Aldershot Town got their first win of the 25/26 season in a five-star performance at Solihull Moors as goals from Ryan Hill – scoring his second brace in two games – Tristan Abrahams, Kwame Thomas and Jed Meerholz saw The Shots demolish the Moors 5-1 away from home.
With the prospect of another Enterprise National League game in just 48 hours and having already played two league games in the last week, three changes were made by Tommy Widdrington for the visit to Solihull. Tristan Abrahams, Kwame Thomas and Archy Taylor came in for Keane Anderson, Hady Ghandour and Maxwell Mullins.
It was the hosts who seemed to start the brightest. Ben Worman gave Marcus Dewhurst an early test in the first couple of minutes and Tyler French rattled the cross bar with a curling effort after the Shots couldn’t clear a long throw into their box.
The Shots’ first chance of note came in the 21st minute and they were unlucky not to take the lead as Tristan Abrahams met Ryan Hill’s cross, but his great header that looked destined for the top corner was superbly saved by Laurie Walker.
They did find the back of the net seven minutes later, however, as Ryan Hill, who scored twice from the spot on Wednesday, was able to score from open play for his third in two games. Kwame Thomas headed down a long ball forward into the box and Hill cut inside, beat his man and found the bottom corner.
And just four minutes later, Aldershot had a second. A devastating counter-attack was started by Archy Taylor after a long throw into the Shots box and he found Tristan Abrahams on the halfway line. Abrahams turned and found Josh Barrett’s run with a brilliant pass and Barrett cut back and returned the ball to Abrahams who found the bottom corner with a first-time effort.
Dewhurst had to be called back into action in the 35th minute to keep his side’s two-goal advantage intact. James Clarke launched a thunderous effort at goal from just inside the box and the Shots ‘keeper did well to keep it out as the rebound was fired over.
HALF-TIME
Just seconds into the second-half, Solihull pulled a goal back as Szhem Whyte-Hall, who had only been on the pitch since the restart, headed in a cross form the left.
Rather than let the goal back rock them, though, Aldershot looked to regain their advantage and Josh Barrett almost caught Laurie Walker out with a deep free-kick and Kwame Thomas almost turned in Barrett’s poweful ball across goal but for a late intervention as we approached the hour mark.
And on the hour, The Shots were given a penalty as Kwame Thomas was brought down as he won a header from a corner. Ryan Hill stepped up and converted, sending Laurie Walker the wrong way, thus scoring his third penalty in two games.
In the 68th minute, things got even better for the Shots as they scored a fourth. Abrahams rattled the crossbar with a thunderous effort and the ball bounced down and hit Kwame Thomas as he turned it in for his first goal of the season. They all count, Kwame!
The three-goal advantage gave The Shots a comfort blanket and confidence to begin to control proceedings and really show their quality. Josh Barrett and Hady Ghandour came close within a minute of each other as they pushed forward in search of a fifth goal.
Which they found with just a few minutes remaining of the 90 through an unlikely source. Hady Ghandour did well to turn his man and advance down the right and fired a low-cross across goal that Jed Meerholz was on hand to turn in at the far-post.
The Shots were enjoying themselves and could have had even more goals in added time as Dewhurst almost got an assist after Ghandour did very well to win his punt forward but his shot was turned behind by Walker. And from that corner, Kiban Rai beat his man and forced Walker into another save with a fierce strike.
With just a couple of minutes left of the game, Rai was still causing problems as he beat his man again but saw his effort deflected behind on this occasion and from that corner, James Henry saw an effort from outside the box deflected behind.
But it was to be just the five goals in the end for The Shots who will travel back to Aldershot a very happy group.
Attendance: 937 (No away attendance given)
Shots lineup: 1. Marcus Dewhurst, 7. Cameron Hargreaves (C)(17. James Henry, 88′), 9. Kwame Thomas, 10. Josh Barrett (18. Kiban Rai, 88′), 14. Jed Meerholz, 19. Ryan Hill (38. Noah Watson, 78′), 25. Will Nightingale, 28. Archy Taylor, 30. Tristan Abrahams (23. Hady Ghandour, 72′), 32. James Clarridge, 34. Dejan Tetek (12. Keane Anderson, 78′).
Subs not used: 16. Pat Nash, 24. Maxwell Mullins.
Solihull lineup: 1. Laurie Walker, 2. James Clarke, 3. Cameron Green, 4. Jamey Osborne (C)(8. Sam Bowen, 64′), 5. Alex Whitmore, 6. Bradley Nicholson, 7. Callum McFarlane (27. Szhem Whyte-Hall, 46′), 9. Dan Creaney (16. Oliver Tipton, 77′), 11. Ben Worman, 21. Oscar Rutherford, 26. Tyler French (29. Bradley Stevenson, 75’).
Subs not used: 13. Rory Brown, 25. Kian Ryley, 30. Charlie Watts.
