Sam Osborne scored a delightful goal to get his career tally underway as Notts County won 2-1 at Boreham Wood.

The winger curled a beauty into the top corner in the second half after Enzio Boldewijn had opened the scoring shortly before the break.

Boreham Wood set up a nervy finale when Tyrone Marsh scored a late penalty.

But the Magpies stood firm to claim a big three points.

Neal Ardley made two changes to the starting 11 from the weekend trip to Bromley.

Sam Osborne took his place on the right wing while Wes Thomas replaced the bench-bound Kristian Dennis, partnering Kyle Wootton up top.

With Jim O'Brien ruled out with a long-term arm injury sustained at Bromley, Reegan Booty joined captain Mitch Rose in central midfield, with Boldewijn playing down the left.

Connell Rawlinson kept his place next to Damien McCrory in central defence, with Zoumana Bakayogo and Richard Brindley as full backs.

Boreham Wood made a strong start to the match and nearly had a spectacular early opener when Sorba Thomas turned on the edge of the box before curling the ball narrowly wide.

Notts' response came from Thomas, who broke into space down the left before sending a shot wide of the near post from a tight angle.

With 10 minutes on the clock, Booty then tried his luck with a shot from outside the area which deflected up and over the bar off a defender.

The Magpies were now looking the more likely team to score and, after temporarily switching wings with Boldewijn, Osborne wriggled into space in midfield before sending a 30-yard shot bouncing narrowly wide.

Boreham Wood then reminded Notts of their own threat when the pace and power of left back Femi Ilesanmi took him to the byline, where he produced a low cross which picked out Kabongo Tshimanga in the middle. The forward could only direct his shot straight at Slocombe, who side-footed the ball to safety.

It looked like the first half would end in stalemate - but Thomas had other ideas. He tirelessly chased down centre back Tom Champion, robbing him of the ball and seeing his effort well saved by David Gregory. The danger was far from over, though, as Boldewijn was first on the scene to send the ball against both posts on its way over the line from a tight angle.

There were no changes for either side at the break and Notts continued to press for the next goal, Thomas and Rose both seeing shots blocked in quick succession.

The hosts' first notable effort of the half came on the hour mark when Tshimanga received the ball just outside the Notts box before fizzing it along the turf straight at Slocombe, who held on to it easily.

Boldewijn received the game's first booking shortly afterwards after refusing to let go of the ball following a harsh decision against him in the centre circle.

But the man on the opposite wing was soon in the limelight for all the right reasons as Osborne received the ball a yard outside the area before curling a peach of a shot into the top corner with his right foot.

Rose joined the goalscorer in the book for what the referee deemed an over-aggressive slide tackle on Keiran Murtagh before David Stephens nodded a header straight at Slocombe from a corner.

Ardley's first change followed as, on 78 minutes, Osborne made way for fit-again Sean Shields in a like-for-like switch down the left.

Notts looked the more likely side to find the next goal and Rose tried his luck from long range, fizzing the ball along the damp turf only to see Gregory hold on to the ball at the second attempt.

But, with six minutes to play, the hosts were handed a lifeline when the referee adjudged a coming-together between Brindley and Thomas to be a foul against the hosts, pointing to the spot and allowing Marsh to send the spotkick straight down the middle to halve the deficit.

Stephens then presented Notts with a chance to regain their two-goal lead when his over-aggressive challenge on Thomas earned him a booking and handed the Magpies a free-kick 20 yards out. Rose's shot was deflected wide by a defender.

Five minutes of added time were indicated at the end of the match, shortly after which Booty sent an effort inches wide.

Boldewijn then made way for Pierce Bird as Ardley looked to shore things up at the back.

But it was McCrory who went on to play the hero as he made a sprawling block to deny Marsh a certain goal from close range in the dying moments.