WADDOCK’S GOT A WILL TO WIN AS FYLDE FALTER
WILL Evans proved the unlikely matchwinner for Aldershot Town but after just one win in their previous seven league games, any victory was gratefully received at the EBB Stadium.
Evans headed in from an acute angle in the closing stages of a game which the Shots seemingly had under their control at half-time, only for Danny Rowe to capitalise upon a mistake by Evans himself to poach his ninth of the season.
Playing captain Callum Reynolds at left-back, and winger Shamir Fenelon as a central striker, Waddock also gave a debut to Reading goalkeeper Lewis Ward as he shuffled his pack, and – initially at least – the spark returned to his side’s play.
“Massive” was how Waddock described the victory. “A win’s a win, and we need to start winning matches. The players have worked really hard and shown a lot of character today. We moved the ball around better in the first-half, we looked sharper. Pressed better, closed down better. Then we found a way to win the game in the second-half.”
“We didn’t play for some reason. We didn’t get on the ball or express ourselves,” admitted Fylde boss Dave Challinor. “Poor decisionmaking throughout has cost us. We had something to hang on to, so to lose the game is disappointing, but on balance I don’t think we deserved anything.”
Waddock hoped to utilise Fenelon’s pace to exploit what he saw as a weakness in Fylde’s high defensive line, but the Irishman had to use his head to snatch a 20th minute lead. Jay Lynch had already made a strong save from Bernard Mensah’s drive in the early stages but, as James Rowe’s chipped cross was deflected up into the air, the goalkeeper allowed Fenelon to reach the ball first and nod it into the net over his attempted punch. Mensah and Fenelon soon went close as the Shots sought to affirm their dominance with a second goal, and that buoyancy appeared to continue after the break. However, one apparently harmless ball out of defence by Luke Burke sent Danny Rowe racing through on goal to chip the advancing Ward and the Shots had to go and win the game all over again. Jack Muldoon, on 64 minutes, saw the first of two red cards for a needless tussle with Aldershot’s Ipswich loanee George Fowler as the pair wrestled each other to the ground. Fifteen minutes later, ref Sam Purkiss then also dismissed Manny Oyeleke for a lunge on Serhat Tasdemir as Fylde launched a counter-attack. Danny Rowe’s point-blank effort was smothered by Ward, allowing Evans to make himself the hero. Adam McDonnell’s driven free-kick was flicked on by Reynolds and Evans, arriving beyond the far-post, smuggled his header over the line to leave Shots fans more relieved than ecstatic.