Aldershot Town continued their pre-season preparations on Tuesday evening, playing out a goalless draw against National League North outfit, Bedford Town. Once again comprising of a unique eleven either side of the beak, manager Scott Davies would receive further intel on his newly gelling squad in an affair that – although perhaps frustrating in score line – bore witness to several eye-catching individual performances.
With the Shots kicking off under the dusk of a glorious summer’s evening, the first half was a tentative one, with neither side managing to create a clear chance on goal in the opening 20 minutes. Kwaku Frimpong would look the most likely to pick the lock, after the midfielder drove through the channels to earn freedom on the right hand side of the penalty area before floating a cross into Basil Tuma, who in turn nodded towards a better positioned Marcus Dinanga, who unfortunately found himself unable to outjump Laurie Walker in the Eagles goal.
Dinanga would forge a shot on target during his 45-minute cameo, however, after a stray clearance was met by Michael Stickland’s savvy interception, who in turn ventured forward before playing in the Shots’ new number nine. Taking one touch to set himself, Dinanga’s eventual left-footed effort found the target, but didn’t possess the power required to open the scoring.
Frimpong, Gilbert and Odusanya would impress in possession as a midfield three, particularly in the 41st minute when superb control and one touch passing from each resulted in Odusanya creating a chance for an advancing Hakeem Sandah. With space in front of him, ‘Haks’ fired from 25-yards, though Walker was there once again to save comfortably.
HALF-TIME
With personnel changed entirely, eyes were perhaps most glued to right-wing-back Elijah Oladunjoye, following the announcement of the defender’s permanent signing 30 minutes prior to kick-off. It would be Oladunjoye who would create the Shots’ first opportunity of the half, launching a trademark long-throw from the halfway line into the path of Tristan Abrahams, whose cute touch on the corner of the penalty area allowed a yard of space on his favoured left-foot, though while on target, his effort failed to find the back of the net.
Tyrese Dyce would be the next defensive player to turn creator, his headed return from a goal kick falling onto the chest of Brody Peart. The young forward controlled brilliantly before firing on the half turn, and while the attempt certainly had the desired power and height, the ball sailed wide of the post.
The Shots’ finest chance of the game would arrive with little under 20 minutes to go. Peart turned provider this time, charging down the right flank before fizzing a teasing low cross into the penalty area and into the path of a late arriving Joe Lewis-Evans, his first time effort saved admirably by Flahaven in the Bedford goal.
Bedford would threaten to snatch victory three minutes from regulation time, as a long ball over the top saw Lewis Franklin beat the offside trap. Still bouncing, and with only Charlie Patmore between him and the goal, Franklin proceeded to lob the ball over Patmore, but fail to find the target, maintaining the Shots’ second clean sheet in as many games.
One final chance would fall the way of the Shots in added time, as Tyrese Dyce found himself in an advanced position to play a wonderful cross into the path of Marcus Wyllie at the backpost. Wyllie, fresh from a scoring start at Badshot Lea on Tuesday, would win the header once more, though, with the ball straying wide of the target, the tie would conclude 0-0.
Shots XIs:
