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MATCH REPORT: Notts County 3 Aldershot Town 2 (A)

Aldershot Town fell to a 3-2 away defeat against Notts County after a brace from Corie Andrews was cancelled out by a goal apiece for Kyle Wootton, Kyle Cameron and Cal Roberts at Meadow Lane on Saturday.

Aldershot Town Manager Danny Searle, named just one change from the side that narrowly lost at home to Yeovil Town with Alfy Whittingham replacing Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right-hand side.

Latest addition Wassim Aouachria was also introduced to his first match-day squad with Aldershot Town as he took his place amongst The Shots substitutes.

The Shots started strong and looked to bounce back from a tough start to the 2021/22 Vanarama National League season with a number of half-chances created early on, with the likes of Lewis Kinsella and Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong creating space for efforts that unfortunately saw the Notts County defenders clear the danger away within the first 15 minutes.

However, Notts County looked cause problems on the counter-attack and despite early Aldershot Town pressure, the Magpies saw the ball find the back of The Shots net in the 26th minute through Dion Kelly-Evans’ close-range effort.

But fortunately for Aldershot Town, referee Robert Massey-Ellis called play back for a foul on Shots’ keeper Mitch Walker who looked to have two hands on the ball as Kelly-Evans snuck in, which resulted in the goal being chalked off and Aldershot Town given a free-kick instead.

The Shots responded to this by continuing to press Notts County high up the pitch and look for the game’s opening goal with a number of corners and crosses into the box narrowly missing their desired targets.

It would alternatively be the home side who take the lead through top scorer Kyle Wootton in the 39th minute with a well-taken finish.

This goal came after Aldershot Town had almost opened the scoring directly down the other end with Andrews being called offside after looking to take the ball round Slocombe for an easy finish.

However, it wouldn’t take long before Aldershot Town got their deserved equaliser with Andrews scoring just before half-time to level the scores.

After initial brilliant individual work from captain Lewis Kinsella, Andrews was on hand to show great composure to create space for himself and find the far right corner of the Notts County goal, which in turn saw the scores level at the half-time break.

Aldershot Town looked to come out and capitalise on finding that equaliser and it was to be early joy for The Shots with Andrews scoring his second of the game in the 51st minute.

In a 50-50 with Notts County captain Kyle Cameron, the Aldershot Town forward came out on top as he latched onto the loose ball before finding the far right corner again to give Aldershot Town the lead for the first time in the game.

But the Magpies responded well and found themselves on level terms just two minutes later with Cameron rising highest at the back post to score from a Notts County corner.

Aldershot Town initially responded well to being brought back to level terms, with a number of corners and half-chances created but despite this it would be Notts County who got themselves back in front with Cal Roberts cutting inside and finding the far left corner in the 65th minute.

The Shots responded again with an ideal chance to equalise as Kinsella’s low cross evaded Andrews, before falling to the recently-substituted Aouachria who saw his close-range effort parried by Slocombe, as it fell kindly to Berkeley-Agyepong as his effort inside the area went the bar in the 72nd minute.

There was still time for a last chance to equalise for Aldershot Town in the 90th minute with another recent substitute Elis Watts creating room to pass through to Aouachria who in turn, crossed the ball across for Lokko looking to equalise late on, but it wasn’t to be with the cross narrowly in front of the central-defender.

Despite a positive performance to find themselves ahead after falling behind, Aldershot Town will look ahead to their next game in the Vanarama National League against Solihull Moors next week at home at The EBB Stadium.

 

Notts County XI: 1 S Slocombe (G/K), 2 R Brindley (Mitchell 45′), 3 J Taylor, 4 K Cameron (C), 6 J O’Brien (Francis 83′), 9 K Wootton, 10 C Roberts, 16 D Kelly-Evans, 18 M Palmer, 20 R Rodrigues, 24 A Lacey (Rawlinson 75′)

Unused Subs: Chicksen, Sam

Aldershot Town XI: 1 M Walker (G/K), 3 L Kinsella (C), 5 K Lokko, 6 K Lyons-Foster, 7 A Whittingham, 8 T Edser, 10 J Berkeley-Agyepong (Watts 85′), 11 C Andrews (Willard 78′), 17 I Akanbi (Aouachria 68′), 22 G Phillips, 23 J Harris

Unused Subs: Hall (G/K), Oxlade-Chamberlain