Sutton United 2 Boreham Wood 3
Sutton United missed out on their first National League play-off final after they were beaten at home by Boreham Wood on Sunday.
Angelo Balanta, Ross Lafayette’s own goal and a late Michael Folivi strike were enough to overcome the U’s, who registered through Tom Bolarinwa and Ross Lafayette.
Boreham Wood will now contest their first National League play-off final on Saturday against Tranmere.
This was Sutton’s first home defeat in eleven games and left manager Paul Doswell bitterly disappointed.
He said: “I didn’t feel like we were ourselves today up until, probably, those last twenty minutes.”
He added: “It’s always ‘buts’ and ‘maybes’, Boreham Wood were the better side today, there’s no doubt about that.
“We had the home advantage and the fact that we didn’t have to play an extra game on Thursday like they did, we needed to use that, we needed to play better and this was just one of those days when we didn’t.”
The game started slowly in the searing 27 degree heat but finally came to life just before half-time when Wood’s Angelo Balanta was given too much space in the United box and coolly slid the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal.
Sutton reacted by bringing on striker Ross Lafayette and winger Kieron Cadogan for the second-half as they opted for an all-out-attack.
Unfortunately for the Yellows it was to no avail and before the hour-mark Boreham Wood had a two goal lead with Scott Doe’s headed effort ricocheted off United’s Lafayette into the net.
Despite a heroic Sutton fight-back, and Tom Bolarinwa’s 82nd minute header to make it 1-2, Boreham Wood were just too good and they regained their two goal lead through, Watford loanee, Michael Folivi.
An injury-time Lafayette headed goal, at the right end this time, was not enough to save the visitors and Boreham Wood ran out deserved winners.
Boreham Wood manager Luke Garrard, 32, said: “The aim was always to get promoted at the start of the season, if you don’t want to get promoted then there’s no point being a manager.”
He added: “Credit goes to the players; some of them came off the pitch and couldn’t even walk!
“They get their reward come Saturday, to go to Wembley.”
Sutton United (4-1-4-1): Jamie Butler Aswad Thomas (LB) (sub for Ross Lafayette 46) Jamie Collins, Terrell Thomas, Louis John, Nicky Bailey, Harry Beautyman (Kieron Cadogan 46), Josh Taylor, Craig Eastmond, Tom Bolarinwa, Tommy Wright (Byron Harrison 58)
Boreham Wood (3-5-2): Grant Smith, Tom Champion, David Stephens, Scott Doe, Ricky Shakes, Danny Woodards, Mark Ricketts, Keiran Murtagh, Angelo Balanta, Bruno Andrade (Sorba Thomas 90+7), Michael Folivi (Joe Quigley 90+4)
Atten: 2,730.
