QUICKFIRE SHOTS PICK OFF HOOPS EARLY ON

PLAY-off chasing Aldershot Town picked up an important win on the road to boost their promotion hopes against bottom side Oxford City.

Lorent Tolaj gave the Shots an 11th-minute lead but City found a leveller just before the half-hour through Lewis Coyle.

However, Josh Stokes scored what turned out to be the winner for Tommy Widdrington’s men five minutes before the break.

“I’m delighted with the three points because we want to win as many games as we can,” Widdrington said with his team occupying the final play-off spot.

“But I wasn’t overly enamoured with our performance after the first 15 minutes if I’m honest. We need to stick to the script. There’s one or two of them gone off-piste a little bit today.

“Give Oxford credit, they’re in a very difficult situation but their lads gave everything and they very nearly got something out of the game.”

Widdrington may not have been impressed with his side in the opening quarter of an hour but, after having having tested keeper Tom Watson, Tolaj gave his side the lead when slotting home after good work by James Daly.

Aldershot might have had a goal-of-the-season contender to celebrate for a second goal when defender Coby Rowe tried his luck from inside his own half with Watson off his line but the City keeper backtracked in time to save.

As the half wore on, however, the Hoops got themselves into the game and they drew level on 27 minutes when a ball into the box was cleared out to Reece Fleet, who acrobatically delivered the ball back into the area where Coyle was waiting to hammer past keeper Jordi van Stappershoef.

But despite Oxford gaining more of a foothold of the game, parity lasted little more than ten minutes when Tolaj became provider, slipping Stokes with a pin-point throughball to slot under Watson.

The second half was far more even but neither side were able to force clear-cut chances in the early stages of the half.

City had a chance to level again with ten minutes to go when Latrell Humphrey-Ewers’ cross was bundled wide by Jacob Roddy.

Aldershot, too, had chances to put the game to bed in the final quarter-hour with Stokes firing a shot just over the bar and Tyler Frost strking the foot of the post.

But Oxford conjured up one final chance to snatch a point, in the final few seconds when Giles Phillips was played through on goal but he opted to take his shot on outside the box and van Stappershoef gathered the ball down low.

City boss Ross Jenkins saw positives in his side’s defeat, saying: “This was a much more solid performance. We tried to come out and play more of our football and it was far more of an even game than we have had in recent weeks.” STAR MAN: Josh Stokes (Aldershot) ATT: 1,109 ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★ REFEREE: Aaron Farmer