HotChocolate Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 Good start over HH, hopefully you get your points total and have a cracking season. Just read through for the first time and will certainly be back following. Thanks hopefully it's onwards and upwards... He seems to be a really good international manager in this game. In my save he took England to a European Cup win in 2020. Russell Slade was England manager for a bit :confused: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 Whitehawk vs Boreham Wood Our second game of the season we faced Whitehawk, who were fancied as the ‘dark horse’ for the league. We kicked straight into gear though and from a Whitehawk corner Ironside latched onto the clearance, played a lovely one-two with Akintunde to leave him with an easy tap in, 1-0 and just 2 minutes gone. 4 minutes later Evan Leach had a direct free kick in a promising position but couldn’t capitalize as he hit it straight at the wall. Fortunately, the ball bounced straight back to him for another bite of the cherry but he could only hit the post and the ball was cleared. We carried on our dominance though and without even 20 minutes gone we made it 2-0. Nick Hopkins with a thunderous shot that cannoned off the bar fell straight to the feet of Barnes who has an easy tap in for his 2nd of the season. Into the 2nd half and a terrible defensive mistake left them with an open goal, 2-1 and the fear we’d throw away the points was apparent. Defensive we went; I had to make sure we didn’t concede again. We couldn’t throw away these leads if we were to win the league; we had to start seeing teams off. So when Ironside burst through late on to seal a 3-1 the relief was huge, maybe we could start seeing teams off and not gifting them points? Result: Whitehawk 1 Boreham Wood 3 Points earned: 6 Remaining needed: 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 Margate vs Boreham Wood In the 3rd game away at Margate we started nervously. The players didn’t seem in tune with the game and the injury to Lewis Hornby didn’t help. We had to re-adjust and try win possession to build ourselves into the game. It didn’t take us long to shake off the edgy start as Ironside ran onto the end of a long ball, crossed it hopefully into the box, where Barnes nicked it off the defenders feet and buried for 1-0. Only 6 minutes later we had a free kick on the edge of the area, Huw Johnson stepped up confidently and we all knew what the result would be, 2-0 and we weren’t stopping there. 3 minutes later a free kick further back, this time Johnson chipped the ball into the area and the only player switched on was Ironside, who had an easy finish for 3-0. We were cruising until 4 minutes into the 2nd half when they got a goal back to put us under pressure. Then 80 minutes on the clock a miss timed jump from our defender left them with a chance to make it 3-2, which they did. Why can’t we defend? Kill the game off at 3-0 and waltz to victory? In the end we managed to hold out to make it 3 wins out of 3 but I do wish we made it easier for my heart! Now just 1 point needed from my next 2 games… Result: Margate 2 Boreham Wood 3 Points earned: 9 Remaining needed: 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 Boreham Wood vs Dover Athletic All we needed was a draw and I was safe. Up next we had bottom of the league Dover Athletic, I was certain it would be a curse to play the team in 22nd. 6 minutes in, stone wall penalty denied as Ironside was brought down from behind, then on the 41st minute Ironside hit the bar with a point blank range header – again, I could just feel it was going to be ‘one of those days?’ 57 minutes gone, we playted it into the box and that man again, Ironside latched onto the end of it and made no mistake in firing the ball home for 1-0. Relief. We looked comfortable from there on out, Southwood had to make one routine save down to his right in added on time but minutes later the full time whistle was blown and it was 4 wins from 4, 12 points from 12 and hopefully time for a new contract? Result: Boreham Wood 1 Dover Athletic 0 Points earned: 12 Remaining needed: 0 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
True Blade Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 1st place or I'm quitting this thread. No pressure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 Boreham Wood vs Maidstone I was hoping I’d already done enough to secure my position as Boreham Wood manager in the first 4 games. So now it was all about taking the great early form into the coming games and cementing our position at the top. In the 5th game of the season and the final of my ‘review’ we faced Maidstone. Frustratingly, we seemed switched off and not interested as there was nothing to report in the first 45 minutes. Until we got a corner in added on time, which Reynolds got onto the end of to head us into the lead, 1-0. After the break Ironside made it 2 from the penalty spot before Spence added a 3rd to wrap up the 3 points. In the end an easy win, we just need to make sure we start the game stronger as better teams will take advantage. Result: Boreham Wood 3 Maidstone 0 Points earned: 15 Remaining needed: 0 I was sitting pretty at the top, 5 wins out of 5 had set us up for a perfect start to the campaign and earned me Manager of the Month. Here’s hoping we can carry on this great run and really make a mark on the league. To top off the great start, Kyle Spence got a call up to the Scotland U21 team. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Bummer way to end last season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share Posted March 31, 2015 Boreham Wood Half-Season 2018-2019 After winning the first 5 games we promptly lost 3-1 to Havant & Waterlooville. Fortunately, that was followed by a run of 11 games unbeaten as we really started to show up and make a mark on the league. However, we are suffering badly with injuries, just after extending Ryan Barnes loan till the end of the season he tore his calf muscle that will keep him out for 4-5 months, then in November Lipman was ruled out for 2 months before we lost both our LB's in the space of 2 weeks as Muscatt was out for 4-5 months and youngster Oates was out of action for 3 months. It didn't look pretty at times and we had to rely on youth player Callum Andrew to fill in the vacant LB position. The good bit of news is that Joe Ironside extended his contract for a couple of years and on the same day I accepted a new contract offer to take me off the month-to-month basis. Ironside then went on and picked up Player of the Month for September before I won Manager of the Month for October. We then turned up for our biggest game of the season against Farnborough who were sitting 2nd at the time just a few points us, as we trounced them 4-0 including a 2nd half Joe Ironside hat-trick who was on scintillating form. We've ended the first half of the season a little shaky, without a win in 4 and another game where we threw away the win against Bromley. 