Aldershot Town fell to defeat against Leeds United U21s as their National League Cup journey came to an end. Kai Corbett gave the National League side a first-half lead but three second-half goals from the young Yorkshiremen saw them secure the win.
With a packed week of four games in seven days, eight changes were made to the Shots side that ran out 3-1 winners over Gateshead in the Vanarama National League clash at the EBB Stadium on Saturday.
James Henry made a return to the squad after his recent absences through injury, Keane Anderson and Ollie Bray were put straight into the starting XI following their returns from their loan spells and and Jordi van Stappershoef, Luke Jenkins, Kai Corbett, Maxwell Mullins and Emmanuel Maja were given starts.
Only Tyler Frost, Ryan Jones and Dan Ellison remained in the side as Frost skippered the Shot on his 100th appearance. A change of formation saw Frost and Jones as full-backs in a back four with Anderson and Maja manning a midfield pairing, Corbett and Bray were on the wings and Mullins was up top.
There was early pressure from the Shots who looked to enforce their seniority on their young opponents as Kai Corbett pressed high and caused the Leeds defence problems but a chance was unable to be fashioned as the ball was gathered by Rory Mahady in the visitors’ goal.
Max McFadden had Leeds’ first look at goal in the eighth minute but could only drag his effort wide of the post.
Corbett was continuing to look like the dangerman for the Shots as he found himself out on the left. Bray’s driven cross from the right was dummied cleverly by Henry and fell to Corbett but his touch was almost too good as it trapped behind his run and he couldn’t control it. Five minutes later the same combination linked up once more but Corbett’s shot was tame and straight at Mahady.
At the half-hour mark, Connor Douglas found himself through on the Shots goal but could only force Jordi van Stappershoef into a smart stop.
But just a minute later, Corbett finally got his breakthrough with a mix of good fortune and hard graft. Racing forward on the press and continuing his sprint all the way to Leeds’ ‘keeper, Mahady fired his clearance straight at Corbett whose block bounced straight in.
And he almost had a second in the 35th minute with a superb effort from the corner of the box that bounced off the inside of the post.
HALF-TIME
Leeds’ youngsters came out of the half-time break looking like they had a point to prove with a clear rise in their tempo and desire to attack and almost had an equaliser just four minutes into the second-half. Attacking down the left, a dangerous cross was fired into the Shots box but Ryan Jones was on hand on the line to make a crucial intervention.
They found their equaliser in the 56th minute, though, as captain Rhys Chadwick turned the ball in at the far-post.
Six minutes later, Leeds turned the game around as they took the lead via Ollie Pickles. A superb stop from Jordi van Stappershoef denied the initial shot before a block from Dan Ellison fell to Pickles to volley into the top corner.
Ollie Bray fired an effort just over wide of the post in the 68th minute as the Shots looked to get back into the game but the found themselves further behind in the 71st minute when Chadwick scored his second of the evening and his side’s third.
Van Stappershoef pulled off a fine stop diving down to his left to stop the visitors lead increasing any further in the 75th minute but despite a late free-kick by Kai Corbett fired inches wide of the post, Leeds progressed into the Semi-Final of the National League Cup at the expense of the Shots.
Attendance: 851
Shots lineup: 1. Jordi van Stappershoef, 4. Luke Jenkins, 8. Tyler Frost (C) (40. Zion Nditi, 81′), 9. Kai Corbett, 11. Ryan Jones (30. Joe Lewis-Evans, 82′), 12. Keane Anderson, 14. Ollie Bray (22. Jack Barham, 73′), 24. Maxwell Mullins, 27. James Henry (7. Cameron Hargreaves, 73′), 32. Emmanuel Maja, 35. Dan Ellison.
Subs not used: 28. Marcus Dewhurst, 17. Aaron Jones, 31. Freddie Stanley.
Leeds U21 lineup: 1. Rory Mahady, 2. Freddie Lane (17. Harvey Vincent, 58′), 3. Connor Ferguson, 4. Diogo Monteiro, 5. Reuben Lopata-White, 6. Kris Moore, 7. Josh McDonald (18. Jack Morris, 90+3′), 8. Max McFadden, 9. Connor Douglas, 10. Rhys Chadwick (C), 11. Ollie Pickles (14. Brooklyn Nfonkeu, 81′).
Subs not used: 12. Darryl Ombang, 15. Josh Hamilton, 16. Will Firth.
