Aldershot Town 1, Boreham Wood 1

ALDERSHOT Town threw away two points in injury time as Boreham Wood snatched an equaliser to deprive The Shots of a seventh home victory of the season on Tuesday night.

Substitute David Stephens was afforded too much space as Wood forced a late corner, and his calm finish punished the hosts’ profligacy.

“I thought we played really well, but this feels like a loss. We had chances to kill the game off and didn’t take them. It’s disappointing,” admitted manager Gary Waddock, who asserted that his team “100 per cent” deserved to win.

“This performance, after what we had to go through on Saturday, was pleasing. We worked hard, but the disappointing thing is to concede so late.”

The Shots held sway for much of the first period, with greater possession, territory and chances, but it was characterised only by wayward finishing from both sides. Shamir Fenelon, making his first start in eight weeks as he continued his comeback from injury, fired a rising, fifth-minute drive over the crossbar, before Connor Smith, for the visitors, and Adam May shot wildly off target.

Two efforts from distance by Adam McDonnell were well blocked by the Boreham Wood defence, and wing-back Danny Woodards should have done better with a clear opportunity which he sliced well wide.

The half appeared set to peter out until the second minute of stoppage time. Bernard’s throw was touched back to him by Rendell and on to McDonnell, who shaped to shoot left-footed only to hit a low right-footed shot which crept past Huddart and in off the far post.

Luke Wanadio, on for the injured Matt McClure, saw his 50th-minute drive squirm through Ryan Huddart’s grasp only for the goalkeeper to claim the ball on the line with Fenelon inches away from following up. Later, Wanadio scuffed a shot from close range, allowing Huddart to again make a scrambled save, and both he and McDonnell had shots blocked as Aldershot Town continued to press for the crucial second goal.

Rendell leapt for a header which ultimately failed to find either direction or pace, and on 81 minutes his looping header was tipped over the crossbar by the busy Huddart.

Yet still they failed to kill the game off. Mannion was left stranded in indecision as he watched Jamal Fyfields’ header, from a teasing free-kick, drop onto the roof of the net in the final 10 minutes, and in the first minute of added time came the sucker punch.

A powerful header from Wood top scorer Joshua Umerah brought a fine flying save from Mannion, but his defence switched off at the ensuing corner. Sorba Thomas’ delivery was flicked on to Stephens, all alone eight yards out, and the centre-back kept his cool to drill a shot under Mannion and past several defenders on the line.

The visitors even went looking for a winner into the 96th minute, but having to settle for a draw was still a sufficiently harsh lesson for Aldershot Town to learn.

Aldershot Town: Mannion; Bernard, Lelan, Fowler, Kinsella; May, Gallagher, McDonnell; Fenelon (Howell 83), Rendell, McClure (Wanadio 44). Subs (not used): Cole, Booty, McCoy.

Boreham Wood: Huddart; Thomas, Champion, Fyfield, Parry, Woodards (Shaibu 79); Shakes, Ricketts, Smith (Stephens 65); Ugwu, Umerah. Subs (not used): Burbidge, Hackett-Fairchild, Gibbs.

Attendance: 1,419.

* A minute’s silence was observed before Tuesday night’s game in the wake of the helicopter tragedy in which Leicester City owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the pilot and three other passengers were killed after City’s Premiership clash with West Ham at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.