ALDERSHOT TOWN 2, BOREHAM WOOD 0

IDRIS Kanu, who opted for the hurly-burly of National League football rather than a place in the Manchester United Academy, further endeared himself to the Aldershot Town faithful with a storming game on Saturday.

The teenager capped a hard-running performance with a clinically dispatched goal to finally kill off a limp challenge from Boreham Wood.

The Shots were coming off the back of three straight defeats and a miserable return of one point from five games, while Boreham were just four points off the play-off zone in seventh.

At the end of the day, Aldershot had jumped to ninth in the table, one place behind the Hertfordshire side, such is the tightly-packed nature of the league.

In October, Kanu, a West Ham U18 player, seemed likely to be offered a spot in the United Academy by Nicky Butt after scoring twice against Middlesborough in his trial game. But the youngster went south to develop his career with Aldershot. “We’re fortunate to have signed a very talented player,” said Gary Waddock at the time. “We need to make sure we help him realise his potential.”

The potential was there to see on Saturday. Kanu has just turned 17, but is tall and brawny and showed his strength on the ball against a defence that, before this game, had conceded only 18 goals. No little guile, either, with his running off the ball, as when he picked up the pass of the day from substitute Matt McClure to score Aldershot’s second goal.

Wintry sunshine, immaculate playing surface – conditions were perfect for an open game. Both sides were missing key players, but whereas Boreham Wood looked flat, Aldershot were full of attacking intent and had all the play for 10 minutes, albeit with not much product in the final third.

‘The Wood’, in fact, were first to threaten, Bruno Andrade fizzing a free-kick into the sidenetting. However, the warning signs were there for the visitors, with Kanu and Bernard Mensah finding ample space out wide to feed dangerous balls towards Scott Rendell.

On 32 minutes, a slip by full-back Ben Nunn let in Jim Kellerman whose precise cross was sliced over the top by Rendell.

Three minutes later, Rendell made no mistake. Mensah, seizing on a ricochet, broke to the byline before screwing the ball back for Rendell, homing in on the near post, to ram first-time past Grant Smith.

The goal worked wonders for Aldershot’s confidence and inspired Will Evans to set off on a bullocking run from his own half. The centre-back found space opening before him and very nearly went all the way, his final shot being blocked for a goal-kick that should have been a corner.

Kanu set the game alight in the second half, starting with a shot on the turn that forced a smart save from Smith.

At the other end, the keeper’s namesake, Mark Smith, went for a 50-50 ball with Ricky Shakes who came off much the worse and was replaced by Jamie Lucas.

Thereafter, Boreham hardly made a chance worthy of the name and were fortunate not to concede again in the 64th minute. Kanu set up Dion Conroy beautifully and the Chelsea loanee’s spectacular right-foot curler seemed destined for the top corner before an airborne Grant Smith pulled off an improbable back-bending save to touch the ball away.

But then came Kanu’s richly deserved goal. McClure, who had come on for Shamir Fenelon, created it with a skimming pass from central midfield out to Kanu, raiding down the right.

Still with plenty to do, Kanu moved inside, easily avoided the attentions of Femi Ilesanmi and made the perfect angle to bury a left-foot shot past a rooted Smith.

The Shots look to have struck gold with the capture of Kanu, an obvious choice for man of the match, while Waddock praised his side collectively after the travails of November.

“I like December – it’s a good month,” said the manager with obvious relief. “But credit to the players. Circumstances were difficult today – we were low on bodies. It’s a clean sheet and two goals by our attacking players. A great finish by Idris and a fantastic pass from Matt McClure to set him on his way. Fantastic ability to beat the player and find the back of the net.

“Most important was getting points on the board. We got ourselves in a good position in the table, but for what ever reason it dwindled away and we had to put a line under it and the quicker the better.

“Boreham Wood are a good side, make no mistake about that.”

Aldershot Tn: M Smith, Alexander, Evans, Reynolds, Straker, Fenelon (McClure 65), Kellerman, Conroy, Kanu, Mensah (Wakefield 85), Rendell. Sub (not used): Allen.

Boreham Wood: G Smith, Nunn, Stephens, Devera, Ilesanmi, Shakes (Lucas 60), Ricketts, Davis, Clifford (Murrell-Williamson 70), Andrade (Paine 79), Balanta. Subs (not used): Woodards, Uchechi. Booked: Ricketts.

Referee: Chris O’Donnell.

Attendance: 1,390 (34 away).