Rendell double enforces narrow defeat against the Shots

Woking 1 Aldershot Town 2
Vanarama National League
01 January 2018

Former Woking striker Scott Rendell came back to haunt his old side on New Year’s Day with his double either side of Kane Ferdinand’s equaliser, earning The Shots the bragging rights for the second time in six days. Rendell’s first half header was cancelled out by Ferdinand’s equaliser shortly after half time but Rendell agonisingly struck again a minute from fulltime.

Woking welcomed Surrey rivals Aldershot Town on New Year’s Day with The Cards looking to avenge the 3-1 defeat suffered five days earlier on Boxing Day. A bumper crowd packed into the Laithwaite Community Stadium for the 1pm kick-off expecting a feast of derby day football to cure the sore New Year’s Eve heads. Woking could look back at 2017 with relatively fondness: securing their place in the National League for another season after a frantic end to the season, an FA cup run that saw them beat League 1 side Bury 3-0 away and the start of new era under Anthony Limbrick.

Joey Jones was booked early in the first half after a cynical foul preventing a quick counter-attack by the visitors following sloppy play by Jones and Staunton. The resulting free-kick was headed in by Will Evans following Scott Rendell’s flick on to send the visiting fans into raptures but their celebrations were short-lived as Evans headed the ball into the net from an offside position. A surging run by Jones just after the offside goal forced the first corner of the game for the hosts but Lewis Ward punched the delivery away.

The visitors enjoyed the majority of possession in the early stages and spurned a golden opportunity to open the scoring as Jake Gallagher fired over from 8 yards following Jim Kellerman’s cutback in the 17th minute. The Shots then forced Nathan Baxter into a superb save halfway through the first half, the Chelsea loanee tipped over his bar acrobatically after Alexander Cheye was given time to pick the top corner with a rasping drive from 25 yards out.

The visitors’ first half dominance finally produced the opening goal in the 27th minute and it was the former Woking striker Rendell with a glancing header to open the scoring. James Rowe’s delivery from the right-hand side was inch perfect for the unmarked Rendell who used to pace of the cross to guide his header across Baxter and into the left-hand corner. Woking were struggling to get to grips with the visitors’ fast start and just couldn’t assert any dominance on the game.

Inih Effiong was nearly gifted an equaliser just before halftime as Woking finally got their first chance in the 38th minute. Good defending by the Cards resulting in a long ball for Effiong to chase. Effiong forced Lewis Ward off his line and he had the goal gaping but his curling effort from a narrow angle was cleared off the line by Fowler.

Woking then had a carbon copy of the chance two minutes later on the opposite side of the box. More questionable goalkeeping by Ward allowed Banton to square the ball to Charlie Carter but his driven shot was also cleared off the line and deflected over by an Aldershot defender. The visitors were struggling to deal with Effiong’s bullish nature but his frustrations were visible after he was booked for kicking the ball away.

The halftime whistle blew as Woking finished the first half the better team. Chances for Carter and Effiong were the only opportunities created as The Cards came close to an equaliser. Rendell’s glancing header after the visitors’ early dominance gave The Shots a slender lead going into the break.

Half-time: Woking 0 Aldershot Town 1

The Cards continued their momentum into the second half as Kane Ferdinand scored the equaliser in the 47th minute. Good link up between Jones and Banton down the right allowed the latter to get to byline and produce composed cutback to Ferdinand unmarked in the box. He drove his effort into the goal via a deflection from another Aldershot defender. This time the deflection fell to the hosts’ favour and Ferdinand’s shot nestled into the bottom left hand corner to give Woking the perfect start to the second half.

Effiong continued to cause problems for the Shots backline and his looping cross on the hour found Joe Ward’s head, but the winger’s header was too weak and looped harmlessly in the air.

Joey Jones blocked Rowe’s powerful shot that was on target as both sides looked to take the lead as the game was finely poised going into the last half-hour. Rendell was also prevented from doubling his tally shortly after as Nathan Baxter held a shot low to his right. Rendell spurned another opportunity in the 67th minute as he was found unmarked at the back post but he could curl a shot harmlessly over the bar.

Jason Banton made way for Jamie Philpot in the 70th minute as Anthony Limbrick opted to go more direct as Woking looked for a winner.

Baxter tipped away a dangerous cross in the 81st minute aiming for the dangerous Rendell as The Shots searches to regain the lead. Substitute Matt Mclure also drove a shot wide of Baxter’s goal.

The visitors growing pressure eventually told as The Cards backline switched off in the 89th minute. A ball was played in behind and it was Scott Rendall again with the definitive finish, firing past Nathan Baxter one-on-one into the roof of the net, triggering more crowd trouble similar to last season. It was a sickener for The Cards who had fought bravely in the second half.

The Cards had five minutes added time to find an equaliser following a lengthy stoppage due to the Aldershot fans encroaching the pitch but it wasn’t to be.

Scott Rendell’s late winner was enough to give the visitors the bragging rights yet again on derby day. Woking fought bravely in the second half but a lapse of concentration at the back was the home side’s undoing.

Woking: Nathan Baxter, Matt Young, Louis Ramsay (Fabio Sariava 90’), Josh Staunton, Richard Orlu, Joey Jones, Kane Ferdinand, Joe Ward, Jason Banton (Jamie Philpot 70), Charlie Carter, Inih Effiong

Goal: Ferdinand 47’

Booked: Jones 11’ Young 22’ Effiong 45’

Unused subs: JoJo Wollacott, Lazar Stojsavljevic, Declan Appau

Aldershot: Lewis Ward, Alexander Cheye, Will Evans, Manny Oyeleke, Scott Rendell, Bernard Mensah (Matt McClure 79’), Jake Gallagher, Jim Kellermann, James Rowe (James Blanchfield 72’), George Fowler, Bobby Joe Taylor

Goal: Rendell 27’, 89’

Booked: Oyeleke 51’

Unused subs: Jake Cole, Kodi Lyons-Foster, Matt Bozier

Attendance: 3,790

Referee: Carl Brook

Sponsors MOTM: Josh Staunton: Defended resolutely until the closing stages.