82 minutes on the clock we won a penalty and their player went for an early bath, 2-0 we made it. Comfortable, right? Wrong. They hit straight back and made it 2-1 before a goal line clearance from Callum Andrew smashed into the face of the Bromley and rolled into the back of the net to make it 2-2. - Vanarama Conference South - FA Cup - Yet again, a disappointing exit at the 3rd qualifying round to non league Kingstonian on penalties. FA Trophy - Into the 2nd round after defeating same league opposition twice in replays, Chelmsford & Maidenhead on the receiving end. Squad - Moving into the 2nd half of the season we have to maintain the form we had before this 4 game blip. I can't let us slip up as Basingstoke are on tails and chasing. With Ironside being on amazing form, grabbing 22 goals from 28 games I fear that if he can't keep up that record we may start to drop a few points and with no out-and-out back-up striker the pressure really is on him. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
True Blade Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Just mirror this half of the season and the title's yours Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share Posted March 31, 2015 Bummer way to end last season. It wasn't good, having been in the play-off spots for a lot of the season made it hard to take. But we didn't deserve any more from the way we played! Just mirror this half of the season and the title's yours Yeah, if only it was that easy I wouldn't be in my 5th season of this tier Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nottingham Forest Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Going well HC. This year is your year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 Going well HC. This year is your year. I certainly hope so, had over 200 games in the 6th tier now Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 Boreham Wood February Update 2018-2019 After a run of 4 games without a win we managed to bounce straight back against Hemel Hempstead with a 3-2 victory before easing past Whitehawk 2-1 and scoring a 79th minute winner against Margate. Our confidence was back and we were looking to push on and break free from the chasing pack. So a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Dover wasn't what I expected and we only just managed to earn a point against Havant & Waterlooville with a 93rd minute equalizer. Then again against Maidstone we didn't show up and got soundly beaten 2-1. We got back to winning ways when we faced relegation threatened Eastbourne Boro but Farnborough who had levelled on points when we lost to Maidstone had now overtaken us on goal difference. At the end of January I dipped into the transfer market to sign Striker, Byron Harrison on a free. Falling 2nd made the Basingstoke game vital, we couldn't lose ground and it wasn't going to be easy. Basingstoke sat 3rd. An awful first half saw us enter the break 2-0 down, I laid into the players and told them exactly what I thought, we were throwing away the league for a 2nd year running. What a team talk it was, we came straight out the blocks and stole all 3 points with goals from Austin Lipman, Evan Leach & Kyle Spence. Unfortunately, young-aspiring LB Callum Andrew was ruled out for 4 months along with my other 2 LB's, which meant it was time for 4th choice Tony Diagne. We made another comeback against Maidenhead, super-sub Nick Hopkins and new signing Byron Harrison grabbing 2 goals each in the 2nd half to give us a 4-2 victory. We finished February with 2 more good wins, 3-0 vs Billericay and 1-0 vs Weymouth. - Vanarama Conference South - FA Trophy - We were knocked out in the 2nd round to Conference side Wealdstone. Squad - With Byron Harrison now offering an alternative option upfront we look strong. Ironside's form has slipped massively and that was the main reason for bringing Harrison in. A couple of injuries to our attack mids have limited the rotation but for now, we are coping well and are all in good spirits. I picked up Manager of the Month for February and with 10 games left we look in a good position to push on and win the league, finally! It's never going to be as easy as that though with me so let's hope this year is our year as I'd rather not make another landmark in this tier after reaching 200 games. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
True Blade Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 It would take something special to not win the league now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 Boreham Wood February Update 2018-2019 The biggest 10 games of my career were upon me, 6 points clear at the top but with a history of bottling it. We started with a 1-1 draw against Bath, not the worst result as we'd won 5 on the bounce previous but still it made me nervous and hitting back against Dorchester was a must. We started terribly, 1-0 down at half time and we'd not threatened once, 10 minutes to change it I said and 10 minutes later nothing positive had happened so a triple substition was needed. Sadly that also had no effect. Or so I thought, 81 minutes in captain Cox chipped a ball over the defence perfectly for sub Harrison to fire a half volley into the back of the net and bring us level. Only a few minutes later Evan Leach was through on goal and buried to put us in the lead before Harrison wrapped up the 3 points with his 2nd of the night. As Farnborough had been beaten we were now 9 points clear at the top with 8 games left and we faced them next... We kicked off the huge game knowing a win would put us out of sight but a defeat would give Farnborough a glimmer of hope. A drab first half closed out with no chances, I was happy - take a scrappy point, keep the 9 point gap. Not even a minute into the 2nd half and Farnborough took the lead. We never looked like getting back into it after that, they closed us out with ease and Wilson all but ended our hopes as he picked up 2 yellow cards in 3 minutes. The referee blew for full time and the gap was closed to 6 with 7 games left. We had to revive our bounce back ability that I've talked about all season in the next few games. And we stepped up to the challenge with a 2-1 win against Hampton & Richmond, a 4-2 victory over Bishop's Stortford and a 3-2 success over Sutton Utd that left us 12 points clear with 4 games left. This was our year surely? 