Boreham Wood 1-4 West Ham United
Pre-season Match, Meadow Park, Monday 10 July 2023, 7pm BST
West Ham United got their preparations for the 2023/24 season underway with a solid 4-1 victory over Boreham Wood at Meadow Park on Monday evening.
First half goals from Danny Ings and young midfielder Kamarai Swyer set the Irons on their way in the first outing ahead of the new season.
In the second half, substitute Jarrod Bowen prodded home a powerful cross from Conor Coventry to make it three, before Gideon Kodua finished off West Ham's scoring in style with neat control and a lovely finish.
There was still time for the home side to grab a goal before the final whistle blew. Femi Ilesanmi hit a shot at Joe Anang but he couldn’t keep the effort out as the Wood grabbed a late consolation.
David Moyes named a strong starting XI for the clash in Hertfordshire, which included the return of forward Gianluca Scamacca, who missed a significant portion of the second half of last season due to injury.
The Italian joined eight other senior first-team players involved in the starting XI. A selection of Academy of Football talent were named on the bench, alongside first team players Bowen and Emerson Palmieri.
The Wood started the match on the front foot, with a mistake almost being sized upon by Timmy Abraham, but the forward was eventually crowded out.
However, the Hammers would have the first shot on target of the fixture. Moyes’ men worked it well from right to left, with good interplay between Pablo Fornals and Aaron Cresswell eventually leading to Flynn Downes finding room to get a shot away from inside the area, with his effort well saved by the imposing Nathan Ashmore.
Indeed, the Irons continued to work the ball well in the opening stages. This time Scamacca turned well under pressure before feeding Fornals, but the Spaniard couldn’t get a strike away before the covering defender crowded him out.
On 21 minutes, the lively Fornals slipped Ings in behind with a stunning pass, but once again, Ashmore did well to get down and deny the effort.
Three minutes later and Ings had another opportunity, which he took. Laing received the ball out on the right after he had made an overlapping run beyond Swyer. His cutback across the box found Ings, who rifled an effort into the far corner beyond the outstretched Ashmore.
Luke Garrard’s side had a chance of their own on 33 minutes. David Stephens fired a left-footed freekick on goal which caused Łukasz Fabiański to scamper across his line and claim confidently.
And they had an even better chances six minutes later which should have brought forth the equaliser. Erico Sousa unlocked Tyrone Marsh on the right and the forward delivered a teasing cross that somehow evaded both Abraham and Trialist B at the back post.
Just as it looked as though the Wood might grab a goal before the break, Moyes’ side hit back and grabbed a second. The lively Fornals delivered a sumptuous ball that Swyer attacked with pace, powering a header past Ashmore before the goalkeeper had time to react.
The powerful header from the 20-year-old would prove to be the final action of an entertaining opening 45 minutes.
A whole host of changes were made by both sides at the break, with the home side changing eight of their starters, whilst Moyes elected to bring on Bowen, Emerson and Joseph Anang, as well as Freddie Potts, George Earthy and Divin Mubama from the development side.
It was nearly the perfect introduction for Bowen. The No.20 cut inside onto his left foot and produced a superb strike that Ashmore had to be at his very best to keep out.
Next, Stephens almost inadvertently turned a cross from Earthy into his own net, but it trickled wide of the post. From the resulting corner, Bowen had another chance to curl one with his left foot, but it flew narrowly over the far top corner.
With 20 minutes remaining in the contest, Mubama managed to beat the offside trap and had an opportunity to slot a third beyond Ashmore, but the goalkeeper stood firm and pushed the effort away.
Bowen had been dangerous since coming on, and was stopped once again by the impressive Ashmore, who clawed the ball away with a sensational save – however the No.20 wouldn’t be denied in the next passage of play. Coventry fired in a fierce cross that caused issues on the line for the Wood, allowing Bowen to get the final touch and prod the ball home from close range.
Kodua scored the pick of the bunch with three minutes remaining. The FA Youth Cup winning Captain took a cross in his stride on his chest before slotting first time with precision past Trialist F.
There was still enough time for Ilesanmi to grab a consolation before the whistle sounded - his strike from distance managed to beat Anang from range.
The final whistle would sound moments later, bringing the Hammers’ first workout ahead of the new season to a close.
Boreham Wood: Ashmore (c) (Trialist F 78), Bush (Ilesanmi 46), Stephens, Whelan (Payne 46) (Miller 57), Sagaf (Balanta 46), Marsh (Trialist C), Abraham (Trialist D), Agbontohoma (Fyfield 46), Trialist A (Coxe 46), Trialist B (Ndkovu 46), Sousa (Trialist E)
Goal: Ilesanmi 89
West Ham United: Fabiański (Anang 46), Laing (Luizão 62), Zouma (Emerson 46), Ogbonna (Kasey 62), Cresswell (c) (Potts 46) , Downes (Chesters 79), Coventry (Forson 87), Swyer (Earthy 46), Fornals (Kodua 79), Ings (Bowen 46), Scamacca (Mubama 46)
Subs: Hegyi (GK), Scarles.
Goals: Ings 25, Swyer 45, Bowen 78, Kodua 87
Attendance: 2,696
