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MATCH REPORT | Woods begin ESL season with three points!
It was three huge points for Shane Baptiste's side!
Travelling to a newly promoted side on the opening day for the second season in a row, Woodford Town somewhat knew what they would be facing in Saturday's clash with Hackney Wick.
Ernest Eghan's side set out from the off to turn defence into attack quickly, but Woodford's strength and power were too much for the Wickers to deal with in the first half.
After some fabulous wing play by David Gokou, he was brought down in the box, handing new striker Ollie Sotoyinbo the opportunity to get off the mark in Woodford colours on his debut, and he stepped up to dispatch the penalty calmly, giving the visitors the lead!
And ten minutes later, he was at it again! This time, it was fabulous play down the right-hand side. Alex Kozak played the ball into the path of Sam Owusu, the captain fizzed one across the face of the goal, and Sotoyinbo was on hand to capitalise on a defensive error, handing The Woods a two-goal lead.
However, that deficit would quickly be halved, as just two minutes later, Aden Cheniti fired past Manny Agboola to hand Shane Baptiste's side a lifeline. That lifeline soon disappeared, though. Malaki Toussaint, making his second debut in a Woodford shirt, picked the ball up 30 yards out from goal, before smashing one right into the top corner to make it 3-1!
The visitors had plenty of opportunities at the beginning of the second half to wrap up the game, with Marko Protic, Toussaint and Miles Mitchell-Nelson all coming close, before a moment of madness changed the game. Sam Owusu cleared an effort with his hand, a deliberate handball, meaning he was sent off, and The Woods had to play the remaining forty minutes of the tie with ten men.
The resultant penalty was dispatched, making the scoreline 2-3, yet with some incredible determination, Woodford held on to secure three huge points on the opening day.
Starting XI: E. Agboola (GK); Owusu (C), Kirwan-Meade, M. Agboola, Mitchell-Nelson; Toussaint, Jewers; Kozak (Ipanga - 59'), Protic (Benoit - 63'), Gokou; Sotoyinbo (Stanford-Daniels - 76').
Unused substitutes: Soganile, Mengou.