Knaphill progressed to the third round of the Aldershot Senior Cup with a dramatic 4-1 penalty shoot-out victory over Alton following a 1-1 draw.

Substitute Daryl Cooper-Smith was the hero, scoring an 88th-minute equaliser to send the game to penalties, where Knaphill held their nerve to claim the win.

Alton controlled the tempo in the first half, keeping the ball well at the back and switching play confidently across the pitch.

Despite their dominance in possession, they struggled to create clear-cut chances.

A through ball from Owen Tanner found Liam Marshall unmarked in the box in the 39th minute, but Knaphill goalkeeper Sam Gray came off his line quickly, made himself big, and blocked the shot to keep the scores level.

The teams went into the break goalless at 0-0.

The breakthrough for Alton came in unusual fashion in the 54th minute. Angel Zapata’s corner hit Jack Carrod, who awkwardly volleyed it into his own net with his knee.

Knaphill nearly equalised in the 65th minute following a superb run down the right wing from Jamari Jackson.

After some excellent work in the corner, Jackson found James Glover, who pulled the ball back to Alex McLean. McLean’s low shot looked destined for the bottom corner, but Alton goalkeeper Theo Rust managed to tip it around the post to deny Knaphill.

Five minutes later, in the 70th minute, Kingsley Anokye came close to levelling the score.

After doing well to create space at the edge of the box, Anokye's low shot struck the left-hand post and bounced away.

The equaliser came in the 88th minute. Alton disputed a potential handball in the Knaphill box that wasn't given, leaving them caught off guard as Gray quickly launched a goal kick.

Anokye headed Gray's kick down to Aidan King on the halfway line, who won a 50-50 tackle before sending a high ball over the Alton defence. Cooper-Smith made a well-timed run, chested the ball down and set himself up to half-volley it into the bottom right-hand corner to make it 1-1.

Knaphill started the shoot-out well, with Theo White converting the first penalty into the top left-hand corner.

Alton’s Jamie Hoppitt hit the bar with his attempt, giving Knaphill an early advantage.

Ben Mitchell then calmly placed his shot into the bottom left-hand corner before Zapata kept the hosts alive by hitting his penalty into the bottom left-hand corner.

Anokye stepped up next for Knaphill, placing his shot into the bottom left-hand corner before Rust took the subsequent penalty and skied it over the bar.

Captain Jack Watts took the decisive penalty, slotting it into the bottom left-hand corner to secure a 4-1 shoot-out victory for Knaphill.

By James Carpenter