After a goalless first half, Dale burst into life after the break, scoring twice in three minutes.
The well-crafted goals, coupled with a resolute defensive performance, ensured Jimmy McNulty’s men began with all three points and a clean sheet.
The first starting eleven of the new campaign featured three debutants in Oliver Whatmuff, Emmanuel Dieseruvwe and Joe Pritchard. Fellow summer signings David Tutonda, Levi Amantchi, Casey Pettit and Dan Moss were amongst the substitutes. Former Dale loanee Aaron Henry was on the bench for the hosts.
It was Dale who controlled the majority of possession in the opening stages in the Hertfordshire sunshine.
Dieseruvwe saw a shot well blocked after a neat turn on the edge of the area, before Devante Rodney had an effort saved by the legs of goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore.
The Dale frontmen had another opportunity each midway through the half but found themselves crowded out by the home defence.
Wood’s best chance fell to Charlie O’Connell, who nodded a free-kick into the side netting.
Ashmore produced a good stop from Dieseruvwe just after the half-hour mark, after the Dale summer signing had received a pass from Kyron Gordon and turned well just outside the area.
Sam Beckwith hit a shot from distance over the bar, and Tobi Adebayo-Rowling had an effort from a similar distance deflected into the arms of the goalkeeper.
McNulty’s men came flying out of the blocks after the break, with Pritchard seeing a shot blocked, before two goals in three minutes ultimately settled the tie.
Pritchard was involved again, finding the forward run of Beckwith, who burst into the area before squaring. Dieseruvwe was there to meet it, cleverly backheeling home from the edge of the six-yard box.
Dale’s new number nine took less than three minutes to double his tally, receiving a ball with his back to goal and taking a great first touch to free him of his marker. He turned and fired from the edge of the area, finding the far bottom corner.
Four minutes later, he had another sight of goal when an Adebayo-Rowling cross fell to him awkwardly, but with his back to goal, he looped one over.
Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Aidan Barlow both put good blocks on Boreham Wood shots inside the area, as did substitute Tutonda on his debut.
Tarryn Allarakhia, another of five second-half substitutes, curled a shot narrowly over inside the closing stages, whilst Femi Ilesanmi struck the post from inside the Dale area.
McNulty’s men had to be switched on right until the final whistle as the hosts kept trying to find a way back into the game, but goalkeeper Whatmuff remained untroubled, as Dale began the season with all three points.
Boreham Wood XI | Ashmore, Coxe (75’ Whelan), Ilessanmi, Bush, O’Connell, Sousa, Abdulmalik (75’ King), Reynolds, Clayden (70’ Dixon), Norris (63’ Rush), White.
Unused subs | Benton, Newton, Henry.
Dale XI | Whatmuff, Gordon, East (79’ Pettit), Ebanks-Landell ©, Gilmour, Dieseruvwe, Rodney (72’ Amantchi), Adebayo-Rowling, Pritchard (65’ Allarakhia), Barlow (79’ Henderson), Beckwith (65’ Tutonda).
Unused subs | Hogan, Moss.
Scorers | 49’ 52’ Dieseruvwe.
Attendance | 1,151 (361 away).
