Cup is half full as Shots take consolation from Hawthorns
PROUD TOMMY WIDDRINGTON FINDS POSITIVES IN DEFEAT TO WEST BROM
TOMMY Widdrington admitted his “pride” at Aldershot Town’s performance despite the National League club exiting the FA Cup on Sunday.
The Shots lost 4-1 at Championship side West Bromwich Albion in the third round match.
Nathaniel Chalobah, Jovan Malcolm and Daryl Dike netted in the first half to give West Brom a 3-0 lead and the Shots a mountain to climb at the Hawthorns.
But Widdrington was pleased with the way his side responded as they drew the second half – Tom Fellows making it 4-0 before Ollie Bray scored a late consolation for the non-leaguers.
“The overriding emotion is absolute pride,” Widdrington enthused.
“I’m delighted the way that the lads responded. I think we shot ourselves in the foot in the first half, but we’re against really good footballers. West Brom are a class act and near the top of the Championship, and they’ve got every chance of being Premier League status again next season.
“I wanted the fundamentals to be right, we made some mistakes and they punished us, and that’s what happens when you play against top class opposition.
“But at half-time, we were really calm in there and I just said we can get something positive out of this experience if we play more like us in the second half, and I thought we did. We used the ball better, we went toe to toe and obviously they were getting a little bit younger with the substitutions that they made, which evened it up a little bit.
“I’m absolutely thrilled we scored a goal because I keep banging on and I back our lot to score in every game they play. It’s another story for the FA Cup; Ollie Bray getting his first goal in his second appearance. All in all it goes with disappointment because we’re out of the cup, but let’s be realistic, it’s been a really good journey and I hope it gives the lads that ambition for more.”
And Widdrington was particularly delighted for young striker Bray, who only signed from Southern League Division One South side
Willand Rovers in late-November.
“I wanted to see him run to the other end of the pitch and celebrate with our fans but it wasn’t to be,” Widdrington said of the 95th minute goal. “Like I said it’s a huge tick box for him, he’s been on the pitch all of 20 minutes in two games and he’s scored a goal, so that’s all our strikers on the sheet now.
“We’ll move on and now we’ve got to be really mentally strong because going from this stadia to, all due respect, Bishop’s Stortford in the FA Trophy next week, there won’t be 16,000 people there.
“So it’s going to be about us and how we approach that game, and we want to progress in that competition as well.”