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MATCH REPORT: Eastleigh 3-3 Shots

Aldershot came back from 3-1 down to secure a vital point at Eastleigh thanks to goals from Jack Barham, Corey Jordan and Tahvon Campbell.

The Shots made one change from their Good Friday draw with Yeovil Town as Justin Amaluzor came into the side to replace Josh McQuoid.

The first chance of the game fell to Eastleigh in the sixth minute when a swift attacking move fell to the feet of Gerry McDonagh but his shot was tame and straight into the grateful grasp of Luca Ashby-Hammond.

However, the hosts finishing was a lot better five minutes later as they found the opener through Charlie Carter. A neat move from the Spitfires ended with Danny Whitehall neatly playing the ball to Carter when he looked set to shoot himself, leaving the Eastleigh number seven with a simple close-range finish.

The Shots weren’t short of applying the pressure themselves. A couple of ventures forward appeared threatening but fizzled out with Aldershot unable to get a look at the Eastleigh goal.

Ollie Harfield came closest when, after being found by a fantastic cross-field switch by Corey Jordan, his back-post cross had to be headed clear off the line.

But the hosts found a second with the game not even 20 minutes in. Danny Whitehall got another assist when his wide free-kick was headed home at the back-post by Ousseynou Cisse.

Aldershot weren’t down and out, however, and got one goal back just a few moments later as Jack Barham scored his first Shots goal. Joe Partington fantastically won the ball back in the middle of the pitch and set Barham driving forward and his strike from 25 yards out hit the post and went in.

The Shots were enjoying some momentum after their goal and Ollie Harfield, chasing a ‘lost cause’ was able to deliver a cross to Tahvon Campbell’s feet. Campbell turner his marker and fired a shot at goal from close-range but Joe McDonnell was equal to it in the Spitfires goal.

However, the momentum died out and there was a lull in play until just before half-time when Eastleigh were able to score a third. A free-kick from their left-wing was knocked back and eventually found its way to McDonagh’s feet as he was able to shoot under a couple of Shots defenders on the line.

HALF-TIME

Aldershot got exactly what they needed when they got another goal back in the 51st minute through Corey Jordan. Quick thinking from Harfield Joe Partington saw the former receive the ball from a quick throw, Justin Amaluzor saw his shot blocked but it fell to Jordan who finished more like a striker than a centre-half on the turn.

Jordan’s centre-back partner Tyler Cordner is more known for finding the back of the net and came close with a long-range effort that had to be tipped wide by McDonnell as The Shots looked for an equaliser.

The hosts should have had a fourth through Alfie Lloyd when a poor clearance from Ashby-Hammond fell straight to his feet. With the Shot’s ‘keeper stranded, he had an open goal in front of him but missed the target.

Ryan Glover was lively down the right-wing and came close to finding Aldershot’s equaliser just after the hour. Amaluzor slipped in the wing-back but from a tight-angle, he could only power his shot over the bar.

As with the first-half, the second-half went quiet for the last 20 minutes, until Aldershot found a last-minute equaliser. George Langston tripped over his own feet and Barham pounced, driving forward and dinking a cross into Tahvon Campbell who headed home to complete an outstanding comeback.

Shots lineup: 1. Luca Ashby-Hammond, 3. Ollie Harfield (10. Josh McQuoid 86′), 4. Joe Partington (c) (2. Myles Kenlock 63’), 5. Tyler Cordner, 7. Justin Amaluzor, 9. Tahvon Campbell, 16. Corey Jordan, 18. Henry Ochieng, 22. Haji Mnoga, 23. Ryan Glover, 30. Jack Barham. Subs not used: 2. Myles Kenlock, 10. Josh McQuoid, 15. Jai Rowe, 17. Jake Hutchinson, 20. Michael Klass.