Bournemouth 0-1 Boreham Wood: Veteran Mark Ricketts hits winner for non-league club

Non-league Boreham Wood stunned Bournemouth as 37-year-old Mark Ricketts scored to knock the Championship club out of the FA Cup and set up a fifth-round tie at Everton.

Captain Ricketts – a qualified personal trainer – found the net from the edge of the box with a shot which went in off the post after a poor clearance by Gavin Kilkenny.

It sparked jubilant scenes among 1,400 travelling Wood fans – 500 more than their average home attendance in the National League.

Boreham Wood – and their chairman Danny Hunter – can now look forward to a money-spinning tie at Goodison Park.

Hunter revealed in June 2020 that he had remortaged his house to help the club cope with the financial effects of coronavirus.

“I’m in tatters,” said Boreham Wood boss Luke Garrard, who ran on the pitch to celebrate with his players after referee Graham Scott blew the full-time whistle at the Vitality Stadium to spark emotional scenes in the away end.

“I am on top of the world, the emotions at the minute are incredible. We are such a dysfunctional family, but that is what is helping get us our results.”

Bournemouth, third in the Championship and chasing automatic promotion to the Premier League, wasted a great chance to equalise when Philip Billing’s lob over the keeper landed on the roof of the net.

Keeper Taye Ashby-Hammond, on loan from Fulham, produced two great late saves to deny Ryan Christie and Billing to further frustrate Scott Parker’s team.

Boreham Wood, who play three leagues below Bournemouth, are the first non-league side to make the fifth round since Sutton United and Lincoln City – who were both National League clubs at the time – in 2017.

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• Listen: Football Daily – Boreham Wood stun Bournemouth
• Bournemouth must ‘regroup’ – Parker

Classic FA Cup win

Matchwinner Ricketts, who turns 38 in October, was making his first appearance since 11 January because of injury and did not train on Friday in order to limit the risk of it flaring up again.

The former Woking player, who left Charlton Athletic early in his career without making a league appearance, scored with the first half’s only shot on target.

“We signed Mark six years ago and were told he had no legs,” added Garrard to BBC Match of the Day. “The medical team did an incredible job to get him ready for this game.”

Boreham Wood had beaten four clubs to reach this stage for the first time in their 74-year history – National League rivals Barnet and Eastleigh, National League South St Albans City and League One AFC Wimbledon.

The Hertfordshire club were excellent throughout against a team that reached the quarter-finals last season.

They could have taken the lead inside the opening minute when Josh Rees almost found himself through on goal after the Cherries tried to play out from the back.

But they also dug deep when Bournemouth, who made nine changes, chased an equaliser in the closing stages.

Former Liverpool forward Dominic Solanke went close deep into five minutes of stoppage time after the home side’s 19-goal top scorer was brought off the bench.

While fellow non-league club Kidderminster Harriers suffered late heartbreak against West Ham on Saturday, Boreham Wood saw the tie out to claim a famous win and set up a dream trip to Everton.

“To say I will now be pitting my wits against Frank Lampard, it’s the things you dream about,” said Garrard.

“I am going to get emotional, they are unbelievable these boys. To a man, staff, people in the boardroom, this is for them.”

Of the 16 teams left in the FA Cup, Boreham Wood are the only survivors outside the top two tiers of English football.

The non-league club, who started this season’s competition at the fourth qualifying round stage, have not conceded a goal in five FA Cup games in 2021-22.