Despite a dream start for Nas Bashir’s side with two goals in the opening five minutes, United departed the FA Cup on Sunday at Kingfield as Boreham Wood came back to life and struck three times to advance although they were helped somewhat on the way with the controversial sending off of Kudus Oyenuga ten minutes into the second half.

Nas made two changes to his previous line-up as Mark Bentley and Oyenuga returned to the starting line-up in place of John Goddard and Manny Williams, the latter taking a place on the bench along with new signing Alassane N’Diaye.

It was indeed to be a dream start for the home side as it took around 15 seconds for the deadlock to be broken, Jerome Anderson collecting the ball on the right and moving to the corner of the box before launching a ferocious shot across the face of Wood keeper James Russell and into the far corner.

Things got even better for the home side in the fifth minute when Luke Williams was tripped 25 yards from goal and referee Kendall awarded United a free-kick. Daniel Wishart stepped up and placed his left footed kick into the bottom corner of Russell’s goal (striking the ball - below left).

The Wood’s first sight of goal fell to former Thurrock striker Cliff Akurang but his swinging effort was wide of the target. Minutes later things could have got worse for the visitors as Oyenuga beat the offside trap and raced into the box, his shot being grabbed by Russell at the second attempt.

James Beasant’s first real action came on 16 minutes when David Hutton sprayed the ball right to Inih Effiong, his cross being met on the volley by Hutton, Beasant did well to palm out the shot and Pelé coolly chested the loose ball back to his keeper.

Almost immediately Russell was in action at the other end as a low throughball from Tom Cadmore found its way straight through to Anderson who cut inside but saw his shot well saved by the keeper’s feet.

Just before the half hour mark United lost the services of the influential Mark Bentley who had just before been clattered into touch by Wood defender Ben Nunn, who somewhat surprisingly went unpunished by referee Kendall.

Within two minutes of the change Wood were back in the game. A needlessly conceded free-kick on the left was swung deep by Hutton, the ball coming back off the face of the far post but when it was played back in, a weak United pass was picked off and this time when Hutton’s cross came in, Barnet loanee Mauro Vilhete turned and planted the ball past Beasant to reduce the arrears.

This goal seemed to inspire the visitors as they started to take a grip on the game. Chez Isaac collected another loose pass in the United midfield, his driven shot from 25 yards going over but making Beasant scramble across all the same. Then deep into stoppage time, Hutton slid the ball nicely through to Effiong, his shot being blocked and then grabbed by the alert Beasant.

The Wood started the second half a lot better than they had the first and five minutes in a break on the left saw Graeme Montgomery send Hutton towards the corner flag, his low hit centre being cleared at the far post inside the six yard box by Dan Spence.

Russell then comfortably dealt with a Williams shot before United required a last ditch Cadmore interception to deny Effiong who had collected a neat chip over the defence.

Within minutes controversy was to hit the tie, Oyenuga broke away into the Wood box, cut back onto his right foot and was about to shoot only to be sent tumbling to the ground by Mark Jones. As referee Kendall blew his whistle virtually everybody in the ground expected him to award the penalty yet he adjudged Oyenuga to have dived and gave him a yellow card and then after waiting a good 30 seconds finally realising it was his second, he had to dismiss him leaving United with ten men and a furious United striker leaving the pitch.

21 minutes remained as Wood substitute and top scorer Omer Riza broke into the left corner of the United box, his side footed cross come shot just evading the toe of the sliding Akurang and going wide of the far post.

Beasant then did well to palm away a 20 yard snapshot by Isaac while Akurang got his head to a cross from the same man but could not keep his effort down.

The tie then turned on its head in sixty seconds as the Wood took advantage of the extra man to score twice. Montgomery’s corner was cleared by Pelé but fell perfectly to Nunn who smashed back a volley that with the aid of a deflection flew into the net giving Beasant no chance.

Still reeling from this, it was less than sixty seconds later that Beasant was again beaten, the ball being fed into Riza’s run and he slammed it past Beasant in emphatic style.

The final incident of the game saw Cadmore also collect a second caution 8 minutes from time for a pull back on Isaac just outside the box, this in itself would not have been so contentious but for the fact that Isaac himself had been verbally warned for the same offence on more than one occasion during the afternoon without the card being shown in his direction.

And there endeth the FA Cup run for another season.

Report by Kevin Watts.

Photos by Ray Peploe.

United Man of the Match: Sam Cox.

Print the Teamsheet: Here.