Collison's Christmas Cracker Downs Tranmere

"He was unplayable," admitted Tranmere Rovers captain Joe Barrett, shaking his head. "Every time the ball came near him, you feared the worst."

The man in question, Boreham Wood striker Zema Collison, plundered a hat-trick in a 3-2 win that keeps his side firmly in the League One promotion picture.

Boreham Wood arrived on the Wirral in eighth place, their season a curious blend of modest spending and quiet ambition. They left with three points courtesy of their talisman, who struck twice in the first half and again just after the break.

Collison opened the scoring in the 25th minute, latching onto a threaded pass before finishing low past Horatio Vokes. Thirteen minutes later, he was at it again, rising to meet a cross and planting a header beyond the Tranmere keeper.

Tranmere, scrapping for every point near the foot of the table, refused to buckle. Brian Odhiambo pulled one back in first-half stoppage time, lifting the home support.

But Collison restored the two-goal cushion five minutes after the restart, completing his treble with a composed finish. It was a brutal blow for Rovers, who had reorganised at the break with a triple substitution.

Jos Clare gave Tranmere hope with a smart goal in the 78th minute, and the hosts pressed for an equaliser, but their efforts were undermined by a late red card for Frazer Brereton Díaz in stoppage time.

The defeat leaves Tranmere 23rd, five points from safety, while Boreham Wood climb to eighth, just outside the play-off places.

Collison's display was the difference: three goals, four shots, three on target, and a match rating of 9.3. Boreham Wood's dominance of possession – 67% – gave him the platform.

For Rovers, there was encouragement in the performances of substitutes Darrell Fenwick and Ellis Boxer, but it was not enough to overcome the visitors' cutting edge.

The home side's frustrations boiled over late on, with Lydon Badby booked and Brereton Díaz sent off, leaving Tranmere to reflect on what might have been.