Aldershot Town exited the Emirates FA Cup at the Fourth Qualifying Round stage with a 2-1 defeat to Bowers & Pitsea FC.
A penalty from Lewis Manor on the stroke of half-time was cancelled out by a George Fowler deflected effort which ricocheted off Corie Andrews in the 72nd minute, before Bowers’ substitute Quentin Monville looped home the winner on the 80th minute.
The Shots made two changes from their Vanarama National League fixture against Stockport County last Saturday, with forwards Mo Bettamer and Mikael Ndjoli coming in for Wassim Aouachria and Tommy Willard, both of whom took their places on the Shots bench.
It was a first-half that Aldershot Town controlled the play for the most part, with numerous early free-kicks and crosses coming into the box, with the returning Bettamer with the best of the chances but could only see his flick blocked and cleared by Bowers & Pitsea in the 10th minute.
Another opportunity fell the way of The Shots just six minutes later with Ndjoli crossing for Corie Andrews, but it was again Bowers & Pitsea defenders who were on hand to block the goal-bound effort.
A third chance fell for Aldershot Town on the 22nd minute after a series of crosses and corners, with the ball falling to Kodi Lyons-Foster inside the penalty area, but his volleyed effort was gathered by Mitchell Beeney for Bowers & Pitsea.
The best opportunity however for The Shots to open the scoring was in the 28th minute, after a brilliant ball over-the-top from Toby Edser picked out the onrushing Alfy Whittingham inside the Bower’s penalty area, before seeing his looping header bounce back agonisingly off the crossbar before the home side cleared the danger away.
Despite this relentless pressure, it would be the home side that would take the lead just before half-time as forward Lewis Manor was given the chance from the penalty spot, after Whittingham’s foul on Michael Ademiluyi inside the Aldershot Town penalty area.
It would be Manor who stepped up to the plate and found the far right corner with a well-taken spot-kick opening the scoring in the game, with Aldershot Town left to rue their missed opportunities and hope for a response in the second-half.
Aldershot Town looked to come out and find an equaliser in the second-half following a disappointing end to the first-half and had their first chance just a minute in, with Edser shooting on the volley but his effort was over the bar.
The game didn’t see anymore clear chances until the 68th minute, with the substituted Scott Wagstaff’s cross pulled back across from Lewis Kinsella but Bettamer was just behind it and unable to connect with the cross.
However, The Shots did find the equaliser just four minutes later, after a dangerous corner allowed a series of efforts to come in, before another substitute George Fowler struck a deflected effort that after relentless pressure, found the back of the Bowers & Pitsea net.
There was still time for one last twist as it was the home side’s substitute Quentin Monville who latched on to a ball over the top, before looping it over an onrushing Mitch Walker to regain the home side’s lead in the 80th minute.
This gave Aldershot Town 10 minutes plus added time to find an equaliser, but the home side saw it through to progress to the First Round of the Emirates FA Cup.
The Shots’ attention now turns to the Vanarama National League and a home fixture against Bromley FC back at The EBB Stadium.
Bowers & Pitsea FC: 1 M Beeney (G/K), 2 A Bentley, 3 T Stephen, 5 M Cornhill (Sartain 90′), 11 L Manor, 14 J Thomas, 15 D Norton, 16 J Dicks, 17 D Trendall (Monville 72′), 18 M Ademiluyi, 20 J White (C)
Unused Subs: Guest (G/K), Osifuwa, Sach, Braney, Albon
Aldershot Town: 1 M Walker (G/K), 3 L Kinsella (C), 6 K Lyons-Foster, 7 A Whittingham (Wagstaff 55′), 8 T Edser, 9 M Bettamer, 11 C Andrews, 12 C Oxlade-Chamberlain, 20 M Ndjoli (Aouachria 84′), 22 G Phillips (Fowler 67′), 24 J Vennings
Unused Subs: Coulter (G/K), Akanbi, Harris, Willard
