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TWO goals from Sean Shields helped Ebbsfleet to their first home win of the season and heaped more pressure on struggling Aldershot.

Fleet climbed into the top seven with this result while the Shots, who they knocked out of the play-offs last season, are now in the bottom four.

Manager Gary Waddock was missing several players through injury at Stonebrdge Road, but didn’t hide behind that after the game.

He said: “It’s a results-based business and we need to pick up results. There’s no excuses.

“We’ve got players out and there are circumstances and situations which are not out in the public domain which we have to deal with.”

The visitors took a seventhminute lead when Matt McClure was left unmarked to head Luke Wanadio’s left-wing cross beyond Nathan Ashmore.

Fleet looked fragile defensively in the early stages and Aldershot threatened to add to their lead before Daryl McMahon acted by switching from a three-man defence to a back four.

The hosts grew into the game but found Shots keeper Jake Cole in fine form. Cole made an excellent one-handed save to deny Andy Drury after the midfielder had controlled Shields’ low cross and turned inside onto his left foot.

Jack King headed wide from a corner and Dominic Bernard did well to stop Shields in full flight, although Wanadio forced Ashmore to push his shot round the post at the other end.

The pressure was mounting and Myles Weston should have laid on the equaliser for Corey Whitely when Ebbsfleet counter-attacked from a corner.

But after more strong defending had denied Shields, the goal did come 10 minutes before halftime. More heroics from Cole thwarted Ebou Adams, but Danny Kedwell helped the ball back into the danger zone and there was Shields to finish.

The second half saw Fleet probing in possession and Aldershot looking to counterattack. Wanadio twice went close for the visitors but a fine team move opened up the Shots defence on 72 minutes. Adams helped Luke Coulson’s pass round the corner into Sam Magri’s path and his low cross was touched home by Drury.

Cole saved again from Weston when Coulson sent him clear on the break, but the ball ran for Shields and he powered the rebound into the bottom corner.

Kedwell and Michael Cheek could both have made it 4-1 late on although Aldershot should have reduced the arrears a minute from time.

Dave Winfield gave the ball straight to Jacob Berkeley Agyepong and the substitute ran clear only to smash his shot against the crossbar.

Ebbsfleet boss Daryl McMahon said: “It was good to win and we could have had more goals. In the first 20 minutes we were lazy. Aldershot moved the ball well, but when we changed shape and put Weston to leftback, we got on top of them.

“We know that how we play works because we’ve had good success with it. Once we got a foothold in the game, we were very exciting going forward.”

Aldershot have yet to pick up a point on their travels and it’s now just one win in six.

Asked if his side deserved anything, Waddock replied: “You saw the game – I’ll leave that up to you to decide.”