NO matter how many goals Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong scores in his career, few will be remembered more fondly by Aldershot Town than his strike on Tuesday night.

The midfielder converted Dean Rance’s lofted pass in the 23rd minute to earn the Shots a massive derby-day victory against fierce rivals Woking – the first of new boss Danny Searle’s reign.

The win followed a gutsy 2-1 defeat against likely title chasers AFC Fylde at the EBB Stadium on Saturday when the Shots found themselves 2-0 down before grabbing a lifeline through Connor Shields and threatening to get more from the game.

“It’s massive to get that first win,” said Searle.

“When you have a period where you have nothing on the board from a points perspective, the pressure just keeps building and building.

“We said from day one the most important thing we do in the early stages is get points on the board to make sure we haven’t got that pressure – and to get those points in a local derby away from home, and get a clean sheet, all added up to what was a fantastic night.

“On Saturday we were really pleased with how we played and the style of football we played. Although the result wasn’t exactly what we would have liked, we felt it was a great benchmark to see where we are at.

“I think we proved on Saturday we were more than competitive and on another day we might have got something out of the game.

“Tuesday night was a completely different performance altogether – it was all about character, togetherness and making sure we did our jobs out of possession.

“The lads showed real desire to make sure we got the three points. I’m very pleased with both performances but for different reasons.”

But a clean sheet away at nearest rivals Woking was particularly special for Searle, who was delighted by the strong away following.

“Both sets of fans were outstanding and there aren’t many clubs in the country that could sell out in a day and then take 950-odd fans to an away game, and who probably could have taken 2,000 if we had the tickets. The atmosphere was electric and our fans were outstanding.

“We are going to work hard to try to earn that kind of support from the fans. A couple of fans after the game said how much desire and passion myself, the players and the staff are showing, I promised that when we came in and that won’t dip.

“If we don’t get success in a game, it won’t be because we haven’t tried and we haven’t worked hard and that we haven’t done the best we possibly can. I think the fans are appreciative of that.”

Tuesday night’s win will have given Searle’s charges a huge amount of confidence as they face the prospect of six games before the end of August, starting with a tough trip to Solihull Moors on Saturday.

“It’s going to be tough but all clubs are in the same boat,” he said. “But it’s not just about eight games in August, it’s the clubs we are playing as well. We play four or five teams who will fancy to be up there or thereabouts at the end of the season. It’s a great challenge for us, a great test, and one we will embrace.”