Aldershot Town 2-1 Woking - FA Trophy Semi-Final - Saturday 5th April 2025 (Match Day Thread)

[Mytshot]

One comment… good luck in the final, you will need it, BUT the minority of your fans are a disgrace. That attack on our GK and invading the pitch before the game ended. I hope your fans get hit VERY hard. As usual nothing will happen and the thugs get away with it.
Fair play to the East Bank chants to get off the pitch!

You’ve got idiots, we’ve got idiots. Unfortunately for us as a much bigger club than you, we probably have a few more. But as you say, the vast majority chanted for them to get off the pitch.

[Weybourne Shot]

Spennymoor equalise

[Aldershot]

COME ON YOU SHOTS!!!

[Aldershot]

https://www.theshots.co.uk/match-report-woking-h-3/

05/04/2025
If you somehow hadn’t already heard, Aldershot Town secured their place in the Isuzu FA Trophy final for the very first time on Saturday, coming from behind to beat local rivals Woking 2-1 in a nerve-racking and incident filled encounter at the EBB Stadium.

Two penalties, one red card and over fifteen minutes of second-half injury time eventually all culminated in Jack Barham’s header at the death, finally earning the Shots their maiden trip to Wembley Stadium.

Tommy Widdrington named a predictably strong lineup for this all-important clash. With minutes managed in mid-week, Josh Barrett, Jack Barham and Tyler Frost among others returned to the starting eleven.

After the game kicked off to thunderous noise from all corners of the ground, it was the visitors produced the first shot on target. A quick free-kick played Inih Effiong into space on the left hand side. Woking’s no. 12 cut inside, before unleashing a shot high to the middle of the goal, Marcus Dewhurst making a fine save to push it out for a corner.

An understandably cagey start saw very little goal-mouth action. However, the Shots showed signs of growing into the game, with pinpoint long-passing from Dan Ellison among others, and threatening link up play from Jones’ Aaron and Ryan. The latter found himself in on goal after a defensive error, though a crucial recovery tackle from Timi Odusina saved the Cards’ blushes.

A clash of heads between Aaron Jones and Lewis Walker saw a brief stoppage in play, fortunately for the hosts, the resulting free-kick came to nothing. Dangerous from the off, former shot Inih Effiong produced a heart-in-mouth moment for the East Bank, as he met a cross from right with a speculative backheeled volley, sailing just inches wide of the post.

Aldershot were presented with a golden opportunity to open the scoring just after the half-hour mark. Cameron Hargreaves’ pass near the edge of the box was intercepted but miscontrolled by Dale Gorman, allowing Josh Barrett to pounce upon the loose ball. The forward drove into the box a struck across goal with a powerful left-footed effort, and while Will Jaaskelainen got down well to save, Tyler Frost was quickest to the rebound, and subsequently fouled. Penalty Shots.

Having recently scored from the spot against Ebbsfleet, Frost took on the responsibility. However, Woking’s Finnish keeper continued his cup heroics, saving low to his left-hand post, keeping the scores level.

HALF-TIME

Shots continued to dominate possession, but had little to show for it other than audacious bicycle kick attempt from Josh Barrett on the edge of the area. Shortly after, however, an altercation in the Aldershot box between Theo Widdrington and Harry Beautyman saw Woking’s number seven shown a red card. While the nature of the offence was unclear to most, Widdrington’s obvious discomfort suggested a cheap shot from the Cards’ number seven.

With a mammoth task ahead, this seemingly spurred on both the travelling support and squad, as amid a raised decibel level, Jamie Andrews played a high-arching cross from right to the back-post, which met the head of Lewis Walker to put the visitors into a surprise lead, given the circumstance.

In pursuit of a quick reply, Ryan Jones produced a typical charge into the left of the opposition box. His squared ball zipped into a threatening area, but agonisingly failed to find any red and blue shirt. Down the other end, a combination of strength and technique allowed Effiong to jink through the back line, though his shot sailed well wide of Marcus Dewhurst’s goal.

Shortly after, good work in possession from Widdrington allowed him to tee up midfield partner Cameron Hargreaves for a shot 25-yards from goal. The strike was hit true, but deflected off of a Woking hand just as it entered the area. After severe remonstration from the East Bank, the referee pointed to the spot once for the second time in the match.