1 point from 4 games was all we needed to seal the league title. But we crumbled under pressure against Dartford losing 2-0 without ever really being in the game. Farnborough won their which meant they were still mathematically in with a chance of winning the league. I reminded the boys of what was required during a team meeting but they reacted badly, they felt under pressure even more so and it showed again against Chelmsford. 1-1 at half time, I asked them to liven up, show some passion. Wilson again, took my words a bit too seriously as he lunged into a challenge that was only ever going to earn him a red. However, with less than half an hour of the game remaining I tightened up, after all a point is what we needed and it was a point we had. Chelmsford piled forward but missed sitter after sitter. There was only one out come... A late break away goal to snatch all 3 points & that's exactly what we did, Ironside firing the Boreham Wood fans into delirium with just 3 minutes left. Even I let myself go, I started the promotion party. Which was abruptly cut short as Chelmsford levelled straight from the restart, this was followed by another red card, this time for Callum Andrew. 9 men with seconds left, Chelmsford had a free kick which they whipped in dangerously, almost too dangerously as it evaded everyone and rolled out for a goal kick. Time up, time up I screamed. The referee agreed, put the whistle to his mouth and blew for full time. That was it... WE WERE CHAMPIONS! Sore heads was my excuse for the defeat to Bromley but we didn't care, we were up and we turned out for the home crowd against Hayes & Yeading. Joe Ironside grabbed a hat-trick to well and truly secure his record breaking goal scoring season in a 4-1 win to end a tremendous season at Meadow Park. - Vanarama Conference South - We're top of the league, we're top of the leeeaaague, we're Boreham Wood, we're top of the league! FA Cup - A poor performance where we exited the competition to non-league Kingstonian on penalties, in the replay. FA Trophy - Battled well against teams from our league but eventually lost to Conference side Wealdstone in the 2nd round. Squad - A perfectly built squad that was developed over the past 3 years. We finally came good, we improved where we lacked last season and it worked wonders. The very pleasing aspect was how well my midfielders did at chipping in with goals, after Ironside lost his touch they got involved and made sure we didn't falter. Team Stats - We had the joint 3rd best defence along with the 2nd best attack whilst the disciplinary problems returned. Player Stats - Joe Ironside took top goalscorer & came joint 1st with most Player of the Match awards. Finances - Very, very solid for a team of our stature. The future looks bright even with a small fan base. Under 18's - Champions for the 2nd year running! Key Players Luke Southwood GK - He shared the number 1 jersey last season but made it his own this campaign with some fabulous saves to earn us valuable points. Callum Reynolds CB - Was captain last season but decided to replace him with Sam Cox which he took as a true professional. Played a lot more than I expected as he excelled in every way and never gave me a reason to drop him. And set a new Boreham Wood appearances tally. Joe Ironside ST - An incredible start to the season with 22 goals in 27 games petered out in the 2nd half but he still scored vital goals and hit 31 goals in the campaign - not an easy feat. The Future I'm happy at Boreham Wood but with my contract up at the end of the season I am glancing at the job centre. I've delayed signing a new contract till the end of season as I would like to see if anything comes my way. However, I'm not bypassing the Conference. Nothing is concrete yet but I've applied for the Crawley Town post & I'm keeping tabs on Chesterfield who have just being relegated from League 2. Season Team League Position FA Cup FA Trophy Notes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2014/2015 Hednesford Town Vanarama Conference North 8th 4th Qual Rnd 1st Round Took over in October 2015/2016 Hednesford Town Vanarama Conference North - - - Sacked in August 2015/2016 Tamworth Vanarama Conference North 21st - 3rd Qual Rnd Took over November, Relegated 2016/2017 Boreham Wood Vanarama Conference South 2nd 3rd Qual Rnd 3rd Qual Rnd Lost in Play-Off Final 2017/2018 Boreham Wood Vanarama Conference South 6th 2nd Qual Rnd 2nd Round - 2018/2019 Boreham Wood Vanarama Conference South 1st 3rd Qual Rnd 2nd Round Promoted as Champions! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
True Blade Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 It's about time! Well done HC, onwards and upwards! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Good work going up this time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 2, 2015 Author Share Posted April 2, 2015 Boreham Wood Pre-Season 2019-2020 At the end of the season, after being unsuccessful for the Crawley job, I signed a new contract with Boreham Wood and immediately started planning for the coming season. Friendlies - All a much of a muchness really, we won the games we expected and lost the ones we didn't whilst picking up a good draw against Brentford. Transfers - After retaining many youngsters over the past few seasons I re-evaluated and let go the ones that just weren't going to make it and it turned out to be quite a few. Coming in there was much less activity than I'd hoped and expected. This was due to players demanding too much & just not being able to find the right ones. I'm very stubborn with wages and I'd made it clear I wasn't going above £900 a week for any player. However, I am still pleased with the players brought in and even if they don't perform I have £5,500 of my wages left and £63k transfer budget to play with. Squad - After renewing a lot of first team contracts we did only need a couple of additions, which were made. I believe we have quality in every department as well as the required back-up for when the injuries take their toll. One player that I'm determined to give game time is 17 year old Mo Furness, an AMC who shows a lot of promise. Expectation - I told the board I wanted to consolidate in the Conference, I'm not going to pull up any trees - this year is all about surviving. In the cups I'd like to actually get to the 1st round of the FA Cup seen as I've never made it! And in the FA Trophy it's just to go as far