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The first half display was poor even by this season's standards, while the second was just about sufficient to prevent the visitors enjoying bragging rights.
With both teams trying to bring an end to a run of four successive defeats, this was never going to be the most memorable of derbies, both in terms of quality or importance.
But it will always be one which matters to the fans and, with that in mind, Brown shuffled his pack to give them something to cheer.
This was a classic game of two halves with Woking starting like a train and Aldershot fighting back — thanks largely to a few choice words from the boss at half-time.
Brown explained: "They come out of the blocks very quickly and it took us 45 minutes to get going. It was a very disappointing first half.
"But we had a chat at half time and changed the system. We had to gamble, entertain and score a goal, which thankfully is what we did.
"I did not want to lose to Woking at home, the fans have been fantastic in troubled times this year and deserved some gloating rights against their rivals."
Brown fielded a weaker than expected line-up with slight injuries ruling out Leroy Griffiths and Steve Watson, although Gary Holloway was back after a month on the sidelines.
The boss also dropped Ryan Williams following his disappointing response to being substituted last Saturday, giving young Mazin Ahmad his first start in the red and blue.
But it was Woking who got out of the blocks the quickest, giving Brown an immediate headache.
Indeed, with just 34 seconds on the clock, Craig McAllister broke free down the centre, played a neat one-two with Karl Murray on the edge of the box and fired past Nikki Bull, only to be ruled offside by a late flag.
The Cards continued to strive forward with purpose against a shell-shocked Shots, and it was no surprise when they took the lead on seven minutes.
A half-cleared corner fell to Gary McDonald mid-way in the Shots half and he floated the ball back into the danger area.
McAllister was first to react, his snap-shot was spilled by Nikki Bull and Justin Richards was on hand to slot home from six yards out.
At this point another Grays looked on a cards as Woking could, and should, have been three or four up by the break.
McAllister clipped the ball against the base of a post after capitalising on indecision from young defender David Winfield, while Bull — unsurprisingly named Player of the Year before kick-off — gathered low at his post to deny Murray's 25-yard piledriver.
The Shots had precious little at the other end, although had Darren Barnard's rasping volley from all of 30 yards been a little lower, the mood would have undoubtedly changed dramatically.
Brown was understandably furious and simply had to change things around in a bid the lift the mood, and after a enduring a dressing-room dust-down, the re-shuffled Shots finally began to show their worth.
Young Ryan Crockford was introduced in midfield for Lewis Hamilton in a new-look 3-4-3 formation which not only dealt with the dangerous Richards and McAllister up front, but also offered something an attacking threat.
A series of corners right from the re-start had the Cards on the back foot and, 11 minutes in, the Shots made their possession count.
Neil Smith inexplicably pulled down Holloway in an off-the-ball incident spotted by referee Whitestone.
Nick Crittenden stepped up to take the resulting free-kick 30 yards out, which rebounded off the post and striker Jonny Dixon was on hand to slot home the loose ball with a diving header 10 yards out.
Woking did force their way back into the match, with only a superb last-ditch tackle from Ian Simpemba preventing Murray from going clean through.
But Dixon might also have won the game for the Shots, so, in truth, a share of the spoils was probably a fair result.
Although pleased with a point that keeps the Shots just in front of their Surrey rivals, Brown was clearly the less pleased of the two bosses.
"For the first 30 minutes of the second half we looked like we had restored some of the passion and the pride that is necessary at this club,” he said.
“We got the goal that we deserved and then we took our foot of the gas.”
With thanks to the Aldershot News.