Boreham Wood v Hartlepool United
National League
Saturday 29th February 2020, 3pm
Meadow Park
In Opposition
After being among the surprise candidates for relegation last term, Boreham Wood have driven themselves right back in to the promotion picture this time around with a fantastic campaign.
Luke Garrard's men came agonisingly close to making it to
the EFL in 2017/18 when they were beaten by Tranmere Rovers in the Play-Off
Final at Wembley before then struggling to recover their form in 2018/19.However, The Wood have charged up to third in the table on
the back of a 15-game unbeaten run which stretched back to October and came to
a surprising end in midweek at Aldershot Town.Whilst they do have a game in hand, they may find it
difficult to catch current leaders Barrow so the priority right now for the
Hertfordshire side is to cement their place in the play-offs and try to keep in
touch with second-placed Harrogate Town.One To Watch
It's fair to say that The Wood's punt on Oxford City front man Kabongo Tshimanga has paid off handsomely as the 22-year-old has enjoyed a wonderful debut campaign at Meadow Park.
The former MK Dons youngster was in demand last summer after
firing 37 goals in all competitions for Oxford but it was Boreham Wood who won
the race for his signature.Strong, powerful and blessed with plenty of pace, Tshimanga
has handled the step-up brilliantly and is among the National League's top
scorers having hit the net 16 times in the competition so far, including one
against Pools at The Vic in November.Head To Head
Saturday's game will be just the sixth competitive meeting between the two sides but Pools are yet to taste defeat against Boreham Wood in the previous five encounters.
The sides played out two goalless draws during their first
season in the same division in 2017/18, while Pools completed an impressive
double last year – winning 2-0 at The Vic before a 4-0 victory at Meadow Park
last February.Dave Challinor's men had to come from two goals down to
prevent The Wood claiming their first win over Pools back in November as late
goals from Nicky Featherstone and Gime Toure ensured a 2-2 draw.Last Meeting
Pools 2 Boreham Wood 2
Saturday 23rd November 2019
Pools: Killip, Kioso, Raynes (Toure 59), Kerr, Kitching, Featherstone, Mafuta (Cunningham 59), Holohan (Hawkes 66), Donaldson, Kabamba, James.
Subs not used: Kennedy, Muir
Boreham Wood: Ashmore, Ilesanmi, Stephens, Smith, Ricketts, Champion, Murtagh, Tshimanga, Marsh, Thomas, Shaibu (Shakes 87).
Subs not used: Woodards, Fyfield, Thompson, Mingoia.
On The Whistle
Joe Hull will referee his third Pools game of the season when he's the man in the middle for Saturday's trip to Boreham Wood.
Perhaps not surprisingly given our record this season, Hull
has seen us draw 2-2 twice this term already – at home against Barrow in
December and at Notts County in November.Ironically, Hull's last outing in the National League also
involved The Wood – he saw them win 2-0 at Solihull Moors last month in a game
in which he sent-off Moors' defender Alex Gudger.Live Commentary
You can enjoy full live coverage of Saturday's game at Meadow Park by joining Mark Simpson here on the Official Website from 2.50pm.
He will be on-air to set the scene ahead of kick-off and
then guide you through all the action as it unfolds so make sure you're with us
online to follow the game this weekend.Click here now to access the live online commentary.
Buying Tickets
Tickets for Saturday's game are available in advance online at a slightly cheaper rate, while fans will also be able to pay on cash turnstiles ahead of kick-off at the weekend.
Click here for all the information you need on buying tickets for Saturday.
Betting Odds
Boreham Wood 6/5
Pools 47/20
Draw 41/20
Click here for a full list of markets and odds ahead of Saturday's game.