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 out the high-flying Championship club and send his side into the FA Cup fifth round.

It sparked jubilant scenes among 1,400 travelling Wood fans – 500 more than their average home attendance in the National League – and set up a last-16 trip to Everton in the first midweek of March.

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.

Visiting boss Luke Garrard 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.

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.

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.

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 trip to Goodison Park.

It was much to the delight of their chairman Danny Hunter. He revealed in June 2020 that he had remortaged his house to help the club cope with the financial effects of coronavirus.

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