ALDERSHOT TN 3, BROMLEY 2

JAMES Rowe’s superb 86th-minute free-kick settled a frenetic encounter with Bromley on Saturday and Aldershot will hope that it signals a change of fortune as three much-needed points lifted them out of the bottom four in the National League.

The Shots haven’t been getting the rub of the green, as manager Gary Waddock complained after the loss to Havant in midweek, and their poor luck continued as an own goal helped Bromley into a 2-1 lead at half-time.

But Waddock made bold changes for the second half and, although playing in fits and starts, Aldershot turned the game around and rewarded their goal-starved fans with a cracking strike from substitute Dan Holman and then Rowe’s late winner.

Aldershot certainly started well and Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong’s early shot forced Dave Gregory to scramble the ball away for a corner.

With the London side having to re-organise after a fifth-minute injury to captain Roger Johnson, Aldershot pressed home their advantage and Scott Rendell, having already gone close with two headers – one came back off the foot of the post – made no mistake with his third attempt on 17 minutes.

Lewis Kinsella drilled in a long cross from the left and the ball bounced up invitingly for Rendell to head unerringly past Gregory.

Having got the lead, Aldershot promptly surrendered the initiative to the visitors’ impressive midfield. George Porter, pouncing on a mistake, show narrowly wide and George Fowler cleared another effort off theline. The dangerous Porter then looked certain to score after latching on to Tobi Adebayo-Rowling’s excellent cross, only for George Legg to make a close-range block.

Legg, signed the day before on loan from Reading, had been preferred in goal to Jake Cole, who had been named player of the month before kick-off.

The goalkeeper was out like lightning to again deny Porter in a one-on-one, but, on 30 minutes, Legg could only palm a wickedly dipping cross from substitute Adebayo-Rowling against the underside of the crossbar and the ball bounced down for Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe to prod home the equaliser.

The resurgent Ravens almost added a second, Jordan Higgs dragging his shot wide, but they did take the lead in injury time. And it was a bad goal for the home defence as Porter’s long throw-in was flicked on by Jake Goodman and Fowler turned the ball into his own net.

Such was Bromley’s dominance at that stage that Waddock took radical action at the break, withdrawing the error-prone Luke Howell, switching Jake Gallagher to midfield and Josh Lelan to full-back, and introducing the gangling Chris Smith alongside Fowler in central defence.

Aldershot looked the better for it and Bromley were pushed back. And then, on the hour, Holman came on to provide the bit of inspiration that the Shots required.

A slip by Marc-Anthony Okoye allowed Holman to break clear on the left and with space opening before him, he arrowed a 20-yard shot past the diving Gregory and into the top right-hander corner.

Injuries, bookings, substitutions – it was a fragmented second half, requiring six additional minutes.

Finally, on 86 minutes, Aldershot won a free-kick just outside the area and Rowe, having carefully eyed up the target area, struck a shot that cleared the wall and had just enough dip to beat Gregory into the top right-hand corner. Perfect precision.

But the home fans couln’t rest easy yet. Former Aldershot player Billy-Joe Taylor scored with a stupendous volley, only to have the goal ruled out for offside. Then Adam Mekki, another Shots old boy, delivered a last-gasp cross and Ogedi-Uzokwe’s header was tipped over the bar by Legg.

It was far from being the complete performance, but it could just be the start of something better for Waddock’s under-pressure side.

“You have to face up to challenges and overcome them,” said the manager. “We did that in the second half, and all credit to the players.”

Aldershot: Legg, Gallagher, Lelan, Fowler, Kinsella, Wanadio (Holman 60), Howell (Smith 45), Rowe, McDonnell (Booty 80), Berkeley-Agyepong, Rendell. Subs (not used); Cole. Booked: Wanadio, Kinsella, McDonnell, Berkeley-Agyepong, Gallagher.

Bromley: Gregory, Okoye, R Johnson (Adebayo-Rowling 10), Goodman, Wood, Higgs, Raymond, Porter, Goddard (Mekki 62), Meekums (Taylor 67), Ogedi-Uzokwe. Subs (not used): D Johnson, De Silva. Booked: Goodman, Okoye.

Referee: Gary Parsons.

Attendance: 1,768 (104 away).

• Aldershot travel to AFC Fylde this Saturday. The Lancashire side are seventh in the table after a 0-0 draw at Eastleigh on Saturday.