A goal from Toby Edser in his return from injury meant Aldershot Town picked up a point against Maidenhead in their first home game of 2022.
The Shots made two changes from the derby victory over Woking. Mitch Walker returned in goal after the departure of namesake Laurie, and Ben Shroll also returned to the starting XI. Both Toby Edser and Mo Bettamer were named on Mark Molesley’s bench after spending time on the sideline due to injury, and Josh Fawole was named as a substitute for the first time as an Aldershot Town player.
After a quiet opening five minutes, both sides had their first looks at goal. A Maidenhead corner was delivered into the danger area, and it resulted in a goal-mouth scramble that was eventually cleared by The Shots. The clearance was picked up by Berekely-Agyepong, and after a great run forward he played Harris through, but he dragged his shot well wide of the mark.
Just after the quarter hour mark, Aldershot Town came close to taking an early lead. A ball by Whittingham seemed easy to deal with, but a mistake by Massey meant Ryan Glover could run at goal on the right hand side. After holding up the play, a clever drop of the shoulder from Glover teed him up for a shot from just inside the area, but a brilliant save from Gyollai denied his effort from flying into the top right-hand corner.
A few minutes later, it was Mitch Walker’s turn to produce a great save of his own, denying Sparkes’ curling effort from outside the box.
In the 34th minute, Walker was once again tested from long range, this time by Josh Kelly, but his effort was straight at the Aldershot Town keeper and easy to deal with.
Three minutes later, and yet another effort from outside the box was attempted by the visitors. This time, it was Charlee Adams’ turn to try his luck, but unlike the other two efforts, this one was wide of the post and never looked like troubling Walker’s goal.
Maidenhead were ramping up the pressure towards the end of the half, and had another effort on goal with two minutes to play. After Shroll headed a Maidenhead corner clear, a powerful header from the edge of the box by Donnellan was on target, but Walker comfortably caught the ball.
In the first minute of three added on, it was Adams who decided to have another go from, once again, outside the box, and this one was always rising and flew straight over the bar.
But in the final minute of injury time, The Magpies found a breakthrough courtesy of an effort from Josh Kelly, which took a slight deflection and was just out of Walker’s reach, finding the bottom corner.
The Shots had the first chance of the second half in the 55th minute. Berkeley-Agyepong got onto the end of a long ball over the top, and his cross along the ground travelled all the way across the face of goal, but just didn’t have the final touch to turn it in.
A minute before the hour mark, Maidenhead almost doubled their lead. Goalscorer Josh Kelly had a shot from a tight angle inside the box, and was just inches away from getting his and his side’s second of the afternoon.
In the 65th minute, Aldershot Town found the equaliser. In his first game back from injury and only five minutes after coming on the pitch, Toby Edser picked up the loose ball on the edge of the box, and his low driven shot found the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
Five minutes later, The Shots came close to taking the lead, but Jayden Harris’ effort from 25 yards out was well denied by Gyollai.
Shortly after, Harris had another chance to get on the scoresheet for the second game running after getting on the end of a Lewis Kinsella cross, however this one was straight at the keeper and easily dealt with.
With 15 minutes to go, it was almost a debut goal for Josh Fawole off the bench. Some great work by Glover on the right hand side allowed him to pick out Fawole in the area, and his sliding effort couldn’t have come much closer, bouncing off the outside of the post.
The visitors almost regained their lead in the 80th minute, after a great ball from Sparkes from the free-kick wasn’t properly dealt with, but the shot amongst a crowd of players was deflected behind for a corner, which resulted in nothing.
Halfway into stoppage time, there were claims for an Aldershot Town penalty after Harris deemed to be fouled inside the box, but nothing was given and the points were shared.
The FA Trophy fourth round is next up for The Shots, when Bromley are the visitors at The EBB Stadium.
Aldershot Town FC: 1 M Walker (G/K), 3 L Kinsella (C), 7 A Whittingham (J Fawole 65’), 10 J Berkeley-Agyepong, 12 C Oxlade-Chamberlain, 14 R Glover, 16 C Jordan, 18 M Sylla, 21 B Shroll (T Edser 58’), 22 G Phillips, 23 J Harris
Unused Subs: 31 C Coulter (G/K), 9 M Bettamer, 32 B Webb
Maidenhead United FC: 1 D Gyollai (G/K), 4 W De Havilland, 6 R Clerima, 8 S Donnellan (J Mingi 71’), 9 N Blissett (E Acquah 38’), 11 D Sparkes, 15 S Beckwith, 19 R Upward, 22 J Kelly (R Sheckleford 87’), 24 A Massey (C), 27 C Adams
Unused Subs: 5 M Parry, 17 R Smith
