The Shots fell to a 4-0 defeat at York Road against Maidenhead United as red cards to Dylan Kadji and Christian Maghoma saw Aldershot finish the game with nine men.
Maidenhead took an early lead from their first sight at the Shots goal in just the third minute. Sam Barratt whipped in a free-kick from wide down the right wing and Remy Clerima made the telling connection in a crowded penalty area.
And just six minutes into the game, Maidenhead had doubled their lead as centre-back Remy Clerima scored an unlikely brace as he capitalised on another set-piece delivery, bundling in a corner.
The home side’s early goals gave them the comfort barrier they needed to begin killing the game at any given opportunity and as we neared the half-hour mark, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say we’d barely played 10 minutes of football.
It took a while for Aldershot to begin to apply pressure to the Magpies but in the 24th minutes, Tyler Frost intercepted well, Hady Ghandour turned and set Olly Scott in down the left but the wing-back’s shot and then cross were both blocked.
Maidenhead were evidently most dangerous from set pieces and having already converted from two, were only denied a third via Kevin Lokko’s head as Jordi van Stappershoef pulled off a good save.
The Shots best chance to get back into the game so far came in the 34th minute when Ghandour charged down a clearance and laid it off to James Daly but as the striker curled a low effort towards goal, Zico Asare had positioned himself well to clear off the line.
Olly Scott and Tyler Frost were delivering enticing crosses from either wing but to no avail and Scott made a crucial intervention with a sliding block on Tristan Abrahams, but the first-half came to a close with Maidenhead’s early double putting them in the driving seat.
HALF-TIME
The Shots had a difficult challenge to get back into the game and in the 54th minute, Hady Ghandour saw an effort blocked behind for a corner after Ryan Glover had picked out Josh Stokes with a pinpoint long ball forward and Stokes did well to hold it up and slot Ghandour in to the right side of the area.
But, in truth, that was the Shots best chance to get back into the game. Despite a number of decent spells of possession leading to half-chances, they found it difficult to break through the final line of defence.
Things got worse for Aldershot in the 71st minute when Dylanm Kadji was adjudged to have brought down Ashley Nathaniel-George, as the winger broke into the box down the left-wing byline, and after picking up a yellow card earlier in the game, was shown his second yellow and given his marching orders.
Charlee Adams converted the penalty down to van Stappershoef’s right and despite the Shots ‘keeper getting a hand to it, the penalty was too powerful and gave Maidenhead a third.
A fantastic moment took place in the 75th minute as Christian Maghoma made his way onto the pitch after missing the whole season recovering from a ruptured achilles, but his comeback was incredibly short-lived.
The centre-back was adjudged to have tripped a Maidenhead attacker right in the corner of the box and after the referee pointed to the spot, he sensationally pulled out a red card to reduce the Shots to nine men and end Maghoma’s comeback after just three minutes. The rec card could not have been for the foul committed and must have been for something said but no aggression was visible.
Charlee Adams was agin the man to step up and again converted his spot-kick which this time he dinked down the middle to beat van Stappershoef’s dive to the right as Maidenhead increased their lead to four goals to nil with 15 minutes still to play against nine men.
The remaining Shots failed to give up and showed fantastic commitment as Kwame Thomas slotted into centre-back, but understandably were unable to effect a game that Maidenhead were happy to see end.
Shots lineup: 1. Jordi van Stappershoef, 3. Ollie Harfield, 4. Cian Harries, 7. Stuart O’Keefe (C), 8. Tyler Frost (39. Kwame Thomas 68′), 10. Josh Stokes, 11. Ryan Glover, 18. Olly Scott (9. Lorent Tolaj 60′), 23. Hady Ghandour (19. Christian Maghoma 75’), 26. James Daly, 28. Dylan Kadji.
Subs not used: 6. Theo Widdrington, 20. Josh Barrett.
