Boreham Wood continued their strong pre-season with a goalless draw at home to League Two side Stevenage on Tuesday evening.

The home side had the best of the chances, never more so than when Ricky Shakes contrived to stab a low chance straight at Stevenage goalkeeper Jamie Jones at the end.

Garrard switched Ben Nunn and Joe Devera at full-back. Devera had been played at left-back since Danny Woodards’ injury prior to the win over Arsenal, but Nunn shuffled across to the left-hand side.

There was good news on the bench where regular number three Woodards returned following a foot problem which had ruled him out since Wood’s third pre-season friendly against Peterborough United.

Up front, trialist Angelo Balanta was given a start with Adriano Moke tucked in behind as a number ten.

Wood, who had struggled to get in behind during Saturday’s 1-0 friendly defeat at St Albans City, made a bright start and might have opened the scoring inside a minute. Shakes slung in a low cross from the right for Kenny Davis. But the former Braintree Town midfielder steered his first-time effort wide.

A few moments later it was Shakes on the end of a through ball from Balanta. But Stevenage keeper Jones was out sharply to deflect his effort over the crossbar as the Wood winger went to prod the ball underneath him.

Stevenage replied with two good chances of their own. Centre-back Dean Wells saw a header from a corner blocked on the line before keeper Grant Smith plucked his second effort out the air from underneath the crossbar.

After a lively start the contest settled down and it wasn’t until midway through the first half that either side had another sight of goal. When the chance arrived it was Stevenage midfielder Michael Tonge who saw his shot on the turn take a deflection on its way over.

Wood made one half-time change with Garrard introducing trialist keeper Sam Beasant in place of Smith.

And Beasant’s blushes were spared a couple of minutes after his introduction. The former Cambridge United keeper tried to dribble around Tom Pett but lost possession. Pett tried to cut the ball back for a teammate in the middle but found Devera in his path to clear.

Chances were few and far between after the break, though Boro midfielder Charlie Lee twice went close to breaking the deadlock when he saw a shot blocked and headed wide in quick succession.

Pett, who had nearly embarrassed Beasant earlier, came closest with 15 minutes remaining when he clipped the crossbar with a dipping effort from the left-hand corner of the penalty area.

That chance shook Wood back into life. Substitute Daniel Uchechi fed Shakes and the winger brought a fine stop out of Jones who stop up to palm the winger’s drilled effort over for a corner.

Right at the death Boreham Wood looked to have nicked it. The lively Uchechi slid a tantalising low cross to the back post where Shakes diverted the ball towards goal but straight at Boro keeper Jones.

In the end neither side could force a way through.

Wood are at Hemel Hempstead Town on Saturday in their final pre-season friendly. Then the real stuff begins with a visit from Forest Green Rovers on Saturday, August 6.

Boreham Wood: Smith (Smith HT); Devera, Stephens (Woodards 65), Paine (B.Goodliffe 80), Nunn; Shakes, Davis (Coldicott-Stevens 84), Ricketts (Clifford 65), Andrade (Uchechi 65); Moke (Morgan 81); Balanta.

Stevenage: Jones; Henry, Franks, Wells, Fox; Conlon, Lee, Tonge, McAnuff (Hyde 70); Pett; Godden.

Substitutes: Day (GK), McKee, Gorman, Akinyemi, Kerr, Donnellan, Johnson.

Referee: Lloyd Wood.