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MATCH REPORT: DARTFORD FC 3 ALDERSHOT TOWN 0 (PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY)

Aldershot Town fell to their first pre-season defeat against Dartford FC with the Conference South side coming out with the 3-0 victory.

It was a good run out for both sides in the first-half but a late Charlie Sheringham goal giving Dartford a narrow lead.

Despite Aldershot Town’s pressure to find an equaliser, Dartford doubled their lead in the 64th minute through Jack Barham tapping in from close range.

Jack Jebb would round up the scoring for Dartford in the 89th minute with Trialist doing well down the left before cutting the ball back to Jebb for a simple tap-in.

It was end-to-end action at the start of the game but it was Aldershot Town who had the better of the early chances.

Forward Chike Kandi linked up well with Trialist C, who played him through on the left-hand side, before finding time in the box to fire goalwards in the 5th minute.

Despite a fierce effort, it saw a good save forced from Trialist in the Dartford goal but The Shots continued to press and search for the opener early on in the first-half.

Both Alfy Whittingham and then James Rowe continued to add pressure onto the Dartford goal with testing strikes of their own, but again were denied by the Dartford keeper all within the first 10 minutes.

It was all Aldershot Town early on but Dartford started to find their rhythm shortly after this and give The Shots a real scare in the 15th minute.

An initial great save from Mitch Walker saw Kyjuon Marsh-Brown’s effort parried down the right before a cross into the box saw Lee Noble’s header go wide of the Aldershot Town goal from just a few yards out.

Despite this Dartford response, Aldershot Town started to find their rhythm again with a number of free-kicks and corners creating chances, but as the first-half continued the game levelled out as players continued to work towards full fitness and Dartford’s number 7 came off early with an injury.

Whittingham had another half-chance with the ball falling to him 25 yards from goal as a result of one of these corners, but the young midfielder saw his drive go narrowly over the bar as Aldershot Town continued to push in the final stages of the first-half.

Despite these chances, it was Dartford who took the lead just before half-time, with midfielder Lee Noble’s free-kick down the right finding Charlie Sheringham at the front post who nodded home despite the best efforts of the Aldershot Town defence in the 42nd minute.

This is how the first-half ended, with Aldershot Town left to rue their early chances but looking to come out in the second 45 minutes firing on all cylinders.

There was few chances for either side until the 64th minute when Dartford would double their lead through second-half substitute Jack Barham.

The ball is fed through down the right-hand side before being squared for Barham in the six-yard box who simply tucked the ball away for Dartford’s second of the game.

Aldershot Town looked to respond straight after with James Rowe taking aim from 25 yards, but his whipped effort went narrowly wide of the Dartford goal.

As the game went on, Aldershot Town brought on a number of substitutions midway through the second-half looking to make a difference.

But it wasn’t until the 84th minute that Aldershot Town would have the chance to get themselves on the scoresheet, with Craig Tanner’s whipped free-kick down the right going narrowly past the far post.

Despite their first defeat of pre-season, Aldershot Town continued to work towards full fitness ahead of the first National League game away to Hartlepool United on the 3rd October.

We now look to Slough Town away on the 22nd October in our penultimate pre-season game.

Dartford FC XI First-Half: 1 Trialist, 2 Trialist, 5 Trialist, 6 Trialist, 3 Trialist, 4 D Ijaha, 7 Trialist (Fernandes 32′) , 8 L Noble, 11 K Marsh-Brown, 10 C Sheringham, 9 Trialist

Dartford FC XI Second-Half: 1 C King, 2 J Barnum-Bobb, 5 R Fint, 6 T Bonner, 3 Trialist, 4 Trialist (, 7 J Jebb, 8 J Berkeley-Agyepong, 11 N Husin, 10 J Barham, 9 E Romain.

Aldershot Town First-Half XI: 1 M Walker (G/K), 2 G Fowler, 4 J Sendles-White (C), 5 A Finney, 23 Trialist D, 7 J Rowe, 12 A Whittingham, 17 Trialist C, 14 J Nouble, 10 H Panayiotou, 11 C Kandi.

Aldershot Town Second-Half XI: 1 M Walker (G/K), 2 G Fowler (Trialist B 62′), 4 J Sendles-White (C), 5 A Finney, 23 Trialist D (Trialist A 55′), 7 J Rowe (Wylie 68′), 12 A Whittingham (Rees 55′), 17 Trialist C (Lyons-Foster 55′), 14 J Nouble (Tanner 55′), 10 H Panayiotou (Bettamer 55′), 11 C Kandi.