Aldershot Town signed off their Vanarama National League season in style on Monday afternoon, coming out 2-1 winners against Yeovil Town on the final matchday of the domestic campaign. Goals from Jack Barham and Tyler Frost either side of the half was enough to claim all three points at the EBB Stadium, taking winning form into Sunday’s FA Trophy final.
Despite relatively low stakes, Tommy Widdrington’s final starting lineup of the league season was a strong one, making just one change from last week’s defeat at Barnet, Cameron Hargeaves coming in for Dejan Tetek. After a carefully observed minutes silence, the match kicked off under temperamental weather conditions.
It didn’t take long for the Shots to forge a strong chance, as James Henry’s defense-splitting first time pass found Tyler Frost in behind the Glovers’ back-line. The wing-back charged into the penalty area with Jack Barham in support, though his eventual squared ball didn’t have enough on it, allowing Jacob Wannell to make a crucial interception at the back, his sliding clearance propping the ball up safely into the hands of the visiting keeper, Aidan Stone.
The Yeovil attack would first make themselves known towards the quarter-hour mark, as nifty work on the right wing from Lewys Twamley allowed the winger cut inside before playing a one-two with Sonny Lo-Everton that opened up a shooting opportunity 18-yards from goal. Twamley opened his body well, though his side-footed effort sailed just wide of the left-hand post.
The Somerset-side would build upon this, forging two more superb chances in quick succession, both courtesy of forward Ciaran McGuckin. The first, the result of a further one-two inside the penalty area, shanked agonisingly wide from close-range, before just moments after a searching long-pass saw McGuckin get a toe past an onrushing Marcus Dewhurst. Despite the vacant goal, the tight angle proved unworkable, with the eventual strike hitting to side-netting.
The Shots were almost gifted an opening goal after a combination of defensive uncertainty and tenacious pressing saw Jacob Wannell’s clearance deflect off the boot of Jack Barham on the edge of the area. With Stone out of position, the ball looked to be trickling into the bottom-right corner. However, the keeper got a fingertip to it in the nick of time, pushing away for a corner and saving the Glovers’ blushes. From the resulting corner, a towering header from Luca Woodhouse sailed just wide.
There was a significant pause in play as Cameron Hargreaves required treatment after a sinister challenge in the middle of the park. The midfielder, visibly displeased at his inability to continue, he was replaced by Dejan Tetek on the half-hour mark.
It would be the first-half substitute who would eventually pick the lock, the Serb’s long-ball from deep inside his own half allowed Jack Barham to receive the ball on the half-turn just in front of the half-way line. Carrying the ball fully 35-yards, all the while holding off his marker, the forward finally pulled the trigger on the edge of the box, and despite Aidan Stone getting a hand to it, the ball sailed into the top-right corner. 1-0 Shots.
HALF-TIME
Shots would start the second period just as dominantly as they ended the first. Leaving two white shirts in his wake, Dejan Tetek’s driving run through the middle created an opening for the hosts. With support rushing in from all angles, the substitute slotted an ambitious through-pass to Barham in the box, which was cut out by Alex Whittle, though the interception saw the ball slide into the path of the late-arriving Tyler Frost, who calmly poked the ball home to double the lead. 2-0 Shots.
The Glovers would find their way onto the scoresheet, as a Sonny Lo-Everton cross looped over Marcus Dewhurst an towards the back post, with Dominic Bernard and Tyler Frost contesting for a header, the ball found its way into an empty net. While Bernard was initially accredited with the goal, body language would suggest that Frost had now scored for each side in quick succession.
Josh Barrett almost made a late addition to his stunning catalogue of league goals. After neat work from Aaron Jones twisted and turned the members of Yeovil’s left flank, the skipper squared the ball to Barrett, who took one touch before floating a chipped effort goalward from fully 30-yards. Seemingly taking an age to drop down, with Stone beaten, the ball fell mere centimeters wide of the post.
Fresh off the bench, A burst of pace from Yeovil’s Kyrell Wilson allowed him to break down the right wing and into the penalty area. With men waiting square, the winger lifted a boot to pick his spot, though was foiled by a magnificent recovery challenge from Tyler Frost.
The remainder of the match bore few chances, and with all in red and blue with one eye on Sunday’s final, the Shots calmly consolidated a lead that saw them leapfrog their opponents for a final league placement of 16th.
Attendance: 3089 (575 Away)
Shots lineup: 28. Marcus Dewhurst, 6. Theo Widdrington (14. Ollie Bray 86′), 7. Cameron Hargreaves (34. Dejan Tetek 36′), 8. Tyler Frost, 10. Josh Barrett (9. Kai Corbett 78′), 17. Aaron Jones (C), 22. Jack Barham (24. Maxwell Mullins 69′), 27. James Henry (39. Kwame Thomas 67′), 33. Luca Woodhouse, 35. Dan Ellison, 36. Will Armitage.
Subs not used: 1. Jordi van Stappershoef, 14. Ollie Bray, 23. Hady Ghandour.
Yeovil lineup: 1. Aidan Stone, 3. Alex Whittle, 4. Morgan Williams, 6. Jacob Wannell, 7. Lewys Twamley (5. Finn Cousin-Dawson 61′), 8. Harry Kite (9. Aaron Jarvis 61′), 16. Sonny Lo-Everton, 24. Charlie Cooper, 33. Dominic Bernard (23. Michael Smith 80′), 35. Ciaran McGuckin (14. Brett McGavin 76′), 40. Frankie Terry (20. Kyrell Wilson 61′).
Subs not used: 22. Matthew Gould, 27. Harvey Greenslade.
