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| Aldershot Town 2 Woking 2: 13th March 2007 Scorers Anyone who didn't think the Cards were in a relegation battle before this game, must realise it now as wins for Altrincham, Grays and Halifax meant that the Cards finished the night in 16th place but more importantly, just three points off the bottom four. Of course, the result itself is certainly nothing to be too downhearted about. It was far from a good performance but given the lack of effort recently a hard fought point was won against a dominant but wasteful Aldershot side. This was proven almost immediately as in the first ten minutes they had three good chances compared to the Card single real chance, yet found themselves 1-0 down. Glenn made one change, bringing in new loan signing Daniel Webb to go up front with McAllister and dropping Ollie Berquez, making a 4-4-2 with Sole on the right wing. It was the Shots who were out of the blocks the quickest, when in the first 30 seconds Jonny Dixon found his strike partner John Grant outside the area and he jinked inside before curling an effort at goal, but Bittner did well to parry it behind. Three minutes later and Ryan Williams free kick was never properly cleared and bounced through for Anthony Charles to stab at goal but he got it all wrong looping it high over the bar. Williams then had another opportunity for the home side, cutting inside from the right flank following a corner and rifling in a shot to Bittner's left, but he watched it fly harmlessly wide. Hutchinson flicked on a long throw which was cleared off the line and Murray saw his optimistic long shot soar wide before Woking's first meaningful shot hit the back of the net. On eight minutes, against the run of play, Osano drove forward with a powerful run and eventually Sole got the ball on the right, he swung in a deep cross to the back post which Green turned back into the six yard box for Webb to apply the finishing touch and find the bottom corner. It was the perfect start the debutant who had a good game with little service and was full of neat, clever touches to link the play. After the goal though the Cards sunk back deeper and deeper and the Shots came onto them quickly. They made a succession of half chances, forcing numerous last-ditch blocks and desperate defending. Lots of corners were scrambled away, and long shots either flashed wide or were well held by Bittner. As time ticked on you just knew that a goal was coming and as half time approached, it arrived. On 40 minutes, in the aftermath of yet another corner, Ryan Williams cross shouldn't have caused much of a problem but was never cleared and the Cards defence were left standing when the ball fell to Kirk Hudson inside the area who got a shot away at goal. What it lacked in power, it made up for in accuracy as it trickled towards the far corner, beating Bittner and agonisingly nestled in the far corner. After half time, Woking came out very positively. A Sole free kick found Pearce at the back post and his header across goal was headed to MacDonald who had his shot brilliantly blocked. Green hooked a cross back at the last second which was gathered by Bull but he clashed into one of his own defenders and the ball rolled just back past his own post for a corner. However, on 56 minutes, Dixon broke away form the back four after some sloppy defending and had a great chance to give Aldershot the lead but blazed his chance over the bar. Green and Sole had free kicks sail over after Osano and Murray had been taken down in promising positions before the equaliser arrived. On 63 minutes, Webb gambled by making a run behind Charles who missed his header and the strike ran clear down the left side of the penalty area, calmly waiting for McAllister's lung busting run to reach the six yard box, at which point he slid a inch perfect ball in front of him to rifle into the net from almost on the goal line. Almost immediately though and the Cards were slipping further and further back as per usual and ten minutes later and Grant made it 2-2, placing a header from a Williams cross back across goal and into the far corner. Aldershot were now on top again, with the ever annoying Williams teasing the defence again before shooting wide. McAllister should have done better than loop an effort harmlessly over having been set up by a clever flick from Webb but made up for it by hacking an effort off the line from a corner at the other end. On 85 minutes, Bittner's awful kicking sent the ball straight to Grant who broke clear but was brought down by MacDonald and he was shown his second yellow card and was dismissed. The Cards survived the last five minutes, plus another five for injury time, plucked from somewhere, mainly down to desperate defending and long hacks up the field. Certainly more passion than in recent games, yet still so much negativity and long ball. Webb looks a decent signing, but Cockerill's ability to pick up some real gems isn't at question here, the rest of it is, and it just doesn't change. The game on Saturday is massive, both for Glenn and the club. Defeat surely means his departure, yet also means relegation is ever closer. It's not going to get any prettier from here is it? Woking (4-4-2):
Bittner; Osano, Hutchinson, MacDonald, Pearce; Sole (Lambu 83), Smith, Murray, Green; Webb (Marum 90), McAllister (Berquez 88).
Man of the Match: Daniel Webb - a superb debut including a goal and an assist. Moment of the Match: Webb's calm and colleted ball into McAllister to set up the second. Attendance: 2,739 |
