SHOTS CANNOT TAME SHREWS AS RODMAN IS A SLAM DUNK
SHREWSBURY taught Aldershot a harsh lesson in how to take chances, but boss Paul Hurst wasn’t exactly dishing out top marks to his players.
The hosts hit five without reply to progress to round two, with each goal scored by a different player.
But while happy to see his side in the hat for the next round, Hurst admitted it was far from a five-star performance.
“I’m delighted with the scoreline and the way the players applied themselves, though not best pleased with the way we played at times,” said Hurst.
“We allowed Aldershot too much of the ball at times and allowed them to come at us. But we had some good moments and in those moments were clinical.
“We knew Aldershot would give it a go but thought they might be vulnerable if we broke and made good forward runs.
“The way we are set up requires our wide players to be direct and penetrating and they were. We profited from their good work by being clinical.”
Any thoughts Aldershot might be in awe of their superiors were quickly extinguished as they dominated the opening exchanges. Fabien Robert and Manny Oyeleke linked well in the middle to launch a series of attacks from which Aldershot could have profited but for the lack of a telling final ball.
The home side gradually seized the initiative and missed a glorious chance to break the deadlock on 19 minutes. Stefan Payne slipped the offside trap and with only Mark Smith to beat and Jon Nolan free to his left, the former Aldershot man found the ball taken off his toe by the on-rushing Smith.
Shrewsbury were not to be denied. A minute later, Shaun Whalley’s deep cross from the right was met at the far post by Alex Rodman, whose downward header evaded Smith’s prodigious leap.
Four minutes later, Rodman’s darting run into the box ended with him almost making a furrow in the turf with his chin when upended by Smith. The resultant
penalty was entrusted to Whalley who turned the roof of Smith’s net into a gumboil.
To their credit Aldershot refused to buckle, continued to play a high line and almost pulled one back when Robert’s dribble took him past three home defenders, only for his low drive to flash inches wide.
The Shots sensed they were still in with a chance but were undone by three goals in the space of six minutes.
One of Shrewsbury’s strengths this term has been their ability to counter-attack. The more Aldershot pressed the more they left themselves vulnerable to a suckerpunch. It came on 62 minutes after a bout of Aldershot pressure, the home side broke and Whalley’s penetrative run ended with him squaring for Payne who converted the simplest of chances.
Four minutes later, Rodman’s cross from the left was met by substitute Arthur Gnahoua, whose half-volley on the turn found the far corner of Smith’s net to make it four.
Aldershot were now reeling. Three minutes later, Shrews substitute Carlton Morris kept his cool when put through by Whalley before rifling the ball into the roof of the net.
The fifth produced a triple substitution from Shots manager Gary Waddock, but instructions to Jake Gallagher, James Rowe and Arthur Fowler were surely of the damage limitation variety.
“I think the players learned a lot from this,” said the Aldershot manager. “I learned, for all we looked good going forward, we are still a long way off this level.
“My job now is to ensure the result does not affect confidence much. We played well in spells but couldn’t produce the killer ball that got us behind their defence.”