If the filmmakers at Elstree Studios are searching for inspiration for their latest blockbuster movie, they should look no further than down the road at Boreham Wood.
The National League club are just a stone’s throw from the famous film studios in Hertfordshire and even the best writers would struggle to come up with a script as good as this.
Boreham Wood are into the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history after producing one of the great upsets to beat Championship high-flyers Bournemouth.
Captain Mark Ricketts, who had been a youth-team player at Charlton when Bournemouth manager Scott Parker was a star at The Valley, was the hero, scoring the only goal to spark wild celebrations on the south coast.
After that, Boreham Wood dug deep to hold Bournemouth at bay. Their grit was typified by 37-year-old Ricketts, who was injured, had not trained all week and had injections to play.
The win sets up a tie again Everton at Goodison Park in the next round and, if Boreham Wood somehow shock them, then perhaps the silver screen will come calling.
“Brad Pitt can play me,” said Boreham Wood manager Luke Garrard, with a huge grin across his face.
Ricketts was the protagonist for Boreham Wood on Sunday night, scoring the winner in the first-half, but the support cast was just as impressive.
Centre-back David Stephens was a rock in the heart of defence, striker Joe Boden proved a vital out-ball to relieve pressure and wing-back Kane Smith worked tirelessly until he could barely walk.
Smith, a boyhood Everton fan, recovered for the celebrations after the final whistle, though, dancing in front of the 1,400 Boreham Wood fans wearing a Tony Hibbert shirt.
“The players deserve to walk out at Goodison and the hair on the back of my neck has just gone up thinking about the music there,” said Garrard.
“Frank Lampard is going to be stood to my right or left, with Ashley Cole there too. I am an Arsenal man, so to see Ashley Cole… I probably won’t know how to put two words together.
“I have just come up against Scott Parker and now we are facing Everton. If you had told me that at the start of the season, I would’ve said: ‘You are drinking too much, and it’s a Monday, and you shouldn’t be’.
“What we have done, what we have achieved, is immense.”
Boreham Wood players are off until Wednesday, and the celebrations that started last night with champagne in the dressing room went on into this morning.
“I’ll have to prep the Wrexham match on Saturday with a hangover,” said Garrard.
Any headache Garrard has should at least be eased when he watches this win over Bournemouth back.
His side restricted the host to just two shots on target, which came during the final 10 minutes, and other than that Boreham Wood were fairly comfortable.
They kept Bournemouth at arm’s length, with Parker going into the Boreham Wood dressing room at full-time to congratulate them. Now they face the challenge of trying to do the same at Everton in the next round.
“I can imagine this is now something that has excited the country, because everyone loves an underdog,” Garrard added.
“The underdog story is fully alive and kicking in our changing room.”
