Aldershot Town FC

Football: Wolves the incentive as Shots earn replay

By Charlie Oliver
November 30, 2009

FA Cup 2nd Round

Tranmere Rovers 0 Aldershot Town 0

THEY had to ride their luck to get there - and nor was the route a pretty one - but Aldershot Town are in the hat for the FA Cup 3rd Round draw.

The prize for the winners of next Tuesday's replay at the Rec is a big one, too: Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Premier League strugglers, at home.

So, beat Tranmere and Aldershot will bring the Wolves to the door, in a match that would rekindle memories of season 1986/87, when the old Aldershot FC beat Wolves in the two-leg play-off final to gain promotion to Division Three.

As for the replay, an evening match at the Rec, with a healthy crowd and the prospect of an exciting 3rd Round tie, presents the Shots with a more than decent chance of beating Tranmere.

Certainly, few Aldershot fans will grumble at a draw here - 0-0 was a good result, even if Tranmere are propping up League One and are just eight Football League places above Aldershot. They had beaten Southend United here 2-0 in the league just four days before.

If Aldershot were to earn a draw, 0-0 was the most likely manner. This was Aldershot's third consecutive 0-0 draw away and the fourth in a six-game unbeaten run. Three matches of new manager Kevin Dillon's four-game tenure have finished with that score.

Aldershot never really looked like scoring in this game, either, even if, the longer the game went on, the increasingly comfortable they became, with captain Anthony Charles and defensive partner Chris Blackburn again impressive.

Towards the end, Aldershot came on stronger in attack, too, but lacked the decisiveness to fashion a clear-cut chance.

While in the first half Aldershot had played the ball too long, later on they were too intricate and passed into cul-de-sacs rather than testing Rovers' keeper Luke Daniels, the former Shrewsbury 'keeper, whose handling was, at times, nervous.

Tranmere, after a flurry of first half chances, faded badly and, by the end, looked the poor side that their league position suggest they are. If Tranmere were there for the taking in the second half here, they may be vulnerable from the off in the replay.

Overall, Dillon said he was 'very happy' with the result.

"It wasn't the plan to get another 0-0 but things did go pretty well for us," the manager said. "We didn't commit many players forward in the first half but we did more so in the second half and we looked like we might win it.

"But I can't be too disappointed we didn't nick the win. In the first half they were very unlucky when they hit the post and we had to make some excellent blocks. I'm very happy; overall it was a fair result."

John Welsh was, indeed, desperately unfortunate when he hit the woodwork; his shot from 25 yards in the 21st minute hit the inside of first the right and then the left post before Aldershot hacked the ball away. Clearly, the luck of the Welsh is not as generous as the luck of the Irish.

Tranmere had already had loud appeals for handball in the area turned down, when the ball bounced between Chris Blackburn and Chris Shuker, and Terry Gornell twice went close in the first half, too.

Ash Taylor should have done better when Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz saved his header and only a magnificent block from Andy Sandell prevented Gareth Edds firing a shot on target from close range.

Not that Aldershot were completely on the defensive. Daniels had to make a smart save from Taylor, after the midfielder diverted Louie Soares' cross towards his own goal and Marlon Jackson headed a cross from Anthony Straker straight at Daniels.

With Kirk Hudson out with a knee injury, Jackson made his Aldershot debut, after joining on loan from Bristol City, and did a reasonable if unspectacular job out wide, even if many of his duties were more defensive than attacking.

"Marlon worked his socks off and did well," said Dillon. "He's really a centre-forward but he had to play the ride role and that involved a lot of defending."

That was the only change from the side that beat Northampton Town 2-1 in League Two four days before, as Dillon resisted the temptation to bring in John Halls to the midfield or Oliver Bozanic, on loan from Reading, as a wide player.

Straker, whose starting role is under most threat from Bozanic, was Aldershot's best attacking player for much of the game, showing good skill down the left and coming closest to a goal, too, drilling a shot inches wide just before the half hour.

Straker was to the fore early in the second half, too, but Scott Donnelly dallied when Straker set up a shooting chance. Donnelly had one of his poorer games and gave the ball away too often; he was later replaced by Halls.

By the hour, there was the odd boo from the home support as Tranmere's frustration grew, despite a good save from Mikhael-Ruiz, from another fine shot by Welsh.

The introduction of former England international, Michael Ricketts, did little to sharpen Tranmere's attack and their other substitute, Ian Thomas-Moore, is not the player he was when first at the club - when he was known as Ian Moore.

Into the last 20 minutes, Aldershot began to dominate possession but could not conjure a clear chance. Morgan looked very unlucky to be stopped by an offside flag and Soares' rasping shot forced a good parry from Daniels.

Bozanic, introduced for the last ten minutes, showed plenty of promise and flashed a left-footed shot just wide in injury-time.

"Oliver's a good player," said Dillon. "He will bring balance to the squad and has good quality, too. He has international [U20] experience with Australia and has plenty of self-belief, too."

Aldershot should all have the belief that they can get past Tranmere and set up the exciting tie against Wolves. But Tranmere should not be underestimated, especially if the lively Shuker is fit next week, after departing this match injured at half-time.

"It's nice to be in the hat for the 3rd Round draw, as it means we have half a foot in that round," said Dillon. "But, any talk of actually playing in the 3rd Round is pie in the sky. We have Tranmere, first - and two league games this week before that replay, too."

Tranmere Rovers: Daniels, Logan, Bakayogo, Broomes, Goodison, Edds, Welsh, Taylor, Gornell (Ricketts 74), Shuker (Thomas-Moore 45), Curran. Not used: Collister, Cresswell, McLaren, Baker, Barnett.

Aldershot Town: Jaimez-Ruiz, Herd, Sandell, Blackburn, Charles, Chalmers, Soares, Donnelly (Halls 67), Morgan, Jackson (Bozanic 83), Straker (Harding 88). Not used: Masters, Hinshelwood, Winfield, Grant.

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