The Shots were knocked out of the FA Cup after a 2-0 defeat in Chelmsford.
Aldershot tried to start as brightly as they did last week at Scunthorpe as an early chance again fell to Ody Alfa. This time, however, the winger was unable to give The Shots an early lead as his shot was deflected behind for a corner.
From the resulting corner, there were huge appeals for handball from the travelling Shots fans and the players as Archie Davies’ delivery bounced up awkwardly to a Chelmsford defender but the officials saw nothing illegal and let play continue.
The hosts looked dangerous on the counter-attack with a pacy front-line and gave Luca Ashby-Hammond his first test in the 18th minute. Charlie Ruff launched a curling effort towards goal but Ashby-Hammond stretched well to deny him.
A nice feint from Corey Jordan opened up an invitation to attack and it was the centre-half who almost finished the move but as Ollie Harfield’s looping cross dropped to his feet, his rushed shot was scuffed and easy for Ovie Ejeheri to gather.
Chelmsford broke the deadlock in the 26th minute through Charlie Ruff. Simeon Jackson’s cross found the midfielder unmarked at the back-post and his header was too powerful for Ashby-Hammond.
The Shots best chance of the first-half fell to Ody Alfa. As half-time approached, Justin Amaluzor and the QPR loanee linked up well and forced Ejeheri to get down well to deny Alfa.
HALF-TIME
The Shots almost immediately found a route back into the game as the second-half kicked off. Alfa received the ball from kick-off and raced down the right wing; his cross was met by Ryan Glover but his header was well saved by Ejeheri.
Chelmsford doubled their lead just after the hour mark. Some neat link-up play between Chelmsford’s frontline saw Henry Ochieng played in by a Harry Lodovica backheel and Ochieng cooly placed the ball past Ashby-Hammond.
The Shots had some good link-up play of their own up the other end not long later. Justin Amaluzor and Ryan Glover exchanged some quick passes but as Glover was released in front of goal, he lost his footing and was unable to finish a neat move.
Inih Effiong battled hard all game and almost got his reward late on. Making a powerful run down the lft-wing, his cross-cum-shot was parried through the legs of the pouncing Harry Panayiotou.
Tyler Cordner spent the remaining minutes bolstering the attack and came very close with two headers. His first narrowly cleared the crossbar from an Archie Davies free-kick and his second forced a brilliant save out from Ejeheri.
But Aldershot’s late efforts were to no avail as defeat sent them out of the FA Cup.
Shots lineup: 1. Luca Ashby-Hammond, 2. Archie Davies, 3. Ollie Harfield, 5. Tyler Cordner, 7. Justin Amaluzor, 8. Frank Vincent, 9. Inih Effiong (c), 12. Kenny Davis (27. Tommy Willard 63′), 16. Corey Jordan, 18. Ody Alfa (11. Harry Panayiotou 72′), 23. Ryan Glover. Subs not used: 32. Toby Fisher, 11. Harry Panayiotou, 17. Faysal Bettache, 22. Giles Phillips, 24. Maxwell Mullins, 31. Ben De Lacy-Turner.