as I can. Finances - Still looking very healthy and with how well I've managed the wage & transfer budget, if I do say so myself, I can't imagine we'll be in much danger. New Signings Andreas Isene RB - Norweigan Under 21 international, shows a lot of promise even at the age of 20. He was signed to challenge Barry for the RB position which is exactly what he did in pre-season and I'd now consider him my first choice RB. Graham Crowther AMR - I was hoping to not rely soely on the loan system for my back-up players. However, after struggling to source any ideal AMR & AML's I decided to dip into the loan market and managed to find a Crowther who'll provide the much needed back-up. Max Ross CM - On loan from Brentford this technically gifted CM is an ideal fit for my box to box midfielder and I fully expect him to be a prominent face throughout the season. Oli White AML - As with Crowther, White was signed as a back-up initially but he does have the ability to challenge Spence to the first choice AML. Sindri Scheving LB - An Icelandic LB who won 30 caps for the U21 internationals. Past few years I've struggled to find a LB that performs consistently so I'm hoping that Scheving is the answer! Tom Walters CM - A free transfer from Boston United (who signed CM Lewis Horby in return). Another youngster that was signed primarily to offer back-up to the CM positions whilst earning valuable game time to help his development. A Swift Summary It's simple this year, we have to stay up. I don't care who, what, how, where or when just so long as we're not in the bottom 4 at the end of the season. I have no other expectations, I'm just looking to get Boreham Wood safe. However, I will be looking at what jobs become available as I feel this is my last year at Boreham Wood. Again, I don't want to bypass the Conference so I will only be looking for jobs in this division and it will only be the larger reputation clubs that I will look towards. Given my history, wish me luck! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 2, 2015 Author Share Posted April 2, 2015 It's about time! Well done HC, onwards and upwards! Cheers, you're right - it was about time! Good work going up this time. Thanks delta Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Getting there slowly, that's the kind of career I like. Will follow closely. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 2, 2015 Author Share Posted April 2, 2015 Getting there slowly, that's the kind of career I like. Will follow closely. Cheers Rikulec, appreciate it. It sounds odd but I don't get that much enjoyment from winning instantly (I had it back in 2012 where I just climbed league after league with ease). I much prefer building teams and sticking with it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Well done winning Conference South. You said you lost to non league Kingstonian in the FA Cup... you're non league yourself. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 2, 2015 Author Share Posted April 2, 2015 Well done winning Conference South.You said you lost to non league Kingstonian in the FA Cup... you're non league yourself. I am yes. But in FM I always class the teams below VCS & VCN as non-league Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Äktsjon Männ Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Cheers Rikulec, appreciate it.It sounds odd but I don't get that much enjoyment from winning instantly (I had it back in 2012 where I just climbed league after league with ease). I much prefer building teams and sticking with it. It's definitely more enjoyable to read when someone has ups and downs instead of constant success. Most careers on here are promotion after promotion followed by 20 consecutive league wins - where's the story in that? Anyway, good luck in the Conference. I remember managing Boreham Wood in FM13 I think and they seemed to have a pretty nice setup for that level. Should be a good situation with some room to grow. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 Boreham Wood Opening 10 Games 2019-2020 We kicked off our Conference campaign away at York City, my only objective for the first handful of games was 'points', we just needed to get points on the board. And we couldn't have asked for a better started, just 11 minutes gone Lacon Williamson whipped in the ball low and hard into the box where Austin Lipman was the quickest to react to fire us into the lead. We ran out 3-1 winners in the end and I couldn't have been happier with the team. Then we faced Crawley Town at home and we picked up another 3 points with a 1-0 win before earning a hard fought draw away at Barrow. We kept up the great performances with a 4-1 victory over Wrexham and a 1-1 draw away at Chesterfield. Our unbeaten start was seemingly coming to an end against Dagenham & Redbridge after miscommunication between Southwood and our defence left them with an easy finish to make it 2-1. Somehow, we battled back and with pure grit and determination we managed to find a 95th minute equalizer through captain Cox - the sweetest of all points. Another draw followed against Aldershot but it had been an unbelievable start, we were 2nd in the league behind Cheltenham and I was just staring at our points tally in disbelief. A 3-0 defeat to Southend brought us back down to earth, but who was I to complain? I was still looking at the comfortable points gap between us and the bottom 4. All last season I talked about bounce back ability and we it had in abundance against Macclesfield as we were 3-0 up after 8 minutes and then 4-0 up within 17 minutes before eventually running out 5-1 winners. - Vanarama Conference - A Swift Summary 4th in the table, what a start. I'm not expecting to pull up any trees, I am still concentrated on staying up but this start should relieve a whole load of pressure come the end of the season. The squad has gelled unbelievably well and again, our midfielders are pulling their weight with important goals. We do keep losing Andreas Isene to international duty but we've got enough back up to deal with the absense & he'll surely grow with the experience. One new addition was defender Dave O'Brien who comes in to challenge for a first team spot but also offers a good support. Always interesting to see how much we're spending on wages in comparison to teams in the league and given that I have £5,500 of my wage budget left I thought I'd be practically bottom. However, I like to have all my players on a contract rather than non-contract, which is why I am edging above teams like Altrincham and Harrogate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTM1977 Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Nice start for the season, now you just need to keep that form going Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
