Aldershot Town suffered a third successive 3-2 league loss on Wednesday evening, as Eastleigh ran out winners in an eventful and hotly contested all-Hampshire clash. Aaron Blair opened the scoring before two identical set-piece goals saw the Spitfires three up shortly after the start of the second-half. The Shots fought back well, however, earning two penalties, each put away confidently by Ryan Hill. Despite the visitors finishing with ten-men thanks to a late Paul McCallum red card, it would be another narrow defeat for the hosts.
Tommy Widdrington made just one change to the side that lost narrowly to Boston United the previous weekend, with Keane Anderson coming into the midfield for the suspended Theo Widdrington.
The game started incredibly positively for the Shots, particularly Josh Barrett, who made it abundantly clear how up for it he was within the opening ten minutes. First, a pinpoint right-footed cross from out left found the head of Hady Ghandour on the penalty area. The forward looked to have connected extremely well with the header, though a slight deflection from his marker saw the ball deflected just wide for a corner.
It was at this point that the East Bank almost saw first-hand what would have perhaps been the EBB Stadium’s greatest ever goal. Some good aerial work towards the middle of the park from Cameron Hargeaves allowed the ball to fall to Barrett, who on the turn, proceeded to chest and volley from fully 30-yards. Time seemed to stand still as the ball looped goalwards, and with the keeper beaten, crashed against the left-hand post. Ryan Hill received the ball on the follow-up, though his cross failed to beat the first man.
Determined to get his first goal of the season, moments later Barrett received the ball out left, dribbled past two Eastleigh defenders and playe a one-two with Hady Ghandour, whose unorthodox off-balance flick returned the ball to Shots’ number 10. Barrett opened his body well, but curled his shot just wide of the right post, compiling his frustration.
Eastleigh would forge their first opportunity of the match with a long ball finding Aaron Blair in over the top. With much of the ground waiting for the offside whistle, the Spitfires’ new signing drove into the box though failed to get a decent shot away, with Will Nightingale running in to clear.
Becoming something of a trademark, defender James Clarridge made yet another run forward into space before firing a low shot from 25 yards. The strike was on target though saved well by Nick Townsend. palming only as far as the penalty spot, it looked as though a red shirt might get there first but the ball was eventually cleared by Luis Fernandez.
Jed Meerholz turned provider just before the half hour, playing Ghandour beautifully down the left from deep. The no. 23 drove into the box before squaring to fellow forward Barrett, who mistimes his first-time strike, letting the ball roll past his studs.
Then came the Eastleigh pressure as Angel Waruih found room down the middle. After taking several touches he finally decided to let rip on the edge of the area, his right-footed shot going wide of Dewhurst’s right-hand post
The visitors would then break the deadlock somewhat against the run of play, a ball over the top found Aaron Blair in behind, who does well exceptionally well to evade a jockeying Will Nightingale, and despite being kept onto his weaker foot, succeeds in poking the ball through Dewhurst and in for 1-0.
There were strong shouts of handball from behind the goal as Dejan Tetek’s cross found the head of Maxwell Mullins, whose header ricochets off a player in blue, the referee unphased by the pleas
Blair would cause more problems just before the break, as his astute dribbling infiltrated the Shots box from left. The forward played in to Josh Lundstram 8 yards out, though with his back to goal couldn’t finish on the turn.
HALF-TIME
Eastleigh would start the second-half the stronger. A free-kick out by the right-hand corner flag taken by Archie Harris sailed into a congested penalty area, though found the head of Aaron Pierre no more than 8-yards out, who finished with aplomb, doubling the Spitfires’ lead.
The Shots feared they had fell three behind just a minute later, who found himself through on goal to coolly finish into the bottom right, however, the linesman’s flag would come to the rescue. However, this fear would eventually become a reality, as a near-carbon copy of the second unfolded in front of the eyes of the away supporters, with Harris’ free-kick this time finding Temi Eweka at the back-post for 3-0.
A breathless opening ten of the second-half did not relent, though this time the pendulum would swing in the favour of the hosts. Cameron Hargreaves received the ball on his chest from a cross out left, and looking to go past his marker in the area, was brought down, penalty Shots. With regular taker Tyler Frost out injured, all eyes were on who would step up, in the end it was his fellow fullback, Ryan Hill who would take the responsibility, finding the side-netting and restoring belief into the home crowd.
Substitute Kwame Thomas made his physical presence known immediately, winning a towering header 20-yards out which found the chest of Josh Barrett. Just as he did in the first, last year’s top scorer brought the ball down before striking a sweetly struck volley, which unfortunately didn’t have the direction to test Townsend.
Attempting to claim his hattrick of assists, neat footwork from Archie Harris allowed the midfielder to penetrate the Aldershot area from left before squaring to Paul McCallum for certain goal. Through bated breath, Jed Meerholz would come to the rescue, clearing the effort off the line.
Needing a goal soon to renew Eastleigh nerves, the Shots would be awarded another penalty 20 minutes from time, substitute Archie Taylor showing great feet inside the very corner of the area before being taken out by his man. Hill, who would go on to win the evening’s man of the match award, stepped up once more, confidently rolling the ball into the bottom-left, the same side he had hit the first.
Tristan Abrahams had a certain percentage of the home crowd celebrating, after his powerful left-footed strike on the edge of the box looked to have nested into the bottom-left. Sadly, only finding the opposite side-netting.
A former Aldershot player, Paul McCallum would find himself in trouble just before the end of regular time, as a sliding lunge inside the box saw his back studs fly into the oncoming Marcus Dewhurst. Adjudged to have been out of control, the striker was shown a red card.
A barrage of home pressure followed amid a bumper portion of additional time. However, the visitors would hold out, leaving with all three points.
Shots lineup: 1. Marcus Dewhurst, 7. Cameron Hargreaves (C), 10. Josh Barrett (30. Tristan Abrahams 76′), 12. Keane Anderson (9. Kwame Thomas 55′), 14. Jed Meerholz (18. Kiban Rai 90+4′), 19. Ryan Hill, 23. Hady Ghandour, 24. Maxwell Mullins (28. Archy Taylor 55′), 25. Will Nightingale, 32. James Clarridge, 34. Dejan Tetek
Subs not used: 16. Pat Nash, 26. Joe Lewis Evans, 38. Noah Watson.
Eastleigh Lineup: 1. Nick Townsend, 2. Richard Brindley, 5. Luis Fernandez, 6. Temi Eweka, 9. Paul McCallum (C), 11. Aaron Blair (14. Zavier Massiah-Edwards 69′), 16. Aaron Pierre, 17. Josh Lundstram, 18. Angel Waruih (7. Kieron Evans 87′), 24. Jordan Cousins, 27. Archie Harris
Subs not used: 22. Josh McNamara, 21. Sonnie Davis, 23. Louie Holzman, 30. Connor Underhill, 34. Freddie Ingram
