Aldershot Town FC

Football: Five-star Shots rise in the East

By Charlie Oliver
December 03, 2009

Coca-Cola League 2

Dagenham & Redbridge 2 Aldershot Town 5

THIS was football at its gloriously unpredictable best.

After three 0-0 draws in Kevin Dillon’s first four games, Aldershot astonished all — even Dillon looked taken aback — with a startling display of counter-attacking football in the East End.

Dagenham & Redbridge, who have set the pace at the top of the table for much of the season, were swept aside in devastating fashion in the second half.

Aldershot’s goal-scoring spree was not just in contrast to the low-key approach Dillon had previously adopted away, either.

The Shots had scored just one League Two away goal in two months before this match — and just six in all, from nine games.

In an hour’s football they almost doubled that amount and nor did the 5-2 scoreline flatter them.

They might easily have won by more and both Dagenham’s goals were gifted by the Shots, too, thanks to an Anthony Charles handball and an error from Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz.

Ultimately, they mattered little, thanks to the five goals at the other end, with Andy Sandell’s beautiful left-footed volley the pick of the bunch.

The win takes Aldershot up into the play-off spots, in seventh, and sends out a message to the rest of the division that Aldershot are just as dangerous as they were under Gary Waddock; on the first day of Advent, Aldershot showed that they are coming on strong.

Indeed, they are probably more adept now, as the players grow in stature in the Football League, and Dillon and Gary Owers instill their tactical nous into the team.

This was, despite the scoreline and those couple of defensive errors, a win built from the back, as Dillon likes to do.

Charles, the penalty aside, and Chris Blackburn were outstanding and the fullback pair of Sandell and Ben Herd is as solid as any in the division.

Dillon’s men dealt comfortably with Dagenham’s predictably direct style and then passed their way forward with a poise and purpose that was too slick for their opponents.

Fullbacks Nana Ofori-Twumasi and Jamie Day both enjoyed torrid evenings as Aldershot pulled Dagenham apart and exploited the spaces that opened up accordingly.

Little wonder that Dillon was so delighted: “The players played to their maximum tonight,” said Dillon. “There were some outstanding performances.

“I thought Lewis Chalmers, in midfield, was the best player on the pitch, and I was really pleased with him, Scott Donnelly and Louie Soares.

“I wanted the midfield players to express themselves a bit more tonight and they did that. Our first pass out of defence was excellent and then we passed it nicely in midfield and put pressure on their defence.”

Aside from a header over the bar from Paul Benson and one from Mark Arber, cleared off the line by Donnelly, Aldershot were comfortable in the first half.

Anthony Straker, who had the beating of Ofori-Twumasi all game, was a fine attacking outlet for Aldershot and Morgan and Soares had both gone close before Charles beat Tony Roberts to Donnelly’s long ball and headed Aldershot ahead.

Dagenham had little idea how to claw their way back, until Charles clearly handled in the area and Arber’s fine penalty made the score 1-1. In fairness to Charles, it looked like he had been nudged in the back as he jumped.

While Dagenham made a boisterous start to the second half, Sandell’s left foot soon silenced them.

Loitering on the edge of the area, Sandell thumped home, first-time, on the volley, Donnelly’s clever corner, low into the net. It was a magnificent goal, tempered only by Jaimez-Ruiz allowing Ofori-Twumasi’s speculative drive to beat his dive, a minute later.

Aldershot had failed to deal with a long throw in the build-up and Dillon was not happy.

“I was disappointed with the second goal,” he said “They troubled us with long throws — it’s only a minor thing but we will sort it out.”

Six minutes later, however, Aldershot had restored their lead, when Marlon Jackson, who had been quiet up until then, weaved into the box and set up Morgan, who swivelled well to score.

There were few alarms at the other end, even if Herd and Charles both had to make excellent tackles as Dagenham pushed men forward into Aldershot’s area.

That suited Dillon’s men just fine on the counter; a error by Day allowed teenager Jackson to bundle the ball past Roberts, at the third attempt, for his first senior goal, and Soares showed great composure to waltz past Dagenham’s statuesque defence in injury-time and beat Roberts with ease.

Perhaps there is something in the Thames water in east London, given that there were eight goals up the road at West Ham at the weekend.

More exciting, however, is the possibility that Aldershot’s players are learning to marry Dillon’s demand for disciplined defending with their attacking instinct.

The Aldershot fans were certainly delighted by the display, singing with even more exuberance than usual.

Dagenham may boast Stacey Solomon but Aldershot have their fans to do their singing; besides, on this evidence, it is the Shots, not the Daggers, who have the X Factor.

Aldershot Town: Jaimez-Ruiz, Herd, Sandell, Blackburn, Charles, Chalmers, Soares, Donnelly (Bozanic 82), Morgan (Grant 89), Jackson (Halls 82), Straker. Not used: Masters, Hinshelwood, Winfield, Harding.

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