Aldershot Town suffered a 2-0 defeat against top of the league Stockport County.
Mark Molesley made three changes to the side that suffered defeat to Wrexham last weekend. Kodi Lyons-Foster, Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong and Jayden Harris all came into the starting line-up, as The Shots looked to impress in front of the BT Sport cameras.
It was a quiet first ten minutes to the game, with neither side creating any chances that troubled either keeper.
But in the 14th minute, the visitors took the lead. After Aldershot Town couldn’t properly clear, Madden found Crankshaw inside the box, and he managed to chip the ball over Barnes in the Aldershot Town goal.
Shortly before the half hour mark, Stockport came close to doubling their lead. A free kick from Sarcevic found Madden free at the back post, but his first-time effort was sliced high.
However, a minute later, The Hatters did get their second of the afternoon. Crankshaw, who already had a goal, picked up the ball on the right hand side and put a cross into the area, finding Collar who climbed highest, and his header found the bottom left-hand corner.
In the 34th minute, The Shots did have the ball in the back of the net. Sylla found Lyons-Foster who had a free header six yards out, and he put the ball past Hinchliffe, but it was disallowed for offside.
Another cross from Crankshaw was put into the danger area just before half-time, this time finding Jennings, but he couldn’t direct his header on target.
44 minutes in, and it was yet another headed effort for Stockport County. This time, the ball came in from the opposite side, with Hippolyte finding goalscorer Collar, but his headed effort was straight at Barnes who saved comfortably. However, Aldershot Town still had plenty of work to do if they wanted to get back into this game.
The Shots looked lively to start the second half, finding themselves with a chance just a minute in. After picking it up well inside his own half, Corey Jordan ran to just outside of the opposite penalty area, and then found Glover. The winger cut inside and let off a shot, but it was blocked by a Stockport defender.
A few minutes later, Crankshaw had a chance to get his second and County’s third. After receiving the ball from Sarcevic, Crankshaw shot from just outside the area and forced a good save by Barnes at his near post, and the resulting corner came to nothing.
In the 52nd minute, Stockport won a free-kick in a dangerous area. It was taken by Sarcevic, but he couldn’t beat the Aldershot Town wall.
The next fifteen minutes were, like the start of the first half, quiet, with neither team troubling the goalkeeper’s at either end.
With just under twenty minutes to go, Aldershot Town were still looking for a goal to get them back in it. A cross from Oxlade-Chamberlain wasn’t properly dealt with and the ball fell to Glover who hit it on the half-volley, but his effort went over the bar.
Down the other end, Hippolyte had a go from the edge of the area, but his curling strike was too high and didn’t trouble Barnes.
The Shots then had a go from distance themselves, with substitute Matthews trying his luck from 25 yards, but his effort flew over the bar.
In the 80th minute, Crankshaw got into the box and managed to get off a powerful right-footed striker from a tight angle, but he was well denied by Barnes.
The visitors continued to push for another goal, and Southam-Hales looked certain to score after getting the ball a few yards from goal, but brilliant last-ditch defending from Jordan saw his shot blocked.
Aldershot Town nearly got one back shortly after. Some nice play between Sylla and Vennings led to Matthews shooting from the left hand side of the area, but his effort was blocked by a Stockport defender.
The final chance of the game was a free-kick taken by Vennings a few yards outside the box, but it hit the top of the wall and the following corner came to nothing, and meant The Shots were again left disappointed.
Aldershot Town are next in action in two weeks time, when Kings Lynn visit The EBB Stadium.
Aldershot Town FC: 35 D Barnes (G/K), 6 K Lyons-Foster (C) (H Panayiotou 74’), 10 J Berkeley-Agyepong (S Matthews 59’), 12 C Oxlade-Chamberlain, 14 R Glover, 16 C Jordan, 18 M Sylla, 22 G Phillips, 23 J Harris (T Willard 59’), 24 J Vennings, 33 C Daniel
Unused Subs: 1 M Walker (G/K), 8 T Edser
Stockport County FC: 1 B Hinchliffe (G/K), 5 A Palmer, 7 M Southam-Hales, 9 P Madden (C), 11 C Jennings (S Quigley 70’), 14 W Collar, 15 R Johnson, 18 R Croasdale, 21 M Hippolyte (B Whitfield 83’), 23 A Sarcevic (S Minihan 64’), 27 O Crankshaw
Unused Subs: 25 L Ashby-Hammond (G/K), 16 J Keane
