Second half goals from Nicky Featherstone and Gime Toure
helped Pools come from 2-0 down against Boreham Wood to rescue a point during
The visitors looked all set to earn their first-ever win over
Pools when a first half penalty from Sorba Thomas was added to by a clinical
finish from Kabongo Tshimanga after the break.However, Featherstone rifled Pools back in to contention with
a sweet left-footed strike twenty minutes from time before Toure came off the bench
to net a penalty and level things up.It was the visitors who got out of the blocks quickest and
they forced Pools on to the back foot during the early stages, the dangerous
Tshimanga coming close with an effort blocked wide by Michael Raynes.As the game reached the quarter-hour mark, Challinor's men
began to get a foothold and almost snatched the lead. A flowing move saw the
ball delivered to Gavan Holohan on the left of the box but the in-form
midfielder's first touch let him down and his stabbed effort was blocked by
keeper Nathan Ashmore.Luke James turned smartly to engineer a shooting opportunity
from the edge of the box but his low drive back across goal zipped just wide of
the upright.On 26 minutes the visitors stole in front. Kane Smith got
forward well from wing-back and as he cut the ball back across from the byline
he was caught by Raynes and the referee pointed for a penalty. Thomas made no
mistake from twelve yards.It could even have been 2-0 on the half hour when Thomas
turned provider on the left but his whipped cross was headed against the
outside of the front post by Tyrone Marsh.There was an extraordinary moment just afterwards when a
ball across the box caused panic in The Wood rearguard and Nicke Kabamba looked
odds-on to level but Ashmore did enough to block the shot with the goal gaping –
though photos of the incident did seem to suggest the ball may have crossed the
line.Raynes steered a volley just wide from a corner for Pools,while Tshimanga drilled another half-chance just off-target before the break.
Pools could have been on level terms within four minutes of
the restart when they streamed forward to catch Boreham Wood on the break but,
when Mark Kitching's early cross was headed away, Featherstone could only fire
a follow-up over.The Wood took advantage of the let-off and found the net themselves
seconds later. Pools sat-off on the edge of the box and that allowed Justin
Shaibu to slip a neat ball through for Tshimanga and he clipped it over the
advancing Ben Killip and in to the net for 3-2.Challinor responded with a double change as Toure and Aaron
Cunnningham came on in place Gus Mafute and Raynes, while Josh Hawkes was
introduced not long afterwards as Pools moved to a four at the back.It got the reaction he wanted too. Ryan Donaldson did well
to feed the ball in to the path of the brilliant Featherstone twenty yards out
and he shifted it on to his left foot before hitting an unerring drive which
was past Ashmore practically before he'd had a chance to dive.Not only did that bring Pools back in to the game but it
also brought the crowd back to the fore and the noise levels increased as the
home side sensed a chance to capitalise on the shift in momentum.More risks were taken at the back and there was some hairy
moments as Pools pressed forward – a brilliant challenge from Kioso denied
Thomas a second goal while Killip then made an incredible reaction save ten
minutes from time when it looked all set to go 3-1.It proved a pivotal moment. Just 60 seconds later Pools
roared up to the other end and won a penalty when Kitching arrived on the blind
side of Marsh who fouled him. Toure held his nerve to rifle home from the spot
and suddenly Pools' thoughts shifted to the possibility of three points.Hawkes cheekily tried to chip Ashmore from fifty yards when
the keeper was caught needlessly off his line but the midfielder got his angle
wrong and the attempt sailed wide.Ashmore then palmed out a low cross from James in to the
middle of his area but there was nobody in a blue shirt in the right place to
capitalise and the visitors cleared.James could have won it himself deep in injury time when he got
on the end of a tantalising Kitching cross to the far post but the front man
nodded just wide and the game finished level.Full Time: Pools 2 Boreham Wood 2
Pools: Killip, Kioso, Raynes (Cunningham 59), Kerr, Donaldson, Mafuta (Toure 59), Featherstone, Kitching, Holohan (Hawkes 66), James, Kabamba.
Subs not used: Kennedy, Muir.
Booked: Kioso, Featherstone.
Boreham Wood: Ashmore, Ilesanmi, Stephens, Murtagh, Champion, Smith, Ricketts, Thomas, Shaibu (Shakes 87), Marsh, Tshimanga.
Subs not used: Woodards, Mingoia, Fyfield, Thompson.
Booked: Ashmore, Smith, Thomas.
Attendance: 3,377.
Referee: Karl Evans.