Aldershot Town were knocked out of the FA Trophy by Torquay United when they succumbed to a 5-1 defeat at Plainmoor on Saturday.
A goal from Saikou Janneh and a penalty from Jamie Reid gave the home team a 2-0 lead going into the break.
Despite starting the second half much better, The Shots conceded brace-completing goals from both Janneh and Reid along with a goal from substitute Ruairi Keating meaning Mo Bettamer’s consolation was exactly that.
Danny Searle gave an Aldershot Town debut to Craig Tanner, one of four changes made to the team that lost narrowly to Barrow last weekend. Alefe Santos, Kodi Lyons-Foster and Mo Bettamer also came back into the side.
The home started strongest. Ben Wynter went close 6 minutes in when his drive in from the right resulted in his deflected effort going just wide of the left post.
They then took the lead just a minute later through Janneh. The forward broke free, narrowly evading an offside call, before cutting back inside, side-stepping Mitch Walker and finding the back of the net.
Janneh had great a chance to double his tally 16 minutes into the game when Reid played him through on goal, but Walker was there to deny him with a vital stop.
Torquay then won a penalty in the 24th minute after Wynter was tripped when cutting inside Lewis Kinsella in the area. Top goalscorer Reid stepped up and converted into the bottom left corner, sending Walker the wrong way in the process.
The ball somehow broke for Ben Whitfield in the 32nd minute after a few ricochet’s but Walker was again there to stop the effort by blocking with his feet.
Seconds later, Mo Bettamer hounded Jean-Yves Koue Niate to create an opportunity for himself, but he was able to finishing as he skewed his effort just wide of the right post.
The first goalscorer had another chance to grab his second when the ball was crossed into him seven yards out but the diversion with the chest wasn’t enough to trouble Walker, who gathered it comfortably.
The Shots started the second half at a greater pace. Alefe Stantos thought his shot had deflected in just two minutes into the second period, but MacDonald was able grab the ball and and prevent it from crossing the line.
Yet again, 55 minutes in, Janneh was denied by Walker when he created an opportunity for hikmself on a counter attack. The resulting corner lead to the ball striking an Aldershot post, but the ball was eventually cleared.
A few minutes later, Bettamer was played through into a good position but MacDonald dealt with the situation forcefully and fairly when he cleared the ball and the striker.
However, it was on the hour, where Bettamer finally got his goal. The forward found some space 20 yards out and his deflected left-footed shot deceived MacDonald to find the back of the net.
Lewis Walker almost squeezed one into the bottom left corner a couple of minutes later when he was found in the box by Tanner, but the Torquay goalkeeper just got a fingertip on it to force it round the post.
Unfortunately, the building Shots pressure was undone when Reid grabbed his second of the afternoon. A driving run from debutant Aaron Nemane lead to the ball falling to the in-form striker on the edge of the area. He coolly dispatched into the bottom right corner.
Keating was subbed onto the pitch in the 71st minute and scored in the 73rd to extend the home side’s lead. The ball found the substitute and he slid it under Walker to make it an extremely difficult task for The Shots to stay in the competition.
Aaron Eyoma almost saw his deflected cross find the net when MacDonald tipped the ball over the bar.
The second goal for Janneh did eventually come, through a mistake from Walker in goal. The keeper, who had been brilliant all afternoon, giving his team a chance in the match, was caught on the ball by Janneh who managed to tuck the ball away underneath the recovering Walker.
Lewis Kinsella had a chance in the last five minutes to get another consolation on a counter-attack, but the deflection on his shot was not as kind as it had been earlier when it diverted straight into MacDonald’s hands.
Torquay United XI: 1 S. MacDonald, 2 B. Wynter, 4 K. Cameron (C), 5. J. Koue Niate, 6 J. Lewis, 15 M. Buse, 19 J. Reid (Bansal-McNulty 79′), 26 S. Janneh, 27 L. James, 30 A. Nemane (Keating 71′), 34 B. Whitfield (Koszela 83′)
Unused Subs: Lumbombo-Kalala, Cundy, Covolan
Aldershot Town XI: 1 M. Walker, 2 R. Tinkler, 3 L. Kinsella, 4 D. Rance (C), 5 M. Anderson, 6 K. Lyons-Foster 7 A. Santos (Eyoma 69′), 12 A. Whittingham (Mullings 80′), 19 M. Bettamer, 26 C. Tanner, 34 J. Powell (L. Walker 46′)
Unused Subs: Rowe, Hall, Finney
