An Arsenal XI made up of players from our under-21s team beat National League South side Boreham Wood 4-2 in a pre-season friendly at Mangata Pay UK Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Salah-Eddine Oulad M'Hand opened the scoring from close range inside just four minutes, before his ninth-minute corner was headed in by Omar Rekik.
Kwesi Appiah pulled one back for the hosts, but the Oulad M'Hand brothers combined on the brink of half-time, Ismail putting Salah-Eddine through on goal for his brace.
Ethan Nwaneri made it 4-1 early in the second half before Trialist C pulled one back for Boreham Wood.
Salah-Eddine looked hungry right from the off, winning a free-kick 25 yards from goal which he curled over the crossbar.
Then, after the ball was given away to him in a dangerous area, the Dutch midfielder had time to compose himself before slotting it into the bottom right corner.
Five minutes later, Salah-Eddine continued to pull the strings, putting Khayon Edwards through on goal, who forced a good save from Nathan Ashmore, tipping the ball past the post for a corner.
Salah-Eddine delivered and Omar Rekik arrived first to flick it into the far corner with his head.
Ashmore stretched a leg out at the near post to deny Edwards in the 16th minute, before Boreham Wood reduced the arrears.
A cross from the left came out to Tyrone Marsh, whose shot was blocked by Charles Sagoe Jr, but the home side put the ball back into the box and Appiah was on hand at the far post to head it back down into the bottom right corner.
He subsequently forced a good save from debutant Lucas Nygaard with half-time approaching, but the flag went up for offside anyway.
We restored our lead in the 44th minute, Ismail Oulad M'Hand playing the ball through to his brother Salah-Eddine, who darted to the edge of the area and placed it into the bottom left corner for 3-1.
Mehmet Ali made wholesale changes at half-time with 11 substitutes coming on for the second half.
It only took five minutes in the second half for us to score again, Ismeal Kabia crossing from the right for Nwaneri, who was falling but still managed to get a shot away into the bottom right corner for 4-1.
Boreham Wood had a chance to score again with half an hour remaining as Charles Clayden crossed for Trialist C, who hooked it over the bar, but they did then find the back of the net as the latter tucked the ball into the bottom left corner.
The home side came close to another when Trialist D won the ball in the final third and played it through to Trialist C, who took it around Brian Okonkwo but saw his shot blocked on the line by Ayden Heaven.
Trialist D volleyed over the bar from long range with ten minutes to go before Mo Sagaf struck a free-kick straight at the Arsenal wall.
Okonkwo played a great ball down the right wing to Kabia with just three minutes left. He cut inside and found Nwaneri in acres of space, but the attacking midfielder smashed it over the bar with power.
Team news
Boreham Wood: Ashmore, Coxe (Trialist C 46), Payne (C) (Ilesanmi 74), Bush (Goodard 46), Whelan (Trialist D 46), Marsh (Sagaf 63), Hare (Isaac 86), Appiah, O'Connell (Trialist B 63), Clayden (Trialist A 74), Sousa (Morley 63).
Substitutes (not used): Agbontohoma.
Arsenal XI: Nygaard (Okonkwo 46), Robinson (Nichols 46), Sagoe Jnr (Kacurri 46), Rekik (Heaven 46), Monlouis (Rosiak 46), Patino (Kabia 46), Kamara (Lewis-Skelly 46), Ismail Oulad M'Hand (Butler-Oyedeji 46), Edwards (Nwaneri 46), Dudziak (Gower 46), Salah-Eddine Oulad M'Hand (Quesada-Thorn 46).
Substitutes (not used): Rojas, Forde.
What's next?
For Mehmet Ali's under-21s, it's a trip to Enfield Town on Tuesday night as our pre-season preparations continue. The game will kick off at 7.45pm BST at Queen Elizabeth II Stadium.
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