Basingstoke Town 0-3 Aldershot Town

Full time from The Camrose

Aldershot started with 19-year-old Southampton central defender Jack Saville added to Sam Stewart and Aaron Brown, who featured at Didcot Town and the returning Glen Little.

An action-packed opening saw Danny Hylton pounce on some sloppy defending at the heart of the home defence but his final strike lacked power towards goal whilst Marvin Morgan blazed a gilt-edged opportunity over the bar from close range from Little's corner.

In a competitive exchange Ross Adams headed Gary Frewen's left-sided free kick towards goal only to be denied by Darren Jones' goal line clearance.

There was uncertainty for the visitors when Jason Downes broke down the left-hand side and cut the ball back from the byeline where Jamie Vincent connected towards his own goalkeeper forcing Jamie Young to parry the ball away from danger.

The visitors did take the lead on 13 minutes when Ben Harding strode powerfully through the centre after collecting the ball and setting Marvin Morgan up and the former Woking striker finished competently down the centre under Chris Tardif in the home goal.

Morgan could have extended the lead three minutes later when Stuart Lake was guilty of losing the ball after Stewart's challenge but alertness from defender Adams prevented an extension to the scoresheet.

With Aldershot in control of the match and looking assured, especially through the centre it was Morgan who added to the score sheet on 25 minutes as he calmly rounded the advancing Tardif to slot home into an empty net.

Referee Mike Rowley played a good advantage when Morgan was taken out on the halfway line allowing Hylton to continue on the right before his curling centre just eluded the advancing Stewart at the far post.

Little showed his class with eight minutes remaining of the first half with a mazy run through the centre before a deft touch to Hylton who fired low, first time, only to see his effort cannon of the foot of the post and just away from the incoming Morgan.

Basingstoke were victims of their own downfall though with some poor decision making. None more so than on 39 minutes when Lake squared the ball into the path of Hylton just outside the 18-yard box. The 21- year-old finished coolly into the corner of the net.

Half-Time: 'Stoke 0-3 Shots
Added Time: None
Actual Playing Time: 45:00
Goals: 0-1 (Morgan 13), 0-2 (Morgan 25), 0-3 (Hylton 39)
First Half Teams:
Basingstoke: Tardif, Rice, Frewen, Christon, Adams, Hankin, Ogunbote, Laidler, Pratt, Downes, Lake
Shots: Young, Herd, Vincent, Jones, Saville, Stewart, Little, Harding, Hylton, Morgan, Brown

Kevin Dillon made seven changes at the interval including the introduction of teenager Michael Abnett, who has featured at Crystal Palace, and striker Jake Hyde, who was released by Barnet at the end of last season.

David Pratt was unable to take advantage of an early opportunity after the break when, in space 12 yards out, he sliced a right-footed effort over the bar. Darren Jones then retrieved the situation with a fine back tackle after an initial misplaced ball to Emmanuel Panther.

With a stream of substitutions halting the flow of the match the fluency created in the first half was lacking from Dillon's side although Hyde did create an opening on 65 minutes as he shielded the ball before firing just over the bar from 18 yards.

Teenager Reece Connolly forced a save out of Tardif when he was played in initially on the edge of the 18-yard box from Manny Panther's work just in front of the back four as he broke up play and produced a perceptive delivery into the path of the Frimley-born striker.

In conclusion for boss Dillon there were plenty of positives from this, the third friendly of the campaign as he continues to blood in his new signings in addition to becoming closer to making the key decisions that he still requires to add to his squad.

Full Time: 'Stoke 0-3 Shots
Actual Playing: 45:48
Attendance: TBA

Referee: Mike Rowley
Assistants: Simon Maynard, Ian Douglas
Fourth: Jason Connolly