleet
New to the National League, Fleet were earning plenty of draws but struggling to find a win after 10 matches without one. It all came together at Meadow Park for the reds as Danny Kedwell struck courtesy of a second-half penalty. Boreham Wood had beaten both Aldershot and Leyton Orient at home just before the Fleet’s visit and were scoring plenty of goals but the visiting defence kept them quiet. The breakthrough came 20 minutes from the end when Darren McQueen (who scored twice against the Wood earlier this season) squeezed through two defenders before being manhandled to the ground and Kedwell took the points. Some 215 Fleet fans made up a good proportion of the 622 crowd that day.
17/11/2018 : Boreham Wood 0-0 Fleet
Garry Hill’s first league game in charge was a tight encounter as the two sides cancelled each other in this goalless draw. Fleet had the best of the first-half and the final quarter of an hour but had to hold the line against the home side for the rest of a fairly pedestrian encounter.
26/08/2019 : Boreham Wood 1-2 Fleet
An against-the-odds win for the Fleet who went into this one bottom of the table but secured a first league win of the season after a run of five defeats and a draw. Under an unforgiving sun and 32°C of heat, Wood were reduced to 10 men early on when Femi Ilesanmi upended Lawrie Wilson. A cracking shot from 25 yards from James Ball put the Fleet in front on 15 minutes and three minutes later Gozie Ugwu fired past future Fleet keeper David Gregory for 2-0. Tyrone Marsh converted a late penalty past new Fleet goalkeeper Jordan Holmes, who had replaced Boreham Wood-bound Nathan Ashmore, to set up a nervous finale with the visitors having to adopt a makeshift formation – but the win was ours.
