Coca-Cola League Two

Aldershot Town 4 Cheltenham Town 1

AUTUMN is a season of maturing - so said Keats. And now Gary Waddock, too.

The Aldershot manager rightly hailed his side's growing maturity after what was ultimately an emphatic victory, crowned by Scott Donnelly's magnificent, 45-yard goal.

But The Shots first had to be patient to break down a Cheltenham side whose ambition in the first half was as limited as their ability. Aldershot were unphased and Dave Winfield's towering header ensured The Shots went in 1-0 up at the break.

Later, after Elvis Hammond, Cheltenham's one bright player on the day, had won a penalty, converted by Justin Richards, Aldershot had the strength, skill and character to sweep Cheltenham aside with ease. The Robins were ripe for the slaughter and Aldershot made hay where perhaps, last season, they might have faltered.

Significantly, this was not the new Aldershot, either; none of the three players brought in over the summer by Waddock to make his side more experienced and obdurate - Adam Hinshelwood, Ben Herd and John Halls - started this game.

Eight of the players who began the match were at the club in the Conference days and two more, Marvin Morgan and Chris Blackburn, joined before a ball was kicked back in the Football League. While we have been here before - Aldershot started last season well, too - Waddock's players look to more more savvy and assured, physically and mentally, than last season.

"Last year we might have folded [after Cheltenham equalised]," said Waddock. "But we have matured. We have grown up. We kept on the front foot and took our chances."

There is still plenty of room for improvement - a first clean sheet of the season still eludes them - but, with players returning from injury, the future looks bright. The present has a pretty sunny disposition, too, with Aldershot as high as fourth in the League Two table.

Whether or not Waddock's men can avoid the winter of discontent they endured last season, only time will tell, but, at the moment, Aldershot look a match or more for most teams in a division that looks to have less quality than last season.

However, the outstanding performer on Saturday was, in age at least, the most immature of The Shots. Dean Parrett, 17, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, was superb on his home debut. It was expected that an England U19 player and Tottenham starlet would be skilful in possession and bright going forward and Parrett did not disappoint - but he was also strong on the ball and meaty in the tackle.

Donnelly had another excellent game in central midfield but he was eclipsed by Parrett: one Parrett was far too good for 11 Robins.

"It was evident today just how good a player Dean is," said Waddock. "He is a high quality footballer and our style of play suits him down to the ground. I cannot thank Harry Redknapp enough for letting us have a player of Dean's ability."

Parrett is available for three more league games in his month-long loan spell - Torquay United and Lincon, away, and Bury, at home - but Waddock will make it a priority to try to persuade Redknapp and Parrett that an extended stay at Aldershot will benefit all parties. "The rough and tumble of League Two is far better for Dean's development than youth or reserves' football. He will grow up," said Waddock, perhaps hoping that Redknapp was listening in.

Parrett, playing slightly further forward than he had at Crewe the week before, nearly scored in the second minute, poking the ball just wide after a lovely pass from Lewis Chalmers. Chalmers was playing as John Halls was out with a groin injury and he enjoyed an excellent game, finally given a chance in his favoured role in central midfield.

Cheltenham goalkeeper Scott Brown appeared to be time-wasting as early as the tenth minute but Aldershot, constantly urged to pass the ball out from the back by their manager, were not swayed by Martin Allen's unambitious tactics. One gorgeous Aldershot move saw the ball moved from the back through half-a-dozen players before Louie Soares had a shot on target.

When the goal finally came, however, it was rather more prosaic, Dave Winfield climbing high and thumping home a header, off the bar, in the 34th minute, from Parrett's corner. It should have been 2-0 at the break, only for Soares to make a hash of a glorious chance, after a superb one-two between Anthony Straker and Kirk Hudson.

At the other end, Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz had had little to do, save a confident save from Kyle Haynes' deflected shot.

Allen hauled off Haynes at half-time - and Julian Alsop, too. Alsop, 36, had been totally immobile up front.

Barry Hayles, a year older, but lightning years ahead of Alsop in terms of movement and pace, brought an immediate improvement and Aldershot's defence finally had a match on their hands, faced by Hayles, Hammond and Richards. Hammond should have scored on 54 minutes but headed Richards' cross wide.

Not that Aldershot were no longer the better side; Hudson shot just over after excellent play by Parrett and Soares had a shot saved onto the top of the bar, after a mazy dribble by Donnelly. Winfield then missed with an easier chance than the header he had converted in the first half.

Briefly, Aldershot paid for their profligacy, when Hammond tricked Straker into a trip and Richards equalised from the spot, on 64 minutes.

But that setback just spurred Aldershot to greater things. Within ten minutes they led 3-1, first socring through Anthony Charles, who emulated his fellow centre-back, Winfield. Charles, unmarked, headed Donnelly's cross against a post and he tapped in the rebound.

Then, after Drissa Diallo missed Soares' hopeful punt forward, Morgan ran clear through on goal, rounded Brown, and finished with aplomb.

A side as poor as Cheltenham had next to no chance of recovering from there. Waddock was afforded the luxury of introducing Ben Herd after his knee injury and Donnelly added a touch of glamour at the last, spotting Brown off his line and floating a perfect shot into the empty net, from the top of the centre circle. Donnelly had scored from distance - and his side had won by a distance.

"Scott has great vision and awareness. The execution of that goal summed him up," said Waddock. "It was fantastic." Donnelly already has six league goals this season.

Overall, Waddock was delighted by such a thumping win, which extended Aldershot's unbeaten run to six games, in which they have 14 points from a possible 18.

"We played extremely well today," said Waddock. "We wanted to back up the result at Crewe but play better. We did that.

"Martin [Allen] always has teams well-organised and drilled and they were unbeaten away. But we get the ball down and play here at the Rec. It is a big pitch and we moved the ball extremely well."

That movement and devastating finishing in the last 20 minutes was far too good for Cheltenham. Allen's side were very ordinary and it was hard to see how they had remained unbeaten on their travels until this game - they scarcely troubled what can be a vulnerable Aldershot defence.

Not that that should take too much away from Aldershot. But one man who won't be getting carried away is Waddock. "We've told the boys that it was a good performance and a good result - but that has now gone. We've told them they have got to do it all again at Torquay on Tuesday. The matches come thick and fast. There's a long, long way to go this season."

Indeed, to coin another favourite phrase of Waddock's 'things can change overnight in football' - and Aldershot must now turn to two away games in four days, at Torquay and Lincoln. Neither game will be as comfortable as this one.

Aldershot Town: Jaimez-Ruiz, Blackburn, Straker, Winfield, Charles, Chalmers, Soares, Parrett (Herd 81), Morgan, Donnelly, Hudson. Not used: Masters, Hopkinson, Grant, Hylton.

Cheltenham Town: Brown, Haynes (Watkins 46), Ridley, Diallo, Townsend, Bird, Low, Gallinagh (Pook 35), Alsop (Hayles 46), Hammond, Richards. Not used: Richardson, Cox, Lewis, Hutton.

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