After 18 days away, Aldershot Town return to the EBB Stadium on Saturday, 18th October to host Tamworth in an Enterprise National League fixture that will prove to be the Shots’ solitary home league fixture of the ongoing calendar month.
Founded in 1933, the Staffordshire-based side have spent their entire existence as a non-league club, and at present, are one of just three teams in this season’s fifth-tier to operate as a semi-professional outfit, making their league finish of 10th last campaign all the more impressive. The Lambs have experienced an immensely enjoyable last three seasons, claiming successive titles in the Southern Premier Central and National League North, before embarking on a famous cup run in 2024/25, which saw them host Tottenham Hotspur in January, forcing extra time from the Premier League giants at the Lamb Ground.
Tamworth currently sit 9th in the Enterprise National League table, accruing 22 points from 14 games thus far.
RECENT LEAGUE FORM
After a difficult start to the league campaign, Andy Peaks’ men have enjoyed a tremendous turnaround at the start of Autumn operations, coming into the tie as one of just three sides unbeaten in their last six league outings, alongside Boreham Wood and FC Halifax Town.
- 04/10/25 – Tamworth 1-1 Morecambe (Digie)
- 01/10/25 – Altrincham 1-2 Tamworth (Digie, Bates)
- 27/09/25 – Hartlepool United 1-1 Tamworth (Lynch)
- 24/09/25 – Tamworth 1-1 Wealdstone (Digie)
- 20/09/25 – Tamworth 1-0 Yeovil Town (Digie)
The Lambs’ last five league outings have seen headlines resoundingly hoarded by defender Kennedy Digie, whose headed winner against Yeovil Town – the only goal of the game – would ignite an incredible run of goalscoring form that sees the centre half boast four in his last five National League matches.
A trio of score-draws against Wealdstone, Hartlepool and Morecambe may have been argued as points dropped on each occasion, however, combined with a victory on the road at Altrincham and a narrow win against Hyde United in the FA Cup, the Lambs come into the weekend eight games unbeaten, and will likely prove a serious test for the Shots on the day.
IN THE DUGOUT
Occupying the visiting technical area this weekend is a man who, until February of this year, considered managerial responsibilities in Staffordshire to be his ‘second job’. If earning successive promotions in his first two seasons at the club wasn’t already impressive enough, 54-year-old Andy Peaks would achieve this feat as a support worker by day, personifying the incredible overachievement of the part-time club of late.
Born in Northamptonshire, the central defender would enjoy a respectable non-league career playing for various teams in the area, most notably Rushden & Diamonds, for whom he spent seven non-consecutive seasons with, and aided in achieving the club’s first promotion to step-one in 1995/96.
Peaks first fell into coaching as a player-assistant-manager with tenth-tier side AFC Long Buckby in 2007. He would impress in a series of roles at step-five or lower, and in 2012 would become an obvious candidate to join the managerial team of newly formed phoenix club, AFC Rushden & Diamonds. He would be instated as head coach one year later.
Nine successful seasons on Hayden Road would see Peaks navigate three promotions and achieve seventh-tier stability for the young side, piquing the interest of nearby Tamworth, who convinced the part-time gaffer of a new project, despite the Diamonds already outshining them in the league table.
The move, of course, was an unrivalled success, with peaks steering the Lambs to Southern Premier Central and National League North titles in his first two seasons with the club, making him one of an incredibly select number of managers to have earned promotion through tiers ten through six of the English Football Pyramid.
Following FA Cup heroics and increasing demands brought on by growing ambitions, Peaks was convinced into joining the side as his sole endeavour earlier this year, a decision that has proved seemingly fruitful, having lost just seven of his 31 league matches since going full-time.
PLAYED FOR BOTH
| Aldershot Town | Tamworth | |||||
| Player | Joined | Appearances | Goals | Joined | Appearances | Goals |
| Louie Soares | 2006 | 151 | 19 | 2004 | 6 | 0 |
| Jordan Roberts | 2011 | 100 | 13 | 2013 | 1 | 0 |
| Callum Reynolds | 2016 | 90 | 1 | 2011 | 3 | 0 |
| Alex Rodman | 2010 | 53 | 8 | 2008 | 94 | 23 |
| Craig Reid | 2012 | 45 | 12 | 2006 | 2 | 0 |
| Aaron Brown | 2009 | 27 | 1 | 2004 | 1 | 0 |
| Hugh McAuley | 2004 | 26 | 0 | 2005 | 8 | 0 |
| Matthew Barnes-Homer | 2004 | 16 | 0 | 2013 | 7 | 1 |
| Gerry McDonagh | 2018 | 13 | 0 | 2020 | 6 | 1 |
| Ben Starosta | 2008 | 4 | 0 | 2006 | 4 | 0 |
| Charlie Collins | 2011 | 1 | 0 | 2011 | 20 | 1 |
| Chris Nurse | 2004 | 1 | 0 | 2007 | 42 | 9 |
MATCH HISTORY AND LAST TIME OUT
This meeting with the Lambs will mark exactly 22 years to the day since the sides first met, where the side played out a thrilling score-draw on October 18th, 2003. The visiting Shots were heavy favourites coming into the tie, though required a pair of late goals from Roscoe D’Sane and Jamie Taylor to rescue a point from 3-1 down in Kettlebrook.
Since then the clubs have met a further 14 times, and there couldn’t be less separating the two, with five draws and five wins apiece providing extra onus on a positive result this afternoon.
Games played: 15
Aldershot wins: 5
Tamworth wins: 5
Draws: 5
Aggregate score: 29-25
Record Shots victory: 6-0 (2013)
Record Tamworth victory: 2-0 (2005)
The sides last met at the EBB in January, where the Shots came from behind twice to claim a point against their visitors, with four second half goals being shared equally. It was a particularly memorable outing for center-half Luca Woodhouse, who not only assisted Jack Barham for 1-1, but also headed in a late equaliser of his own.
TICKET INFO
Tickets are available HERE, and are priced as follows, please note prices will increase at 10am on the day of the match, these are noted in brackets:
- ADULTS – £23 (£25)
- MILITARY PERSONNEL – £21 (£23)
- SENIOR (Over 66) – £21 (£23)
- DISABLED – £21 (£23)
- YOUNG PERSON (18-20) – £21 (£23)
- 15 AND UNDER – £8 (£10)
- UNDER 11 – FREE
- FAMILY TICKET (Two Adults, Three 15 and Under) – £48 (£52)
We strongly encourage buying tickets in advance or online to save queues in the Ticket Office before the game.
The Club Shop/Ticket Office is open for all supporters with cash and card accepted.
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.
The game can be streamed for overseas viewers via DAZN’s National League TV coverage. Click HERE to purchase a match pass.
There will be live commentary of the game provided by BBC Radio Surrey – listen online HERE
