A last-minute winner from Maxwell Mullins ensured the Shots’ progression into the First Round of the Emirates FA Cup despite being reduced to 10-men as a spirited Bath City fell to a 2-1 defeat at the EBB Stadium.
Tyler Frost was playing down the left as he returned to the starting XI after a period out injured and looked lively in the early exchanges as he received the ball from a very nice switch of play by Theo Widdrington, but after beating his man, his cross couldn’t find a teammate in the centre in the sixth minute.
Not long later, Bath had their first opportunity to attack the Shots goal with a corner, but Latrell Humphrey-Ewers’ deep cross was just too far for Kieren Parselle to head towards goal and James Henry fired a shot over the bar in the 14th minute as the target was yet to be found.
The deadlock was broken in the 24th minute as Ashley Akpan scored his first Shots goal. Tyler Frost again beat his man down the left and delivered a powerful cross that though Akpan couldn’t turn in first-time, was scrambled in at the second attempt by the Shots Academy graduate.
Aldershot had a few more half-chances during the first-half, but none that really gave Harvey Wiles-Richards any danger as Bath struggled to create anything of note.
Jack Barham was getting unlucky as his supply was coming up just short or just too strong for him as Akpan headed back across goal for him to head wide and Josh Barrett’s cross-cum-shot was in front of his run into the centre.
HALF-TIME
In the first 10 minutes of the second-half, the Shots pressed forward in the hope of extending their lead as Josh Barrett connected sweetly with a volley only to see it blocked as it looked to be heading goalbound in the 50th minute.
Not long after, they came close again as Theo Widdrington was switched on to take a free-kick quickly, and though Tyler Frost’s shot was punched high and clear by Wiles-Richards, it fell to Cam Hargreaves but his low cross was too powerful for James Henry to connect with.
In the 54th minute, Josh Barrett showed some of his creative brilliance on the edge of the Bath box as he sat his opponent down before playing it to Frost out on the left whose shot was deflected behind for a corner.
But, four minutes later, the Shots were reduced to 10-men as Christian Maghoma was shown a straight red card for a high challenge as Bath broke forward and from the resulting free-kick, Bath had their proper sight at the Aldershot goal but Alex Fisher blasted over from close-range.
Though Aldershot were numerically disadvantaged, they still looked to attack and just three minutes after the red card, Tyler Frost did very well to break down the left and cut inside beating multiple Bath defenders but firing just wide from outside the box.
There was a strong shout from the Shots attackers for a penalty in the 68th minute as Cam Hargreaves was seemingly brought down in the box after a very nice Shots move, but referee Wayne Cartmel waved away the protests.
And in the 76th minute, Bath scored with their first shot on target to equalise. A ball in from the left by Elliott Frear was turned in from close-range by Alex Fisher which despite the extra man for the visitors, came against the run of play.
The equaliser gave Bath a new lease of life and they almost found a late winner in the 83rd minute as Parselle’s header from a Bath corner was cleared off the line by Lachie Byrd.
Seven minutes of added time was shown by the Fourth Official and Aldershot needed all of it to ensure their progress into the FA Cup First Round as another Aldershot Town Academy graduate scored when Maxwell Mullins turned it in from close-range just into the 98th minute to send the EBB Stadium into celebration.
Attendance: 2121 (332 Away).
Shots lineup: 1. Jordi van Stappershoef, 2. Lachlan Byrd, 5. Christian Maghoma, 6. Theo Widdrington (C), 7. Cameron Hargreaves, 8. Tyler Frost (18. Olly Scott, 88′), 10. Josh Barrett (23. Hady Ghandour, 73′), 21. Ashley Akpan, 22. Jack Barham (24. Maxwell Mullins, 86′), 25. Rollin Menayese, 27. James Henry (9. Kai Corbett, 74′).
Subs not used: 28. Marcus Dewhurst, 11. Ryan Jones, 32. Emmanuel Maja.
Bath City Lineup: 1. Harvey Wiles-Richards, 3. Dan Greenslade, 4. Nick Grimes, 6. Kieren Parselle, 7. Sol Wanjau-Smith (2. Joe Raynes, 73′), 8. Latrell Humphrey-Ewers, 9. Scott Wilson (11. Elliott Frear, 21′), 14. Alex Fisher, 16. Jordan Tillson, 17. Joe Adams, 20. Jordan Alves (19. Luke Russe, 46′).
Subs not used: 13. Massimo Sardo, 15. Louis Sweeten, 21. Tresor Mabika.