True Blade Posted April 3, 2015 Share Posted April 3, 2015 Stormin' start there Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 It's definitely more enjoyable to read when someone has ups and downs instead of constant success. Most careers on here are promotion after promotion followed by 20 consecutive league wins - where's the story in that?Anyway, good luck in the Conference. I remember managing Boreham Wood in FM13 I think and they seemed to have a pretty nice setup for that level. Should be a good situation with some room to grow. Thanks Aktsjon, I'm glad you think my thread is enjoyable to read Nice start for the season, now you just need to keep that form going I see no pressure in keeping up top 5 form, it's all about picking up points to survive! Stormin' start there We've hit the ground running from last season certainly Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 3, 2015 Author Share Posted April 3, 2015 Boreham Wood 1st Half of the Season 2019-2020 Our 11th game of the season was against former club Hednesford where we came away with a point after a 1-1 draw. 2 solid wins on the bounce against North Ferriby and Ebsfleet meant we stayed within the play-off positions and gave ourselves 6 more points to add to the tally. Unfortunately, a 3-2 victory over Harrogate was sandwiched in between defeats to Accrington and Stockport, this saw us slip out of the top 5 but we were by far exceeding expectations so I wasn't worried. November was a mixed bag of results, we started with a 1-1 draw at Altrincham before battering Hyde 4-1 at Meadows Park. This was followed by a 94th minute equalizer that salvaged 2-2 draw with Eastleigh who were rock bottom but then a fantastic 1-1 draw away at league leaders Cheltenham. However, hours before kick-off at Cheltenham I was interviewed by Notts County for the vacant manager role. This prompted Boreham Wood to propose talks for me to stay, which I turned down and only a few days later I was offered the Notts County job. Notts County are 9th in Sky Bet League 2 I was flattered but it came at the wrong time, having achieved promotion with Boreham Wood after 3 seasons I want to keep them safe for this season before I look elsewhere. So thanks Notts County, but no thanks right now. Again, the board asked me to talk about renewing my contract but I turned them down. I want to keep my options open for the end of the season. Back to business it was. Whether the talks had distracted me & the players I wont know but we suffered a 2-0 defeat to Bromley before bouncing back with a 2-0 win over Braintree. Yet again I was approached by clubs, this time it was York City, Harrogate Town & Hyde. I declined all these interviews. We finished the 1st half the season with a 2-0 defeat to Lincoln. - Vanarama Conference - We may have slipped out of the play-offs but we're still in a very impressive 6th place and with survival the aim, I'm starting to relax and enjoy the games more as we pick up more and more points. FA Cup - Against Eastbourne Boro in the 4th Qual Rnd we had a thoroughly entertaining game, 2-2 after just 16 minutes and it could have been 3-2 if Harrison hadn't missed a sitter. We battled on to win 5-3 and reach the First Round for the first time in my career. We faced local side Luton Town who we know well from pre-season friendlies. Early on Luke Moore put them in front before we hit back with a Mo Furness goal before the break. In the 2nd half both teams struggled to get going, Ironside missed a one-on-one before they won it with all but the last kick of the game. FA Trophy - We're in the 2nd round for the 3rd year running after super sub Joe Ironside bagged 2 goals against Dagenham & Redbridge. A Swift Summary A fantastic first half of the season, something I didn't expect! The squad have really got us going this year and we've never looked in danger of slipping out of the top 10. Relegation from here would be somewhat disastorous and so long as keep a good number of points coming in we should have a comfortable season. I'm delighted to be recognised by Sky Bet League 2 teams and I was tempted by Notts County but I can't leave Boreham Wood at this stage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTM1977 Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 I like how you handled the job offer, i usually feel exactly the same. If the job offer comes "at the wrong time" i just can't take it, because i would feel like abandoning my team. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 4, 2015 Author Share Posted April 4, 2015 I like how you handled the job offer, i usually feel exactly the same. If the job offer comes "at the wrong time" i just can't take it, because i would feel like abandoning my team. Indeed, it was a great opportunity for me but it just came at the wrong time as I feel I can't leave Boreham Wood yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 I thought with the way you started the save it would be a struggle for the remainder of the thread tbh, but you did well to bounce back with the title after the 6th place finish I would have thought the Notts County job would have been too hard to turn down but can see your point about keeping Boreham Wood up, though looking at your position at the minute 4 points off a play off spot with half a season to go you could be in League 2 soon anyway Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
True Blade Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Crackin' first half Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 4, 2015 Author Share Posted April 4, 2015 I thought with the way you started the save it would be a struggle for the remainder of the thread tbh, but you did well to bounce back with the title after the 6th place finish I would have thought the Notts County job would have been too hard to turn down but can see your point about keeping Boreham Wood up, though looking at your position at the minute 4 points off a play off spot with half a season to go you could be in League 2 soon anyway Ah I know - that season when we finished 6th was poor, I thought I'd never get out of that league Crackin' first half Much better than I anticipated! