Aldershot Town host their second National League Cup fixture of the new season this midweek, welcoming fellow Hampshire side Southampton U21 to the EBB Stadium on Tuesday, 21st October.
Due to locality and the competition’s format, the Shots can expect this fixture to become a regular occurrence across Autumn months, having also contested last year. Goals from Josh Barrett and Tyler Frost saw off the young Saints as they won 2-1 in December last year, a tie that may have most notably proved the catalyst for Will Armitage’s loan spell at the turn of the new year, who started for the visitors that evening.
| Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Points | |
| Truro City | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 |
| Brighton U21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 |
| Fulham U21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 3 |
| West Ham U21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 3 |
| Woking | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| Aldershot Town | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| Southampton U21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 0 |
| Sutton United | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | -8 | 0 |
With both sides yet to earn a point in the competition thus far, this fixture may already prove crucial to eventual progression prospects.
RECENT FORM
The visitors come into the tie with confidence, after a particularly strong and unbeaten start to their Premier League 2 campaign.
- 03/10/25 – Southampton U21 4-1 Derby U21 (Sesay, Oyekunle, Merry, Charles)
- 26/09/25 – Man City U21 3-3 Southampton U21 (Oyekunle 2, Fry)
- 19/09/25 – Southampton U21 2-1 Burnley U21 (Sesay, Akachukwu)
- 16/09/25* – Woking 2-1 Southampton U21 (Sillah)
- 29/08/25 – Ipswich U21 2-2 Southampton U21 (Sillah, Tabares)
* National League Cup
With 14 points from six games, Southampton U21 sit 4th in the Premier League 2 table, and boast being among just four of the elite development competition’s 29 teams that are yet to taste defeat this term, alongside, Manchester United, Ipswich and Fulham.
One to watch on the evening if featured, midfielder Moses Sesay has been sharing duties between first team and youth squads, the England U18 international made a late cameo in the Saints’ win against Norwich City in the EFL Cup, and scored last time out for the U21s against Derby County.
IN THE DUGOUT
Turning left out of the tunnel this evening is former Barnsley and Genoa assistant coach, Tonda Eckert, who at just 32 years old has already built a wildly impressive CV amid various youth and backroom roles in Austria, Germany, Italy and England.
Tonda Eckert’s journey into coaching started early, after a modest playing career as a central midfielder in Germany. He found his passion in youth development and quickly began working with some of the top academies in Europe. Early coaching roles at RB Leipzig’s U19s and Bayern Munich’s U17s towards the latter half of the 2010s gave him a solid foundation, as well as high-level training environments and modern coaching techniques. These experiences helped shape his philosophy and focus on nurturing young talent with a long-term development mindset.
Looking to challenge himself further, Eckert stepped into senior football with a role at then-Championship Barnsley ahead of their 2020-21 campaign. The German would help the Tykes to an incredible 5th place finish, though this spell would soon turn sour after the departure of incumbent boss Valérien Ismaël to West Brom that summer. With the South Yorkshire side sitting rock bottom of the second-tier in January 2022, Eckert left for Genoa in January, though would taste relegation regardless, with the Italian side demoted to Serie B that Summer.
Returning to Serie A at the first time of asking, Eckert remained in Liguria for a further three years, acting as number two to the likes of Alberto Gilardino and Patrick Vieira, before joining the Saints this summer.
TICKET INFO
You can get your National League Cup tickets by clicking HERE
Prices for these games will be the same as last season’s National League Cup pricing and are as follows:
- Adult: £8 (£4)
- Concession: £4 (£2)
- Under 11: £2 (£1)
- Director’s Box: £12.50
Season Ticket Holders can purchase their tickets for these games at half-price (indicated by pricing in brackets).
These games will be unsegregated and only the North Stand will be open, but both seating and terraces within the North Stand will be open.
There will be no Hospitality for these games, however, you can purchase a Director’s Box Seat for just £12.50. For more information or to register your interest, contact mark.butler@theshots.co.uk or call 01252 320211.
IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT
Live updates will be available from our social media platforms X (@OfficialShots), Instagram (@aldershottownfcofficial), and Facebook. After the game, highlights will be available on our YouTube channel.
