Aldershot Town 0, Maidenhead United 0

AVOIDING defeat was perhaps Aldershot Town’s most important achievement on New Year’s Day, but this was nonetheless a missed opportunity to drag themselves clear of the increasingly fraught battle against relegation.

With a winless run now stretching to 13 matches, The Shots gave a spirited performance which somehow failed to yield a goal, but the clean sheet was at least an improvement having conceded four against the Magpies in the reverse fixture on Boxing Day.

The draw concluded The Shots’ four-game Christmas programme with a record of just two points from a possible 12 but manager Gary Waddock remained upbeat.

“When you’re on a run like we’re on you have to remain positive, and we’ve picked up a point and a clean sheet. The players were totally committed to the cause and we wanted to go on and win the game, but we have to soldier on and scrap for everything we can get.

“It’s difficult, because we haven’t got the players to be able to rotate our squad, but I can’t fault the commitment of the players we’ve got fit and available.”

The hosts made a domineering start but couldn’t craft a chance which truly tested Carl Pentney in the Maidenhead goal. Luke Wanadio and Reece Grant twice went within inches of breaking the deadlock – as Grant stabbed the winger’s driven cross past the post, and then slid in as Wanadio’s angled shot skidded through the goalmouth – but steadily the momentum swung Maidenhead’s way.

Pentney saved Grant’s low drive at the near post, but Harold Odametey’s shot was deflected over the bar, and James Comley floated a free-kick a yard too high as the Magpies belatedly wrested control of midfield.

The loss of redoubtable left-back Lewis Kinsella to a possible facial fracture just before the break – and then Marvin McCoy to a leg injury minutes into the second half – necessitated a further reshuffle of The Shots’ limited resources, yet the game burst into life with a vengeance.

Gerry McDonagh twice showed good footwork and had fierce shots well parried by Pentney, and Wanadio’s low effort through a crowded penalty area was smartly saved. At the other end, Will Mannion was alert to block Ryan Bird’s shot with his legs and then superbly tipped Max Worsfold’s snapshot on to the crossbar.

Dom Bernard saw a 30-yard drive deflected inadvertently behind, and from the resulting corner Josh Lelan’s strong header hit the top of the bar. On 65 minutes, McDonagh flicked the ball out of Pentney’s hands as the goalkeeper slid out to meet him, but after lengthy deliberation referee Sam Allison disallowed the goal that would surely have sealed victory.

Josh Kelly wasted a fine chance that he created for himself with a neat turn inside the box, but that proved to be the last real opportunity of the match, despite McDonagh’s best efforts at shooting on sight.

The result moved Maidenhead to within two points of Aldershot Town, who languish in 19th place and could even find themselves in the bottom four by the time they play again, on 19 January, against fellow strugglers Chesterfield.

Aldershot Town: Mannion; McCoy (Lelan 51), Bernard, Finney, Kinsella (Booty 45); Wanadio, Gallagher, McDonnell, McClure; Grant, McDonagh. Subs (not used): Osborne, Bozier.

Maidenhead United: Pentney; Nana-Tumasi, Massey, Kilgour, Steer; Clerima, Odametey, Comley, Worsfold (Cole 66); Bird, Kelly (Akintunde 89). Subs (not used): Obileye, Alves, Tarpey.

Attendance: 2,090.