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 4, 2015 Author Share Posted April 4, 2015 Boreham Wood February 2019-2020 We made our way to the checkatrade.com Stadium (yes, Crawley Town's stadium really is called the checkatrade.com Stadium in real life at least) on a bitterly cold Tuesday night in the middle of December... The joys of non-league! Fortunately we warmed the hearts of our travelling fans with a quality 3-0 victory. Sadly, that spelled the end of Gary O'Neil's reign at the checkatrade.com Stadium and a week later Crawley approached me for an interview, which I turned down. We then stormed on with a win over York City and Barrow before we got pulled apart away to Wrexham on New Years Day. During December I was offered an interview at a very appealing Blackpool side who found them self mid-table of the Sky Bet League 2. After much deliberation I turned down the interview, purely on the basis I knew if I was offered the job I would turn it down. The offers are coming just too soon. Again, the board wanted me to sign a new contract but I told them no - I'm keeping my options open. After a disappointing defeat to Wrexham we bounced straight back with a 1-0 win over league favourites Chesterfield. Annoyingly, this was followed by 3 games on the bounce without a goal, drawing 0-0 with Dag & Red before losing 2-0 to Woking and 3-0 to Southend. The inconsistent form continued as we picked up a point away at Aldershot before putting 4 past Macclesfield in a 4-0 win. We ended the month with a defeat to Ebsfleet then a 3-0 victory over North Ferriby - as I was saying, inconsistent form! We began March with a solid win over Accrington which leaves us 7th in the league, 3 points off the play-offs. In January, relegation threatened Eastleigh were taken over by a consortium and of course, the chance to manage them was offered but again turned down. More League 2 teams approached me in February - Forest Green Rovers who I had no intention of joining and Preston North End who I considered. My issue was, we weren't far enough through the season for me to delay any offers until the end of the season so again, I chose to stick by Boreham Wood but I'd now pretty much decided I was leaving at the end of the season. - Vanarama Conference - Crack open the champagne, we're mathematically safe! FA Trophy - We struggled past Conference North side Nuneaton in the 2nd Round after Kandi embarrased our defence to put them in the lead before two 2nd half goals saw us into the 3rd round. We faced Chesterfield away and the odds were stacked against us but we gave it our best shot as Oli White opened the scoring after 7 minutes. Chesterfield hit straight back and we went into the break 2-1 down. It wasn't until the 88th minute we created a chance and it was a chance taken by Joe Ironside as he got on the end of a Crowther cross to earn us a replay. One of the best first halves I've watched on this years FM was played in the replay and it was us who went into the break 2-1 up this time with 2 Nick Hopkins goals. Unfortunately, 2 corners in the 48th and 53rd minute undid us and we couldn't hit back even though we gave it our best shot. So it was Chesterfield into the Quarter Finals. A Swift Summary We're safe! Anything more is now a bonus for me. Yes okay we're 3 points off the play-offs but we're not ready for the Football League yet. I'm disappointed to be out of the FA Trophy as I was hoping we'd get a good run in that with the slight chance of silverwear but it wasn't to be. As we're now in the final 3rd of the season I will be looking at jobs, I wont apply for any but if I get offered the chance to delay till the end of the season I'll agree to that. This means I can finish the campaign with Boreham Wood before taking the next step in my own career. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason the Yank Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 We're safe! Anything more is now a bonus for me. Yes okay we're 3 points off the play-offs but we're not ready for the Football League yet. I'm disappointed to be out of the FA Trophy as I was hoping we'd get a good run in that with the slight chance of silverwear but it wasn't to be.As we're now in the final 3rd of the season I will be looking at jobs, I wont apply for any but if I get offered the chance to delay till the end of the season I'll agree to that. This means I can finish the campaign with Boreham Wood before taking the next step in my own career. Now you won't get any offers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 I like how you handled the job offer, i usually feel exactly the same. If the job offer comes "at the wrong time" i just can't take it, because i would feel like abandoning my team. Indeed, it was a great opportunity for me but it just came at the wrong time as I feel I can't leave Boreham Wood yet. I third this. I especially don't like moving mid-season and generally won't if things are looking promising at my current club. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 5, 2015 Author Share Posted April 5, 2015 Now you won't get any offers. Cursed it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 5, 2015 Author Share Posted April 5, 2015 Boreham Wood Squeaky Bum Time 2019-2020 The 2 wins against North Ferriby & Accrington seemed to spur us into life as we went on to win our next 5 games, which included a classic game against Hyde. We blew chance after chance in the 1st half only to go and concede a terrible goal in the 49th minute. It seemed like it would be 'one of those games' and when with 20 minutes left, we decided to play the ball back to our keeper from the final 3rd I lost my rag and wondered why I'd turned down Notts County, Blackpool & Preston. However, as I was contemplating what I'd just witnessed, Southwood booted the ball straight back down field where Ross ran onto the end of the through ball and put us level! Our chance of taking all 3 points had seemingly gone when Lewis our centre half had to go off injured and we'd no subs left but I went for it anyway, 3-2-3-1 overload and it worked as Ross buried the winner in the 89th minute! March turned out to be a brilliant month as we won all 6 of our games, broke our consecutive wins record and Ross earned Young Player of the Month award. I was somewhat pipped to Manager of the Month award by the Lincoln manager who'd won all 6 games without conceding a goal! It was also during March that another League 2 team approached me, this time Tranmere Rovers who followed up my impressive interview with an offer. As stated, I'd delay all approaches until the end of the season and fortunately Tranmere agreed. Although I do feel guilty every time I turn down the boards request for me to stay. We suffered what I consider to be our worst defeat of the season to already relegated Eastleigh. After winning 7 on the