ALTRINCHAM 0, BOREHAM WOOD 2
Altrincham slid into the bottom half of Vanarama National League following their home defeat to Boreham Wood.
After putting together a 10-match unbeaten run in all competitions, the once-rampant Robins have now suffered back-to-back losses after they also lost at Chesterfield earlier in the week.
Wood put aside their Emirates FA Cup disappointment behind they – they lost after extra time in their third-round replay at Accrington Stanley three days earlier – to reinvigorate their promotion push.
The win at the J Davidson Stadium ended Wood’s six-match run without a goal and was their first win on the road for three-and-a-half months.
And with Wood falling behind with league fixtures because of their cup exploits, they are still well placed to mount a change for a top-seven spot as they are only three points adrift.
Wood took the lead after 25 minutes through a set-piece goal as centre-back Will Evans found the net with a towering far-post header from Josh Rees’ corner.
It was a second goal of the season for the 31-year-old who was signed from Chesterfield.
And lightning almost struck twice five minutes later when Evans met another Rees corner but headed against the crossbar.
In-between those two chances, Wood’s Dennon Lewis had a header well tipped over by home goalkeeper Ollie Byrne.
Wood doubled their advantage within three minutes of the restart when Bush’s far-post cross from the left was headed home at the far post by Femi Ilesanmi, the left-back’s first goal of the season.
Altrincham, without a cutting edge following Ryan Colclough’s departure to Chesterfield, rarely threatened, though they ought to have halved the deficit midway through the second half when Isaac Marriott headed over at the far post from almost on the goalline from Chris Conn-Clarke’s cross.
And that was followed by Conn-Clarke being denied by a super save from Nathan Ashmore as he bent a shot from the edge of the box which was arrowing towards the top corner.
Ashmore also had to be alert in the dying minutes to keep out a shot from substitute Ben Pringle.
Wood almost scored a third in stoppage time when Rees’ shot was parried by goalkeeper Ollie Byrne on to the upright as they had the last word.