Widdrington fires up his Shots to stay switched on
HALF-TIME DRESSING DOWN HELPS PLAY-OFF HOPEFULS SECURE ANOTHER THREE POINTS
ALDERSHOT Town moved into the National League play-off places with a 3-1 home win over Rochdale on Saturday.
Lorent Tolaj gave the hosts a fifthminute lead only for Ian Henderson to swiftly equalise with his 11th goal of the season.
However, the Shots took a 2-1 lead into half-time after Stuart O’Keefe was brought down in the area and Cian Harries dispatched the resulting penalty.
Jack Barham then finished well on 51 minutes after a pass from Josh Stokes, to make it 3-1.
The result moves the Shots up to seventh in the table, although eighth-placed Gateshead are just a point behind with a game in hand.
And while boss Tommy Widdrington was happy with the result, he admitted he has said a few choice words to his team at half-time.
“I’m over the moon with the result obviously,” Widdrington said. “I think for the amount of ball we had, particularly in the second half, we were very, very dominant.
“We did make chances to score more goals, we didn’t take them on this occasion. We were much better structured behind the ball.
“Listen, I had a little bit of a rip at half-time because of the way they scored the goal.
“We knew, we showed the boys that in training, and for us to switch off when the ball is so far away from our goal and in four seconds it’s in our net.
“It’s been a bit of an Achilles heel for us and we’ve got to sort that out. The lads have got to smell the danger before it happens.
“To a man I thought they’ve grafted hard. They’re a good side
Rochdale, Jimmy [McNulty, manager] has got them playing some real good stuff, got some good individuals, but I thought it was a really good game.
“The fact we got 3,000 almost of our own in the building, and a couple hundred of theirs, you’ve got to give them a pat on the back for travelling that distance.”
The result came after Aldershot drew 1-1 at home to Bromley on Tuesday night last week.
Tolaj collected a through ball from Stokes and converted at the second time of asking on 35 minutes, but it was cancelled out after former Shots captain Callum Reynolds equalised for the visitors just before the hour mark.
And despite Andy Woodman’s south Londoners being in title-contention, Widdrington was not happy with a point.
“I thought we probably created more chances over the 90-odd minutes,” he said. “I thought in the first half we were well on top and we deserved to go in 1-0 up.
“The disappointment is that we’ve conceded from a set play, and everyone has a job so somebody hasn’t done theirs. Everybody will moan again because Jordi [Van Stappershoef] made a fantastic save and I want to know where that next man is to defend the second ball, and he’s had to be the one to come out of his goal to confront the second strike.
“We had enough chances to win the game three or 4-0 I felt, their goalie has made a lot more saves than ours. Listen, let’s not forget these are second top of the league.
“They’re a good outfit and Andy’s got them well drilled, so I’ve got to be pleased. I said to the lads quite frankly I wasn’t really too interested in what the result was going to be, I wanted a performance and I thought the lads gave me that.”
Aldershot, who were due to play Wealdstone away last night (Tuesday), travel to FC Halifax Town on Saturday.