bounce the confidence was sky high and I was sure we'd take that into the Eastleigh game and further cement our play-off position. We took the lead early on in front of the BT Sport cameras but showed nothing after going 1 up and Eastleigh hit back with ease to take all 3 points. With 4 games remaining in the season our play-off position was quite secure but given what happened a few years ago I can never guarantee anything! We managed to hold out for a good point against Cheltenham to leave the table like... - Vanarama Conference - The run in for each team looks like this: Boreham Wood - 4th Accrington Stanley - 5th Stockport County - 6th Crawley Town - 7th A Swift Summary A play-off position should be ours so long as we don't falter again under pressure. Having said that, we really aren't ready for promotion so if we somehow pulled off an upset in the play-offs I'd fear for us next season. On a lighter note, whatever happens it's been a fabulous season. We've totally exceed expectations and never been out of the top 10 at any point! I do feel it's time to move on but that has to be put to one side for now as we fight for the play-offs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nottingham Forest Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Possibility for two successive promotions. I hope so. You have a tough run in with two away games and you'd say that Accrington should secure a play-off place with their run. Hopefully you can secure the play-off spot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTM1977 Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Seems you will have a hard choice to make at the end of the season Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Hopefully you can do it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 Boreham Wood vs Bromley My 200th game in charge of Boreham Wood came against Bromley. I reminded the boys that we were favourites and told them to go and impress. We started well as Nick Hopkins had the first chance of the game when he took the ball forward and unleashed an effort from 30 yards out that just skimmed the post. The first goal was next and sadly it was for Bromley, a whipped ball into the box was volleyed home by Paul Downey. We pushed forward straight from the restart and again Hopkins had a chance which he really should taken. At the break I laid into them, demanded more and sent them out fired up. It worked a treat, we got the equalizer through Ironside on 61 minutes and then on 88 minutes spurned a great chance to win it when Crowther hit his shot straight at the keeper. That was the last attack of the game and it finished all square, 1-1. Boreham Wood 1-1 Bromley Aldershot 2-2 Crawley Accrington 3-0 Eastleigh Stockport 3-0 Hyde Vanarama Conference after 44 games Braintree vs Boreham Wood A slow start to the game was made all the worse when Andreas Isene picked up an injury. The first half then turned into a shocking one as Braintree took the lead through Scott Harrison. Again I laid into them at half time and it seemed to liven the boys up a bit, Ironside had a shot well saved before Lewis’s header was again, well saved. Oli White then had the chance to level on 77 minutes but he hit the post and the rebound was cleared. The game came to a close and the poor run we were on had continued. Braintree 1-0 Boreham Wood Crawley 4-1 Dag & Red Hednesford 3-1 Stockport Altrincham 1-1 Accrington Vanarama Conference after 45 games Lincoln vs Boreham Wood Just like the last time we were in the play-off fight all we needed was a point from the game as our superior goal difference would have seen us through. I feared the worse. I told the lads no pressure, what we’d achieved this season already was beyond expectation. Yes it would be disappointing not to make the play-offs with the position we’ve been in but it wouldn’t come close to spoiling our season. Not even 20 minutes into the game and news had spread that Stockport had taken the lead, levelling on points with us. First chance of the game came for us, Lipman stepped up to take a free-kick in an almost perfect position. The ball curled over the wall, the keeper stood still, the net rustled, 1-0 – I punched the air! Not a minute later though and Lipman had to be taken off due to an injury. At half time I took a look at the table, we were 4th but we had to bring off Joe Ironside as he’d picked up a knock. Half time scores: Cheltenham 0-0 Accrington, Altrincham 0-2 Stockport. 51 seconds into the 2nd half Lincoln pulled level, Matt Lacointe getting on the end of a low cross. Half time team talk was out of the window, I demanded we concentrated. The frustration was compounded when we wasted a glorious opportunity as Williamson fired high, wide and handsome after he was clean through. The game was tight, no chances, no action until Lincoln won a corner. Defend, defend the corner we were still 5th but couldn’t concede again. The ball was whipped in perfectly to the back post where Ross Kilock was on hand to head them into the lead. Straight from the restart, we hit straight back as Crowther put Harrison through and he forced the keeper to make a wonderful save. 81 minutes, Harrison again with a great chance to level, hit the bar. We’d wasted the chances to equalize, we’d blown the play-offs again. I wanted to tear my hair out. Then on 89 minutes, Harrison with his back to goal on the edge of the area, turned and unleashed a powerful low drive that beat the keeper and buried into the bottom corner, 2-2 back into the play-offs! Contain, time waste, anything to make sure we saw the game out and take this point. The referee’s whistled signalled full time, we’d done it – somehow! During the game we’d lost play maker Austin Lipman & top goalscorer Joe Ironside to injury which annoyingly meant they were out for the play-off campaign. Lincoln 2-2 Boreham Wood Cheltenham 1-2 Accrington Altrincham 0-2 Stockport Crawley 2-2 Southend Vanarama Conference after 46 games Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 That was close. Good luck in the playoffs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 vs Vanarama Conference Play-Off Semi-Final 1st Leg We went into the Semi-Finals against Southend United, a team we lost both times to in the league. I wasn’t confident; I’d lost Austin Lipman and top goalscorer Joe Ironside to injury. We weren’t in good form and no one was giving us a chance. However, I was ecstatic just to be there. The season has been unbelievable and we’ve far exceeded expectations that even if we crash out, I’ll be proud as punch. In the first we leg we had home advantage and