Aldershot Town overcame Altrincham at the J.Davidson Stadium as Cameron Hargreaves and Maxwell Mullins scored in a 2-1 win.
After a packed week of four games in just seven days, rotation was to be expected from the sides that exited the National League Cup and Hampshire Cup on Tuesday and Thursday.
Keane Anderson was given his league debut for Aldershot Town as he partnered Cameron Hargreaves in midfield in an otherwise unchanged side from the Shots’ 3-1 in over Gateshead in their last Vanarama National League outing last weekend.
The first chance for either team fell with almost seconds between them as Jake Cooper’s header from an Altrincham corner was cleared on the line by Tyler Frost in the eighth minute but breaking up the other end immediately, Josh Barrett’s cross across the Altrincham goal was very dangerous but just in front of Jack Barham running in at the far-post.
The Shots were looking the more likely to open the scoring and were comfortable in possession and sharp out of it. Barham was unlucky not to get on the end of a Tyler Frost cross in the 17th minute as two efforts from Keane Anderson from outside the area either of side of the 20-minute mark were narrowly off target.
Altrincham undoubtedly had an attacking threat, however, and none more so than through Alex Newby who forced a brilliant save from Marcus Dewhurst down to the Shots ‘keeper’s right in the 26th minute.
Just after the half-hour, The Shots were unlucky not to have gone in front with a flurry of chances. Ryan Jones and Josh Barrett linked up superbly to allow Jones to break into the Altrincham box but as he jinked past a defender, he couldn’t get a shot away and Tyler Frost’s shot on the rebound was blocked behind for a corner.
From that, Frost’s long-range effort was turned behind by Rob Lainton and from the second corner, Keane Anderson’s deflected effort was very well saved by Lainton.
Three minutes later, another effort from outside the area by Josh Barrett was curling and looking good but it missed the target narrowly before Kacper Pasiek fired over and out of the ground as he broke into the Shots box.
Just before half-time, it was Altrincham who were unlucky not to snatch a lead as former Shot Justin Amaluzor raced down the right and dinked the ball over the on-rushing Marcus Dewhurst, but Will Armitage tracked back superbly and was on hand to clear the ball off the line.
HALF-TIME
Three minutes into the second-half, Luca Woodhouse shook off his marker and rose highest from a Josh Barrett corner but he could only head the ball wide of the mark.
Tyler Frost fired another shot from distance over the bar, but in the 65th minute, Aldershot took the lead through Cameron Hargreaves. The midfielder has enjoyed a fruitful second half of the season as he steamed into the box to fire the ball in after Frost’s low-cross was not dealt with.
But just eight minutes later, Altrincham levelled the game. Alex Newby produced a moment of individual brilliance as he worked space for himself down the left side of the Shots box and fired a superb shot into the top corner of Marcus Dewhurst’s net.
The hosts’ equaliser buoyed them and they grew in confidence in a game they had largely been edged out of but they were unable to turn their increase in pressure on the Shots into genuine chances.
The game grew more open as the time began to run out and both sides were looking to grab a winner. Josh Barrett hit a half-volley wide after a superb first-touch set up an opportunity and George Wilson fired wide when he should have done better as just five minutes remained of normal time.
But in the 88th minute, Maxwell Mullins proved the hero for Aldershot as he found the top corner with what was almost definitely an overhit cross (Sorry, Maxi!) Breaking down the left, Mullins found space and looked to deliver the ball from a tight angle but instead found the back of the net and a subsequent winner for his side.
Aldershot managed the final few minutes superbly and their good performance and hard graft was rewarded with three points.
Attendance: 2015 (229 Away)
Shots lineup: 28. Marcus Dewhurst, 7. Cameron Hargreaves, 8. Tyler Frost, 10. Josh Barrett (14. Ollie Bray, 90′), 11. Ryan Jones (27. James Henry, 84′), 12. Keane Anderson (32. Emmanuel Maja, 84′), 17. Aaron Jones (C), 22. Jack Barham (24. Maxwell Mullins, 74′), 33. Luca Woodhouse, 35. Dan Ellison, 36. Will Armitage.
Subs not used: 1. Jordi van Stappershoef, 4. Luke Jenkins, 9. Kai Corbett.
Altrincham lineup: 26. Rob Lainton, 2. Lewis Banks, 5. Jake Cooper, 6. Elliot Osborne (C), 8. Isaac Marriott (19. George Wilson, 70′), 10. Alex Newby, 11. Justin Amaluzor (17. Lucas Weaver, 70′), 20. Kahrel Reddin (22. Tom Crawford, 61′), 29. Jake Bickerstaff, 31. Charlie Olson (4. Lewis Baines, 61′), 32. Kacper Pasiek.
Subs not used: 14. Matty Kosylo, 15. Regan Griffiths, 21. Caleb Ansen.
