IT’S A SHOT IN THE ARM!
IT DOESN’T have to be pretty, it doesn’t have to be top-quality. Sometimes you just have to find a way to win.
And that’s what Aldershot managed in a match unbefitting of its billing, pitting two talented play-off hopefuls going hammerand-tongs for much-needed points.
In the event, Aldershot managed to be the better of the former League Two rivals and deserved their victory while Macclesfield’s own hopes of promotion now hang by a silken thread.
Kundai Benyu provided the first moment of real quality with the opener – an hour in – before substitute Matt McClure sealed victory seven minutes from time. And while the match will not go down as one for the ages, their win was a victory for endeavour over excitement.
Quality, tempo, accurate passes and highlights were all in short supply in the first half, with Aldershot twice firing way over the bar from distance through Benyu and Bernard Mensah.
However wayward they had been, it was two shots more than Macclesfield managed in a comainducing first half as they failed to give Jake Cole anything to do.
And after an hour of next to no action Aldershot edged ahead. Mensah was the architect, threading the ball of the day between defenders and into Benyu’s path, and he made no mistake with a neat finish.
And the points were wrapped up when the Shots’ Jake Gal-
lagher let fly and Scott Flinders could only parry the ball for McClure to slot in number two.
And after their third straight win in an eight-day stretch, Shots assistant manager James Rowe paid tribute to his players’ rugged determination, and those two slices of inspiration.
“It was a different type of game to Tuesday but all credit to the players,” he said. “It’s brilliant for us but we won’t dwell on it, we’ll move on to Saturday.
“It was a close, even first half on a tricky pitch but the lads adapted to it well.
“Our philosophy is front-foot, attacking football and the final ball wasn’t there but we’ll settle for the two goals and the three points.
“We’ve had chances, fortunately we got the goals and three wins out of three.”
Victory put the visitors into fifth place but Rowe insists nothing has been won yet, despite a quite brilliant run of form in 2017.
“It’s an achievement but it’s about where you are after 46 games,” he added. “We won’t get carried away because we’ve had other opportunities to get into those top five positions, we’ve taken one today so we’ll all move on together.”
Silkmen manager John Askey was understandably deflated after a week in which his side booked a place at Wembley and then came from behind to beat county rivals Chester in midweek.
Askey was keen to put such a forgettable game behind them as they look towards Tuesday’s FA Trophy final dress-rehearsal when York come to town.
“It’s the highs and lows of football isn’t it?” he said.
“After last Saturday, and then winning on Tuesday, we were all hoping we would perform but we were lacklustre and never really got going. It just didn’t happen for us today.”