ROSS’ NEW SHOTS HERO TY-ES ‘EM UP IN KNOTS

TYLER Cordner celebrated his new extended contract by sending Aldershot Town through to the FA Trophy quarter-finals – but Wanderers will feel that they could have snatched victory in stoppage time.

Cordner’s close-range finish at the very end of a turgid first-half was ultimately enough, even though Dorking belatedly roused themselves for a grandstand finish which came within inches of keeping them in the competition.

“They really put it on us in the last ten minutes,” admitted Shots boss Ross McNeilly. “They were very unlucky, and you might feel a bit for them, but they only really came in the last five or ten. It wasn’t the best game but we’re in the last eight of the FA Trophy, one of the highest-ranked teams left in the competition, and kept a clean sheet against a free-scoring team, so there’s loads of positives to take.”

Of his match-winner, McNeilly enthused: “He [Cordner] was excellent today. He is a leader, he’s exceptional and vital to us moving forward. A lot of clubs are taking notice of Tyler, he’s one of the best centre-back in this league, so we’re delighted that he’s tied himself in to this club. He could play for any of the big teams, Wrexham, Chesterfield, Notts County, and he wouldn’t look out of place.”

Both sides were shorn of their talismanic frontmen – through Inih Effiong’s move to Dagenham, and the cup-tied Jason Prior – and it showed. Forty-six minutes and 50 seconds of almost chanceless football – which produced more yellow cards than shots on goal – had elapsed before Justin Amaluzor skipped past Bobby-Joe Taylor.

His cross found Josh McQuoid for a header which Dan Lincoln saved superbly, but in the ensuing scramble, Lincoln could only palm the ball to the six-yard line, from where Cordner lashed the ball into the net. The goalkeeper’s resulting head injury saw the half eventually last 53 minutes.

Wanderers mustered precious little until the 75th minute, as Joshua Taylor took control of the game and Marc White returned to Dorking’s familiar backthree. Taylor’s angled drive flew over the bar, before Jimmy Muitt’s overhead kick dropped wide. Jack Jebb’s inviting cross then found Taylor six-yards out but his header was again too high.

Taylor soon turned provider, crossing for Isaac Philpot to hit the crossbar with a punchy header. Then, in added time, Taylor himself hit the post with a low drive and, with the final touch of the game, guided a strong header wide.

“It felt like it was never going to go in,” conceded White. “But I was really pleased with the boys and I saw loads today that gives me optimism. Across the 90 minutes, the better side lost today.”