SHOTS NOT SO HOT BUT POINTS MAY BE CRUCIAL

ALDERSHOT TOWN ultimately eased to a resurgent victory against luckless Sutton United – but Shots boss Gary Waddock knew it was anything but comfortable.

“How we got away with it I don’t know,” admitted Waddock on his side’s 17th clean sheet of the season. “We were poor today – you’ve got to give credit to Sutton, for the way they stopped us playing, but our levels were nowhere near what we’ve reached this season.

“The lads went to the 95th minute but the scoreline could have been a lot different if it wasn’t for Jake Cole. He’s made a number of really good saves to keep us in the game.”

Sutton unsettled the hosts for the majority of the firsthalf, allying defensive solidity and a degree of attacking panache against a Shots side uncharacteristically lacking in cohesion – only to fall to a most unfortunate, self-inflicted suckerpunch minutes before the break.

Waddock’s team selection, in favouring pace over experience up front, failed to yield the expected benefits against an obdurate United back four. Instead, Cole had to make fine early saves from Keiron Cadogan and Adam Coombes, in parrying an angled drive and then touching a low shot towards the far corner around the post as Coombes raced in on goal.

On the half-hour, Cole then flung himself to stop Coombes’ shot on the turn at point-blank range, and his value was underlined on 42 minutes. Jake Gallagher threaded a pass through to Idris Kanu in the leftchannel and when his low shot was partially saved by Will Puddy’s fingertips, Nicky Bailey’s attempted clearance on the six-yard line only hit his goalkeeper on the chest and rebounded into the net. “We should have been two or three-nil up,” suggested a frustrated United manager Paul Doswell. “We were still very much in the game at half-time but this is a missed opportunity and that’s the story of our season – we’ve been the better side on a number of occasions but haven’t managed to take our chances.” Introducing Scott Rendell after the break, the Shots were a much more forceful proposition and Sutton were restricted to isolated chances. Jamie Collins was thrown up front as an auxiliary striker but Craig Eastmond’s shot, blocked by Callum Reynolds, was the closest they got to an equaliser. Finally, Bernard Mensah sealed victory on 94 minutes – Anthony Straker’s cross nonchalantly touched into the net to confirm a victory that was as scrappy as it was vital.