Aldershot Town cruised to a comfortable 4-0 win against Badshot Lea to kickstart pre-season, with goals for Francis Amartey (x2), Justin Amaluzor and Trialist E securing the victory.
The Shots started the better side, with the best chance in the opening 15 minute falling to Academy 1, after a long ball over the top from Keane Anderson saw the ball fly narrowly just past his head and out for a goal kick.
Aldershot Town enjoyed much of the ball in the first 45, and Tommy Willard had the first real sighter in the box as he connected with an Archie Davies cross which riffled off a Badshot Lea defender, rather than the back of their net.
Unfortunately for the bright Academy 1, his game was ended after just 25 minutes in the first half and Academy 2 was bought on for his first minutes in pre-season.
Both keepers were called into action before the break, as Badshot Lea’s number 7 had a golden opportunity one on one with Ryan Hall, who kept himself big and denied the forward impressively from close range.
At the opposite end, Joe Partington called the Badshot Lea keeper into action, after a well-struck free kick from 25 yards was saved to the keeper’s left hand side, before the home side were able to clear the danger.
Keane Anderson got closest to scoring before the interval, as a long ball over the top and a tussle with Badshot Lea’s number 5 saw the ball flicked beyond the keeper, but not with enough conviction to trickle into the Badshot Lea net, as the scores remained level going into the half-time break.
After extended spells of controlled possession from Aldershot Town in the first 45, the sides went in level, before Mark Molesley made a flurry of changes heading into the second half of the game.
The Shots kept the same intensity going into the second half, and almost opened the scoring with just seconds gone in the half, as a shot from Amartey went into the side netting.
Aldershot Town would eventually open the scoring in the 64th minute, as a spilled Amaluzor shot found its way into the path of Trialist E, who made no mistake smashing the ball home first time to open the account for The Shots for an emphatic finish.
The pressure continued after the first goal, and after second-half substitute Harrison Panayiotou had his effort ruled out for offside, it appeared as though Aldershot would continue to pile on the pressure with 20 minutes left to play.
However, a late brace from Francis Amartey and a fourth from Justin Amaluzor gave The Shots a well-deserved victory to start off their 2022/23 pre-season in ideal fashion.
The first strike from Amartey came in the 86th minute, as he capitalised on some poor passing from Badshot Lea, as his finish at the near post was impressive, before an even more stunning curling effort into the far corner just a minute later gave Aldershot a comfortable margain.
Justin Amazluzor got his goal just in time, as his neat footwork followed by thumping finish into the near post gave The Shots a fourth, just before the referee blew his whistle to bring the tie to an end, giving Aldershot Town the confidence to kick-on in pre-season.
Aldershot Town XI (First-Half): R Hall (G/K), A Davies, Trialist A, B Shroll, O Harfield, J Partington (C), K Anderson, Trialist B, Academy 1 (Academy 2, 25’), T Willard, I Effiong
Aldershot Town XI (Second-Half): Trialist C (G/K), Trialist D, G Phillips (C), T Cordner, M Mullins, J Ngalo, J Harris, Trialist E, J Amaluzor, F Amartey, H Panayiotou
