ALDERSHOT TN 1,

EBBSFLEET UTD 1

(aet, Ebbsfleet won 5-4 on pens)

DAVE Winfield, who helped Aldershot Town win promotion to the Football League in Gary Waddock’s first spell as manager, returned to play a prominent role in denying his old side a passage to the National League play-off semi-finals.

The Bordon-born defender scored Ebbsfleet’s equaliser in the 118th minute of an epic eliminator between the sides who finished fifth and sixth, taking the game to penalties just as the home fans were poised to celebrate a place in the last four and a trip up north to Tranmere.

Ebbsfleet had already missed a penalty in normal time and when Aldershot took a 3-1 lead in the shoot-out, it seemed it was game over for the Kent side.

But the Shots couldn’t kill the tie off. Lewis Kinsella hit the post and Fabien Robert was denied by Nathan Ashmore’s fine save. Ebbsfleet, to their credit, remained calm in the face of the taunting East Bank fans and Norman Wabo, Danny Kedwell and Jack Connors converted their next three kicks.

Manny Oyeleke stroked home his penalty, but goalkeeper Lewis Ward, who had made two superb stops to give his side the early advantage, struck the upright with his effort and, at 4-4, Ebbsfleet had a kick to win it.

Dean Rance nervelessly lifted his penalty high into the net and Ebbsfleet had snatched the most dramatic of victories.

“It’s a cruel game sometimes,” said a shattered Waddock. “We get ourselves into a situation to win a game and, not for the first time, we didn’t take our opportunities. When you’re up in a penalty shoot-out and you’re looking to finish it off, and you don’t take that opportunity.

“Tonight’s game has summed up the season, if I’m honest. From day one, we’ve picked up injuries and we’ve picked up more tonight.”

The manager had set out to win the match, naming a particularly attacking line-up than included a front three of Scott Rendell, Matt McClure and Nicke Kabamba.

Aldershot set a sizzling pace in the first half, but Winfield, who also played under Waddock at Wycombe Wanderers, was a tower of strength in a disciplined Ebbsfleet defence and there were few clear-cut chances.

The bulky, but still formidable veteran forward, Danny Kedwell, worked tirelessly for the visitors and it was he who drew Callum Reynolds into a foul inside the box, eight minutes into the second half. Kedwell, shrugging off insulting chants from the stand, struck the penalty hard and true, only for Ward to save brilliantly with his outstretched body.

The long, gruelling season seemed to catch up with both sides in the second half, but Aldershot had the better chances. McClure, sent clear by Jim Kellerman, failed to get sufficient power in his shot and Fabien Robert twice went close with delicate chips.

A serious injury to Kellerman, who was stretchered off and taken to hospital with a suspected dislocated shoulder, resulted in nine minutes of added time, but still there was no breakthrough.

The game slowed almost to walking pace for much of extra time, but suddenly, with the final minutes ticking away, the ground erupted as Cheye Alexander found space on the right to flight in a good cross and Kabamba, the Portsmouth loanee, scored with a marvellous leaping header.

The Shots were almost there, but Ebbsfleet’s last throw of the dice was to throw everyone forward and a cross from Rance looped up and fell perfectly for the lurking Winfield who made no mistake with a strong header.

A wildly fluctuating shoot-out eventually went Ebbsfleet’s way, but it remained to be seen how much this marathon encounter had taken out of them with a nicely rested Tranmere Rovers waiting for them at Prenton Park.

Aldershot: Ward, Alexander, Evans, Reynolds, Kinsella, Oyeleke, Gallagher (Kellermann 57), Rendell, McClure (Robert 65), Rendell, Kabamba. Subs: Rowe (for Kellermann 76), Cole, McQuoid. Booked Reynolds.

Ashmore, Wilson, Connors, Clark, Winfield, Rance, Drury (Wabo 107), Powell, Coulson (Weston 90), Whitely (McCoy 105), Kedwell. Subs: Bush, Miles. Booked: Rance.

Referee: Alan Young.

Attendance: 3,319 (483).

• Less than three days after their marathon match in Hampshire, Ebbsfleet lost their play-off semi-final on Merseyside.

Tranmere Rovers finally prevailed in extra time to reach the Wembley final for the second year running.

Ebbsfleet twice took the lead with goals from Luke Coulson and Myles Weston, Rovers equalising through James Norwood and Josh Ginnelly to take the tie into extra time.

As the Kent side began to flag after their enormous exertions, Norwood scored from a free-kick and then Larnell Cole added a fourth to make sure.

A mass melee then broke out and Dave Winfield, who had been outstanding at Aldershot, was the one player singled out for a red card.

• In Saturday’s final, Tranmere will face Boreham Wood who beat Sutton United 3-2 in the other semi-final.