ALDERSHOT TN 3, FC HALIFAX TN 2

ALDERSHOT recorded their third win in four games, but nearly allowed a 3-0 lead to slip away as lowly FC Halifax mounted a strong fightback at the EBB Stadium last Saturday.

Barry Smith has set high standards so far as Aldershot manager, but was reluctant to criticise his players for almost letting the Shaymen off the hook, preferring to praise the positive football that had earned his side a commanding lead.

“I think today what you saw, especially in the first half, is the way we want to play – getting the ball down, passing well, movement and good goals, exciting football,” said the Shots boss. “In the second half, Halifax did throw bodies forward and take more risks and put us under pressure, and we knew that was going to happen.

“It’s disappointing with the goals we lose and we should perhaps have killed off the game. We had the opportunity to do that.”

Only a linesman’s flag, in fact, prevented Aldershot adding a fourth goal before the Halifax substitutes fired their side into a late revival and in fairness to the home defence, which looked solid for most of the game, both the visitors’ goals were superb individual efforts.

With Rhys Browne on international duty for Antigua and Barbuda, Charlie Harris was given his first start in midfield and Aldershot’s lively start reflected an attacking 4-3-3 formation.

An inswinging free-kick by Nick Anderton was athletically pushed round the post by Matt Glennon and only a lunging tackle by ex-Lincoln defender Hamza Bencherif denied Charlie Walker as he burst into the penalty area.

Aldershot’s willingness to shoot from distance earned them the lead in the 18th minute. First, Anderton’s long shot brought another good save from Glennon and with Halifax failing to get the ball away, Jim Stevenson had a go and his cracking right-foot drive snaked inside the right-hand post.

Just six minutes later, the Shots were two goals to the good. Charlie Walker, set up by Dan Walker, seemed to have over-cooked it as he skipped past two defenders deep inside the area, yet squeezed his shot inside the post from a sharpish angle.

Halifax at last emerged from their shells and after Kingsley James had narrowly missed with a 30-yard volley, they went even closer when Kevin Roberts flighted over a testing cross and Jordan Burrow’s header hit the top of the crossbar.

Former England cricketers Bob Willis and Pat Pocock, watching from the directors’ box as guests of Halifax, were no doubt expecting more of the northerners and manager Neil Aspin took action with a double substitution at half-time.

But within six minutes, Halifax found themselves three down. Richard Brodie’s square pass took a lucky ricochet on the edge of the six-yard box and Charlie Walker hooked the loose ball high into the net for his second goal.

Stevenson followed up with a headed goal that was disallowed and that marked the high point of Aldershot’s exhilarating display.

On the hour-mark, replacement Danny Hattersley took a return pass from ‘CJ’ Hamilton and turned sharply to beat Phil Smith with a bullet-shot into the far corner.

The goal galvanized a seemingly poor Halifax side and they suddenly sensed they could get something from the game.

Barry Smith began to ring the changes, but Halifax were showing more bite in midfield and a well-constructed goal in the 83rd minute left the game on a knife-edge.

Scot McManus, another substitute, did well to cut the ball back from the byline and David Brooks swept home a sweet left-foot shot.

Aldershot calmly regrouped as the fourth official found five minutes of added time and saw the game out without further alarms, sealing their first win in five attempts against FC Halifax which was formed in 2008 after the demise of Halifax Town.

Aldershot: Smith, Alexander, Oliver, Beckles, Gallagher, Anderton, Stevenson, Brodie (Saville 93), C Walker, D Walker (Barnes-Homer 79), Harris (Lathrope 68). Subs (not used): Richards, Thomas. Booked: Anderton.

FC Halifax: Glennon, Hutchison (McManus 46), Bolton, Tuton (Hattersley 46), Roberts, Bencherif, James, Racchi (Hibbs 62), Hamilton, Burrow, Brooks. Subs (not used): Hughes, Trennery.

Referee: Robert Whitton.

Attendance: 1,603 (84 away).