I told the boys to go and impress, show them we have earned our place in the play-offs. The first chance fell to Southend but Southwood was up to the task as he parried the shot away from danger. Few minutes later, Southwood again parried, this time a high-looping cross but unfortunately his parry fell to the feet of Max Clayton who was never going to miss, 1-0 Southend. Just a few minutes later, a low corner from Williamson hit Calum Reynolds and beat the keeper at his near post – I’m pretty sure Reynolds knew nothing about it but we were level at 1-1. Another corner in the opening stages of the 2nd half gave Southend the lead 2-1. They tightened up after that and saw the game out without us ever troubling, the only moment we actually broke their defence was when Ross fired wide of the post, a chance where he should have brought us level. A disappointing defeat but one that leaves us with a glimmer of hope in the 2nd leg. Boreham Wood 1-2 Southend United vs Vanarama Conference Play-Off Semi-Final 2nd Leg We made our way to a packed out Roots Hall for the 2nd leg where we started brightly after making 5 changes. We broke down the Southend defence and forced their keeper into a diving save early on. Unfortunately, 2 minutes later we were undone by another Southend corner and they had a comfortable 2 goal cushion in the tie. Not 10 minutes after the first they got a 2nd, Bradley Barry headed back towards no one and Josh Davies took the ball forward and buried the 1 on 1 to put Southend 2-0 up. We hit straight back, only 30 seconds after the restart Harrison had made the game 2-1, we still needed 2 goals but we weren’t going down without a fight. Just before half time Josh Davies had 2 good chances to put them in the clear again but he wasted them without even troubling Southwood. At the break I told them to show me something else, we went overload, we needed 2 goals to take this to extra time. A minute after the restart we looped in a free-kick that caught everyone out apart from Harrison who was on hand to fire us level, 2-2. I went mental, we were back in it… Then I realised the linesman’s flag, offside. Gutted. End to end action saw us go close before a Southend counter attack saw them hit the post. Our fate was all but sealed on 55 minutes as Richard Cook got his 30th goal of the season to put Southend 3-1 clear. We spurned one more chance late on but it would have made no difference. Southend were off to the final. Southend United 3-1 Boreham Wood (Agg: 5-2) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nottingham Forest Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Oh . Such a shame. Time for pastures new I guess . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Great effort to make the playoffs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 Boreham Wood End of Season 2019-2020 Vanarama Conference - An unbelievable season saw us make the play-offs in 5th place, which turned out to be our highest ever finish. Survival was the only thing I was bothered about so to be in the top 10 all season was a joy and made it by far one of the most enjoyable seasons I've had. FA Trophy - I was hoping for a run in the FA Trophy but unfortunately we came up against eventual winners Chesterfield in the 3rd Round where we took them all the way in the replay but couldn't quite get pass them. FA Cup - A last minute winner for Luton Town saw us out at the 1st Round. Squad - A fantastic bunch of players who were never unsettled or unhappy. They all knew their jobs and they all chipped in with performances and vital goals. It's fair to say I'll remember this team for a while! Under 21's - Did a cracking job to win the league! Under 18's - After winning the league in the past 2 seasons they performed well in a seemingly more difficult league, finishing 3rd. Finances - Very, very healthy for a Conference side. Key Players Luke Southwood GK - An absolute steal on £100 a week! If only he'd talk to me about a new contract with the club, sadly he's looking to progress his career and not with us. Callum Reynolds DC - Mr Boreham Wood and Mr Reliable. Never let me down and I was sad to see him ask to leave for a new challenge. Max Ross MC - On loan from Brentford, he really made the 'Box to Box' role his own. With his contract up at the end of the season it'll be interesting to see where he goes. Mo Furness AMC - From the youth ranks Furness came onto the scene after scoring a winner early on in the season. From then he's proved a real asset and one who clearly has a great future. Joe Ironside ST - I'll struggle to make a better signing this save, 20+ goals in all 3 seasons after I bagged him at a bargain price from Leamington Spa. He's also dropped his weekly wage twice, from £500 to £450 then to £375 a week. A Swift Summary 2 seasons ago when we missed out on the Vanarama Conference South play-offs on the last game of the season I thought I was a gonner. But we rebuilt, stormed to the league title and then continued our momentum into this season. As I've said numerous times, it's been a joy but I feel we've far exceeded ourselves. The fan base is tiny and although the finances are great I don't think the stature of the club can compete again to same level next season. "Quit while you're ahead" - I feel I've taken Boreham Wood as far as I can without spending a few years in the Conference building and with that in mind it's here I look to my new club... Season Team League Position FA Cup FA Trophy Notes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2014/2015 Hednesford Town Vanarama Conference North 8th 4th Qual Rnd 1st Round Took over in October [i]2015/2016 Hednesford Town Vanarama Conference North - - - Sacked in August[/i] 2015/2016 Tamworth Vanarama Conference North 21st - 3rd Qual Rnd Took over November, Relegated 2016/2017 Boreham Wood Vanarama Conference South 2nd 3rd Qual Rnd 3rd Qual Rnd Lost in Play-Off Final 2017/2018 Boreham Wood Vanarama Conference South 6th 2nd Qual Rnd 2nd Round - 2018/2019 Boreham Wood Vanarama Conference South 1st 3rd Qual Rnd 2nd Round Promoted as Champions! 2019/2020 Boreham Wood Vanarama Conference 5th 1st Round 3rd Round Lost in Play-Off Semi Finals Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 Background - Squad - Overview - Finances From Borehamwood to Birkenhead it's time to work on me Scouse accent Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidBeckham Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 Good luck at Tranmere mate! I'm sure you will do fine! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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