Aldershot progressed in the Servio Men’s Senior Cup with a comprehensive victory over Newport IoW as Haydon Vaughan scored a hat-trick, Maxwell Mullins scored twice and Aaron Jones and Mark Holley added the other two.
Aldershot started with a strong side that featured nine first-team Shots with Billy Walsh and Harry Thorpe form the Shots Academy completing the lineup.
The Shots enjoyed a few early chances through Kai Corbett as he headed over from a corner at close-range and shot narrowly wide despite the Assistant Referee’s flag being raised to deem him offside.
An early lead was taken through Haydon Vaughan who scored with a brilliant finish from outside the box, finding the top corner via the inside of the post.
A physical battle, Rollin Menayese was forced to change shirts having drawn blood and Kai Corbett was forced off after just 21 minutes having been clattered.
Maxi Mulllins was put up front as Academy youngster Freddie Stanley came on for Corbett and Mullins forced Newport ‘keeper Leon Pitman into a good save with his feet not long later.
Shots Captain Aaron Jones doubled his side’s lead in the 37th minute as he raced into the Newport box down the right and found the bottom corner with a smart finish.
Haydon Vaughan was unlucky not to have a second goal just before half-time as another effort from outside the box looked destined for the top corner but was very well saved by Pitman.
HALF-TIME
Aldershot scored a third just two minutes into the second-half and Haydon Vaughan had his second. Harry Thorpe played a clever ball down the right to free Aaron Jones and his cut back was fired in from the around the penalty spot with a composed finish from Vaughan.
Ten minutes later, Vaughan got his hat-trick as he turned his man in the box and found himself enough space to fire a low-effort past Pitman and secure himself the match ball.
And just a minute or so after that, the Shots had a fifth as Maxwell Mullins pounced on a parry from Pitman to get an easy finish.
Whilst Maxwell Mullins is mainly used as a defender by the Shots, he’s also been utilised further up the pitch off the bench and was taking advantage of his time leading the line as he scored a second in the 72nd minute.
To Newport’s credit, the gap between the two sides was great and evident throughout the game, but they kept at it and got a goal for their troubles in the 74th minute as substitute Henry West headed home from a corner.
And with five Shots Academy players on the pitch to end the game, and with Harry Thorpe having come off, Mark Holley crowned an encouraging night for our youngsters as he scored Aldershot’s seventh and final goal just before the final whistle.
Attendance: 206 (No Away attendance confirmed).
Shots lineup: 1. Jordi van Stappershoef, 3. Billy Walsh, 6. George Milner-Smith (14. Morgan Elliott, 83′), 7. Harry Thorpe (8. Mark Holley, 72′), 9. Kai Corbett (4. Freddie Stanley, 21′), 10. Dejan Tetek, 11. Ryan Jones, 17. Aaron Jones (C) (2. Joe Lewis-Evans, 69′), 20. Haydon Vaughan, 24. Maxwell Mullins, 25. Rollin Menayese.
Subs not used: 13. Alex Walder.
Newport IoW lineup: 1. Leon Pitman, 2. Kellan Walsh (18. Henry West, 57′) 3. Joe Butcher, 4. Brad Young (15. Matt Oakley, 46′), 5. Macauley Waterson, 6. George Holbrook, 7. Jai Nash, 8. Joe Craig (16. Tom Grandvoinet, 78′), 9. Jordan Browne (C), 10. Josh Young (12. Sonny Myrom, 57′) 11. Kai Grace (14. Antony Kettle, 78’).
