A game which hinged on two spells of eleven against ten, one for each team, ultimately ended goalless on what remains a tricky-to-negotiate Meadowbank playing surface.

Shortwood started promisingly, Aaron Woodley booked after just a few minutes having hauled Dan Gayner down on the edge of the area. Nathan Payne’s subsequent free kick was well fielded by Eddie Cavanagh in the Abingdon goal. Jack Gardner threatened with a shot-cross not long after, and Payne had another effort, but could only shoot wide having beaten his man.
In what was a lively opening ten minutes, Abingdon’s first chance of note came through Liam Burt, who cut in on in his left foot before trying to reverse his shot into the near corner, but it flashed just wide.
The first period of numerical disparity came with just under twenty minutes played, Gayner given ten minutes in the sin-bin, apparently caused by a misunderstanding when he was talking to his coaching team, with the referee instead thinking it was directed towards himself or his assistant.
This produced a spell of concerted Abingdon pressure, but Shortwood managed the game well and kept the visitors at arm’s length until Gayner could be reintroduced.
Two more chances did come Abingdon’s way, though, in the remainder of the half, with first Joe Wright forced into some good work by Pablo Haysham, before Wright’s poor clearance wasn’t capitalised on by Hayden Beadle, who struck over.

The theme of Abingdon pressure continued after the restart, with both Casey Highmoor and Woodley going close from set pieces sent into the Shortwood area.
Wood rallied well, a nice one-two between Elliot King and Gayner eventually saw Joe Williams released down the right, but his low shot was well saved by Cavanagh.
Given the sheer number of yellow cards the referee issued throughout (10)—despite a not particularly ill-tempered atmosphere among the players—it came as no surprise when Woodley was dismissed for a second bookable offence with an hour played.
That produced what felt like yet another attack versus defence drill, a regular occurrence at Meadowbank in recent weeks, as Wood looked to break down another massed defence. In truth they never looked like making a breakthrough, Ollie Whelan with the only chance of note, heading wide from Fin Byrnes’ corner.
Abingdon could have stolen the points at the death, Leo Cole breaking free down the right, but he blazed his effort way over.

Certainly a respectable point for Wood against the team third in the league prior to kick-off, with their next assignment coming in a midweek cup tie away to Tuffley.
Shortwood: Wright, Williams (King T 58), Price, King E, Tryner, Whelan, Gardner, Kent (Bradshaw 71), Payne (Bowes 58), Martin (Byrnes 68), Gayner D

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