Shots bounce back to batter Altrincham 2-0
FROST AND TOLAJ CROWN A TRIUMPHANT FIRST HALF
ALDERSHOT Town bounced back from Tuesday night’s 5-0 defeat in style to beat Altrincham 2-0 on Saturday.
First half goals from Tyler Frost and Lorent Tolaj were enough to give Tommy Widdrington’s team all the points in a big clash in the race for the National League play-offs.
Following Tuesday’s game against AFC Fylde, Shots boss Widdrington was forced into changes to his team – Cian Harries missed out through suspension, while Coby Rowe and Josh Barrett were rested due to injuries sustained during Tuesday’s game.
Frost, Dejan Tetek and Rollin Menayese came into the team in their places.
The Shots had the best chance of the sides to take the lead, as a strong challenge by Haji Mnoga on Chris Conn-Clarke found Lorent Tolaj in a good position, but Tolaj – the captain on the day – fired wide from the edge.
Altrincham had their best moment of the opening half-hour through former Shot Justin Amaluzor, but after he was found in a good position on the counter-attack by Conn-Clarke, Ollie Harfield was able to deny him before he got a shot away.
Aldershot had been the better of the two sides in the first half, and got a just reward for their good play on the stroke of half time.
As they often do, Ryan Glover and Ollie Harfield linked up well, and it was the latter who put the ball across the box.
Jack Barham was unable to win his header, but Frost collected the rebound and scored fantastically, high and into the top right of Matt Gould’s goal, with a left-footed finish.
A fantastic first half for the Shots included a second in added time, through who else but Tolaj. Haji Mnoga won the ball back after a heavy touch by Regan Linney, and Josh Stokes did fantastically well to find Jack Barham, who ran through the Altrincham half and fired an effort straight at the goal. Matt Gould was right in its path, but Tolaj was on hand to score the rebound to make it 2-0.
Barham had a good chance to make it 3-0 within seconds of the restart; however, after the ball bounced up and deflected off Lewis Baines, Barham volleyed his effort just wide of the goal.
The game was end-to-end, but neither side made a clear-cut chance before the Shots made their first change of the afternoon, as Harrogate loanee James Daly came on in place of Barham with 67 minutes on the clock.
Daly and Ollie Harfield had good chances in front of the East Bank, but as the rain poured over the EBB Stadium neither were able to take advantage of their opening.
After a good shift in midfield, Theo
Widdrington was the next change, with Kwame Thomas replacing him.
After a spell with no real chances Tommy Widdrington made his last change in the 86th, as academy graduate Maxwell Mullins came on in place of Ryan Glover.
After his first half goal and a wonderful shift out of position firstly on the right and then the left of the back five, Frost was deservedly awarded the man of the match award for the afternoon as the game ticked into added time.
No more goals were added in the second 45, and the game ended with two goals and a clean sheet for Tommy Widdrington’s Shots.