With Frost no longer on the pitch, his replacement, James Henry, stepped up to take. Woking did their best to distract, and forced a significant waiting period before the kick could take place, though the experienced Henry was not to be perturbed, striking true into the top-right corner to level the scoring.

A revigorated EBB Stadium sprung to life, as relentless pressure from the hosts followed. Strikes from Josh Barrett and James Henry failed to beat the low block, though the Shots were finally letting their man-advantage tell. A further effort from Barrett, left-footed from the edge of the box, eventually tested Jasskelainen once more, though the Bolton-born keeper held it well. Will Armitage thought he might have scored the all-important winner after he leapt highest to Ryan Jones’ corner, though the powerful nod went just over the Woking net.

Finally, well into injury time, the pressure told. Ryan Jones yet again tore down the left hand side against a tired looking Woking back-line. His floating cross seemingly took years to come back down, though when it did, it found the head of the incoming Jack Barham, who nodded home to score THE Aldershot Town goal. 2-1 to the Shots… Wembley.

Attendance: 7058 (1400 away)

Shots lineup: 28. Marcus Dewhurst, 6. Theo Widdrington (9. Kai Corbett 95′), 7. Cameron Hargreaves, 8. Tyler Frost (27. James Henry 57′), 10. Josh Barrett, 11. Ryan Jones, 17. Aaron Jones (C), 22. Jack Barham (24. Maxwell Mullins 95′), 33. Luca Woodhouse, 35. Dan Ellison (39. Kwame Thomas 71′), 36. Will Armitage.

Subs not used: 1. Jordi van Stappershoef, 14. Ollie Bray, 37. Tariq Uwakwe.

Woking lineup: 22. Will Jaaskelainen, 2. Dan Moss, 5. Timi Odusina, 6. Jamie Andrews, 7. Harry Beautyman, Dale Gorman (C), 10. Lewis Walker (9. Aiden O’Brien 76′), 12. Inih Effiong, 14. Tariq Hinds, 16. Tunji Akinola, 30. Frank Vincent (23. Jermaine Anderson 63′).

Subs not used: 28. Olly Webber, 15. Adam Chicksen, 27. Dion Kelly-Evans, 29. Sha’mar Lawson, 35. Charlie Sayers

[Aldershot]

[Alex]

Rob Worrall was talking to him when I was leaving the ground

[Aldershot]

The red card incident - https://x.com/i/status/1908523662719725783

[Alex]

The red card incident - https://x.com/i/status/1908523662719725783

NEVER a red, but hey ho!

[Turnkey]

The red card incident - https://x.com/i/status/1908523662719725783

Saying that is soft would be being very generous.

[ShotOnTarget]

One comment… good luck in the final, you will need it, BUT the minority of your fans are a disgrace. That attack on our GK and invading the pitch before the game ended. I hope your fans get hit VERY hard. As usual nothing will happen and the thugs get away with it.
Fair play to the East Bank chants to get off the pitch!

Listening on the radio, the commentators where both aghast at the time added on. 9 minutes and they both agreed it was more like 5 or 6. They announced prematurely that the final whistle had been blown. They weren't the only ones who thought the game was over. Some of the players believed so as well it was reported. The excessive added time was a major contribution to the confusion.

I am not condoning the pitch invasion, but offering additional information that you would not have got from the radio as you were at the game.

[Aldershot]

The red card incident - https://x.com/i/status/1908523662719725783

NEVER a red, but hey ho!

Don't tell Theo that!

[beechcroft]

The red card incident - https://x.com/i/status/1908523662719725783

NEVER a red, but hey ho!

You canot see the whole incident from that angle, it likes his shoulder but from the front it could well be his elbow which we cannot see from behind the goal

[ShotOnTarget]

The red card incident - https://x.com/i/status/1908523662719725783

NEVER a red, but hey ho!

If he caught his chin with his shoulder, then it would be wouldn't it? Difficult to see from the camera angle.

[Aldershot]

Harry Beautyman has tweeted about his red card...

[elmariachi]

Oh wow, that's not great. Never a red and poor from Theo, looks like we have to add 'cheat' to his growing rap sheet, at least that's how it looks from the angle. Not that I'm not grateful for the win