Cannie's impressive start

Winchester City 2, Aldershot Town 2

CITY's first home match of the campaign saw a bumper crowd of 519 witness an entertaining draw in a friendly fixture in which City met opponents some four divisions above their current Wessex League status.

City gave a first start to summer signing Stuart Cannie, who looked lively up front, while one of Cannie's former team mates last season at Bashley, Mark Jones, played as a trialist in the City defence.

On a hot afternoon Conference side Aldershot fielded a side that had ten players with first team experience at the kick off. Striker Roscoe D'Sane was a constant menace to the City defence in the opening period.

It was City, though, who scored first. Ian Mancey had already seen a header saved by Shots keeper Nikki Bull before in the ninth minute Shaun Dyke cross's saw Mancey head the ball against the crossbar, Jones heading the ball back into the danger area where Cannie reacted quickest to turn the ball home.

The lead only lasted for three minutes. Brett Johnson was racing away into the City area when City keeper Simon Arthur came diving out at the his feet, and Johnson was sent sprawling to the ground. D'Sane powered home the penalty.

Aldershot were showing some style, moving quickly to the ball with some neat footwork, and scored a second goal on twenty-three minutes. A right wing Aldershot corner was not cleared by the City rearguard and Aldershot trialist Danny Oakins, from AFC Wimbledon, drilled the ball into the net. Arthur twice denied D'Sane to save City from going further behind.

The second half saw several substitutions by both sides, but in the main the half belonged to City. Aaron McLean struck a shot against the post for Aldershot.

Andy Forbes and Jamie Musselwhite had both gone close for City before they did net a deserved equaliser with only two minutes of the match remaining. Jamie Laidlaw took the acclaim with his third goal in two matches after being set up by Forbes and Gary Green.

City: Arthur (Crowfoot), Dyke, Bicknell (G Green), Powell (Forbes), Jones, Blake, Webber (Brewster), Smith (Rogers), Mancey (Laidlaw), Cannie (Musselwhite), L Green.

Aldershot: Bull, Warner, Johnson, McAuley (Field), Giles (Challinor), Oakins, Miller (Milleti), Mumford, Crittenden (Griffith), D'Sane (Smith), McLean (Salmon).

On Saturday 24th July City's first team are away to Cirencester Town (Friendly 3pm)

Next Tuesday (27th) they visit Wantage Town in another friendly (7.45pm).