Horsham's poor run continued with this 6th defeat in 8 games against a Boreham Wood side for whom victory lifted them to the fringes of the play-off places.

The match, Horsham's first at Gorings Mead in almost a month, couldn't have got off to a worse start for the hosts who found themselves 2-0 down inside 16 minutes, courtesy of two memorable strikes from Wood midfielder Chris Watters, and it took the Hornets until the 37th minute before creating an opening. The second half introduction of Claude Seanla sparked hopes of a revival, especially when the Frenchman won and converted a 60th minute penalty, but Horsham's joy was short-lived when Mario Noto curled in a free-kick to ensure that the points would be heading back to Hertfordshire for the first time in 3 seasons.

John Maggs had threatened changes after successive defeats at Kingstonian and Bognor Regis but, the injured Lee Carney aside, it was positive news at the announcement of the squad with Mark Knee back in the starting line-up and Player of the Month Seanla on the bench after a 4 match absence.

Horsham's fallible defence showed early signs of uncertainty when an inswinging corner from Watters was missed by everyone as it flew through a crowded penalty area but worse was to come when the visitors took the lead on 9 minutes. A lack of concentration at a throw saw Leon Hunter given space and time to cross to the far post where the unmarked Watters fired brilliantly in to the top corner with a stunning left foot volley.

It was 2-0, minutes later, when Noto's threaded pass was brought under control by Watters who sent an inch-perfect lob across Paul Seuke that dropped just inside the far post for another exceptional finish. The midfielder was denied what would have been a sensational hat-trick when Seuke used every inch of his frame to tip over his goalbound header, and Luke Garrard's well struck effort was kept out only by Ben Andrews' outstretched leg, as the visitors threatened to run riot.

Dean Green was the next to try his luck, when he turned Acheampong on the edge of the box, but Seuke was always behind the striker's low shot. Eventually, Horsham began to make inroads into the Boreham Wood half and they might have halved the deficit on 37 minutes when Russell Eldridge ran at the defence before laying the ball off for Gary Charman to clip a dangerous ball in to the box. Goalkeeper James Courtnage fumbled the ball at the feet of Pat Harding who looked to be impeded as he sent in a shot that was cleared off the goal-line.

Minutes later the ball was in the visitors' net, only for the goal to be ruled out for a marginal offside decision against Acheampong who had shown great control and a tidy finish from 16 yards.

H/T Horsham 0 Boreham Wood 2

Illness put paid to Gary Charman's second half contribution, Tony Nwachukwu having replaced the winger before the break, and there was a further switch for the hosts when Seanla came on for Knee within 10 minutes of the restart and the Frenchman's impact was immediate. A cross from Eldridge was adroitly brought under control by Seanla who was promptly upended by Rickelle Christian for a penalty-kick. Seanla duly beat Courtnage from the spot and Horsham's supporters were wondering if their side could repeat their exciting comeback against Carshalton in their last home match.

Sadly, the answer came all too quickly when Alex Haddow was adjudged to have fouled Sosthene Yao and Noto stepped up to curl a right-footed shot round the wall and inside the post with Seuke beaten. It was a demoralising blow for Maggs' men and Green might have added to their woes when he struck a 25 yarder that produced a fine scrambling save from Seuke.

A decent move involving Haddow, Seanla and Jack Lyons was spoilt only by the linesman's flag, ruling Harding to be offside, before Boreham Wood made a double substitution with Lee Allinson and Greg Morgan joining the fray. Eldridge's last  act was to supply a free-kick from which Acheampong headed over before he, too, made way for Jack Page.

For all the quality of their earlier goals, Boreham Wood almost grabbed a 4th in comical circumstances when Delando Smith's clearance hit Bobby Highton and deflected wide of the net from just a few yards out and another equally unlikely goal almost fell the way of the hosts when Acheampong's mighty clearance, from inside the Horsham half, worried the back-pedalling Courtnage who was forced to catch the ball on his goal-line. But there was to be no more goals from either side, despite the best efforts of Allinson and Haddow, and the supporters filed disconsolately away from the ground no doubt grateful of a free weekend ahead of them after the postponement of the trip to Hendon. 

NEXT MATCH: v Maidstone United (h) Tuesday 13th October ko 7.30pm