Round 23 of the English National League gets underway at Meadow Park where Boreham Wood and Southend United go head to head on Saturday.
This game has all the makings of a thrilling contest as both sides head into the weekend separated by just three points and two places in the top half of the league standings.
Match preview
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Boreham Wood finally found their feet in the National League as they secured a much-needed 2-1 victory over Oldham Athletic when the sides squared off on Tuesday.
Following a drab first half, the game sparked into life in the second half as 28-year-old forward Lee Ndlovu scored either side of Ben Tollitt's 84th-minute equaliser to hand the visitors their sixth defeat in seven matches.
Prior to that, Boreham Wood were on a run of seven consecutive games without a league victory, losing four and claiming three draws while scoring three goals and shipping eight since October's 2-1 win at Wealdstone.
For all their recent struggles, Luke Garrard's men are currently two points off the promotion playoff places as they sit eighth in the National League standings with 31 points from 21 matches.
Boreham Wood have also enjoyed a solid campaign in the FA Cup, where they secured victories over Eastleigh and Bristol Rovers in the opening two rounds to set up a third-round clash against Accrington Stanley on January 7.
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Elsewhere, Southend United failed to arrest their slump in form as they bottled their lead twice before settling for a 2-2 draw against Altrincham at Roots Hall on Tuesday.
Jack Bridge and Chris Wreh scored either side of Ryan Colclough's 35th-minute strike to hand the hosts a first-half lead before Elliot Newby grabbed his third goal in four matches in the 59th minute to restore parity for the second time in the game.
Prior to that, Southend United saw their six-game unbeaten run come to an end on November 19, when they suffered a shock 3-1 loss to relegation candidate Gateshead before losing 2-0 against Aldershot Town a week later.
Kevin Maher's men have now picked up nine wins, seven draws and lost six of their 22 league matches this season to collect 34 points and sit sixth in the National League standings.
While the Shrimpers will be looking to return to winning ways, standing in their way is a Boreham Wood side who have won three of the last four meetings between the sides, including a 1-0 victory in August's reverse fixture.
Team News
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Ndlovu netted a late brace to fire Boreham Wood to all three points last time out and we expect the 28-year-old to spearhead the attack once again, teaming up with Danny Newton in the front two.
At the opposite end of the pitch, Garrard could name an unchanged back three of Kyron Gordon, David Stephens and Jamal Fyfield, with 32-year-old Nathan Ashmore between the sticks.
Zak Brunt, George Broadbent and former Blackpool man Jack Payne have started each of the last eight matches and we expect the trio to retain their starting roles at the centre of the park once again.
With his strike against Altrincham, Bridge now has four goals in his last eight matches and the 27-year-old midfielder should start in midfield alongside Cavanagh Miley and Wesley Fonguck.
Wreh ended a six-game goal drought last weekend and he could be rewarded with a second consecutive starting appearance, potentially pairing with Polish striker Kacper Lopata up top.
Boreham Wood possible starting lineup:
Ashmore; Gordon, Stephens, Fyfield; Coxe, Brunt, Broadbent, Payne, Ilesanmi; Ndlovu, Newton
Southend United possible starting lineup:
Noukeu; Scott-Morriss, Hobson, Ralph, Taylor; Mooney, Bridge, Miley, Fonguck; Wreh, Lopata
We say: Boreham Wood 2-1 Southend United
Fresh off the back of ending their seven-game winless run in the league, Boreham Wood will head into the weekend with renewed confidence as they look to get their promotion race back on track. The hosts take on a Southend United side who have suffered a drop-off in form and we predict that they will build on last week's victory over Oldham Athletic and secure a slender victory.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joshua Ojele
