Luke Garrad’s ‘Wood’ welcomed Andy Peaks’ Lambs to Meadow Park for the opening game of the 2026-27 season with the home side having come close, but not quite close enough a few weeks prior to kick off.

And with the Lambs Chairman Abdullah Ashraf watching his first competitive game since the summer take over, expectations were understandably high from the new boardroom, and the visiting Tamworth fans, to build further on last seasons 11th placed finish. Buoyed by the fact they had beaten their hosts home and away in the previous campaign, Peaks’ updated squad nearly made it three out of three and in the end, deserved to take a share of the spoils home.

Donnelly’s brace put The Lambs twice in the driving seat, and although a hat-trick from Matt Rush seemed to give the home side the edge, Milnes' 102nd minute spot kick secured an opening day point against last season’s beaten Enterprise National League play-off finalists.

Tamworth, in their new Purewater (front) / Instamac (back) and red shirts, got the match underway in glorious sunshine and the game started slowly.
Although the home side forced a couple of corners in the first five minutes making The Lambs defend the incoming set pieces, they did so without too much trouble.
The Wood continued to press Tamworth back without creating a chance, and when The Lambs saw light at the other end of the pitch, Teo Kurtaran’s low drive from the right of the box on 11 minutes forced Gunter into a low stop at his near post.
A trip by Ben Acquaye on Zak Brunt on the right of the area after 15 minutes saw the same player roll the ball through the box to James Clarke and his first time effort looked destined for the top corner but he hadn’t banked on Jas Singh’s reactions as the keeper leapt high to his left and pushed it to safety one handed.
Tylor Golden went down in the box after 19 minutes and referee Aaron Jackson waved away his claims for a foul by Tyler Lyttle, then, on 25 minutes, Kurtaran saw another opening but his placed shot from range went out past the left hand post without troubling Gunter.
There was a break in play for adverts hydration with 28 on the clock and even the pitch got a dowsing while the players restored their levels and got their instructions.
After play restarted, a home corner was headed high and wide by Lewis Richardson and although the ball was in the back of the net on 32 minutes it had gone out of play before the cross came in and denied Matt Rush’s close range header.
Joe Rye put a timely challenge in to deny Rush as he nipped through the Lambs back line and shaped to shoot with 8 first half minutes remaining, and when Golden struck from the left of the box on 41 minutes, Singh parried it and mopped up the danger before Rush could capitalise.
Luke Fairlamb combined with Acquaye down the left and the former drilled it into the box but there was no one there to finish the chance, as 3 minutes added time was shown, but when a high bounce towards the home keeper completely evaded Gunter as he raced out of his area it gave Kieren Donnelly the chance which he took great delight in finishing in front of the home fans. (0-1, 45+1 mins)
However, scores were level second before the half time whistle blew when a cross from the left was not stopped and Rush found the back of the net with a header at the far post (1-1, 45+5 mins).

HT: 1-1
 
Boreham started the second half on the front foot, pushing Tamworth back but a quick break and cross from Lyttle on 51 minutes caught split the home defence and TJ Brambles saw his far post header deflected away.
Tamworth deservedly got back in front on 57 minutes though, after a Lyttle throw was flicked on by Cullinane-Liburd and not dealt with, at least three Lambs players tried a shot, before a deflection from Nathan Tshikuna’s strike fell for Donnelly to rifle home from 6 yards out. (1-2, 57 mins)
There was then a prolonged stoppage while the referee responded to an incident in the stand behind Singh, and when play resumed a kick from the Lambs keeper went uncharacteristically short and was picked up by highly rated Abdul Abdulmalik who raced to the left edge of the box and found Rush perfectly placed to level the tie from a few yards out (2-2, 68 mins)
And Rush completed his hattrick two minutes later, sliding in at the far post to finish a clumsy but effective move into the area and turn the game on it’s head (3-2, 70 mins)
There was another refreshment break soon after and Tamworth made three changes for the final act the afternoon’s entertainment.
And it was two of the substitutes, Jake Hutchinson and Tom McGlinchey, that combined with 6 minutes remaining as the latter took the former’s ball into the box and forced Gunter to protect his near post with a low stop.
Oliver Dyson took to the field for final few minutes for normal time, which increased to another ten when the fourth official showed his board.
Scores were nearly level on 94 minutes when Cullinane-Liburd looped a backwards header onto the underside of the bar and it was scrambled away for a corner and Wood’s Cashman picked his spot a minute or two later and Singh was happy to watch it rise just over the bar.
The Lambs keeper was called into action to deny a right footed shot from substitute Marley Marshall-Miranda in the next move.
Dan Creaney then flicked a header on for McGlinchey to set Dyson up but his shot was pushed away and smothered by Gunter at the second attempt, and when McGlinchey was brought down by Cashman with the clock on 100 minutes, there was one last chance for The Lambs to take a point from the game.
And Milnes duly stepped up and powered the spot kick past Munster to the delight of the Lambs, directors, bench and travelling faithful (3-3, 90+12 mins)

The Lambs now have a week to recover from their first point on the board, and are next in action when they welcome AFC Fylde to The Lamb on Saturday 15 August (3pm).

Boreham Wood
Gunter, Clarke (Bainbridge 67), White, Bush, O’Connell, Richardson (Abdulmalik 56), Brunt, Allarakhia (Cashman 67), Golden, Booty, Rush
Subs: Ali Wahid, Kensdale, Stapleberg

Tamworth
01 Singh; 11 Fairlamb, 12 Rye, 18 Cullinane-Liburd, 02 Lyttle; 07 Acquaye (19 McGlinchey 77), 04 Kurtaran (08 Milnes 78), 06 Bramble, 30 Roberts; 20 Tshikuna (23 Hutchinson 78); 10 Donnelly (14 Dyson 89)
Subs: Lovett, Parkes

Referee: Aaron Jackson

Attendance: 1208 (167 from Tamworth)