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Macclesfield Town 4 Aldershot Town 2

ALDERSHOT’S travel sickness is in danger of turning into a deeper malaise.

While the away day blues are far from terminal — and are significantly pepped up by The Shots’ home form — this was an alarming result, the worst in a run of four straight League defeats away from home, especially given that there was nothing particularly impressive about their conquerors, The Silkmen.

Worryingly, there was very little to suggest that The Shots are close to arresting that poor form away from The Rec.
Keeping a clean sheet appears even less likely still. That does, after all, guarantee at least a point but Aldershot continue to do things the hard way, regularly needing to score at least three goals to win matches — or even draw them.

It is no coincidence that Aldershot’s one clean sheet of the season, away to Accrington Stanley on the opening day, corresponds with their sole away victory.

Not that glaring defensive errors were wholly responsible for this 4-2 defeat.

In the first half The Shots controlled the game, even if they were short of their best.

Macclesfield were impotent but, crucially, Aldershot failed to capitalise on bounteous possession and a late flurry of good chances.

Instead of finding a cure for their away ailments, those missed chances turned into painful self-inflicted wounds after the break, as Macclesfield, unbelievably given their first half slumber, scored four times in an extraordinary second half.

The bug was catching — or not, in the case of Nikki Bull — whose safe hands deserted him in a tortuous second half. Bull was partially at fault for all of Macclesfield’s first three goals.

Goals after the break from Kirk Hudson and Danny Hylton, which both gave genuine hope that Aldershot would take something from the game, if anything, merely added salt into the wounds; this was a game Aldershot should never have lost and they only have themselves to blame that they did.

No wonder manager Gary Waddock was so downbeat after the game. While he was bitterly disappointed with his side’s defending in the second half, he pointed more to missed opportunities in the first half.

“We weren’t at the races today,” said Waddock. “I would like to apologise to all the away fans who made the journey up here.

“We didn’t play anywhere near the standard we wanted to in the first half. Macclesfield were there for the taking but we didn’t do it. We didn’t play today.”

That assessment from the manager is a little harsh. Granted, apart from a few bright moments from Scott Davies and Hylton, next to nothing happened in the first half an hour.

But, in the final 15 minutes before the break, Aldershot began to dominate and some of their approach play was slick. But the finishing was lacking.

Ben Harding had a rasping drive saved at the second attempt by Jonny Brain. And, after a superb cross-field pass from Davies, Kirk Hudson’s teasing cross was hit into the side netting by Rob Elvins who, as predicted, had started up front with Hylton.

Hudson then shot just over after a fine run by Dean Howell from left back. But the two best chances of the half were still to come. First, Harding’s heavy touch took him away from goal when clean through, after another excellent Davies pass.

Elvins spurned an even better opportunity when through on goal in the last minute of the half, opening up his body but curling his shot just wide of the far post.

“If you don’t take chances when they crop up at this level, you get punished," said Waddock.

And so it proved. Within two minutes of the re-start, The Shots were behind. Danny Thomas chased past Louie Soares to the left by-line, when most of Aldershot’s players had assumed the ball would go out for a goal-kick. Thomas’ cross was thumped home, straight through Bull’s defences, by Gareth Evans.

Aldershot deservedly equalised almost immediately, thanks to Hudson’s crisp volley from Anthony Charles’s header.

But then disaster struck, twice in three minutes. On both occasions Thomas was not closed down and given all the time in the world to line up speculative shots from outside the area; on both occasions Bull should have saved them, the first slipping under his dive after a deflection and the second surprising him at his near post.

Waddock refused to lay too much blame on Bull for the collapse. “Nikki Bull is not happy with the goals he let in,” said Waddock. “To be fair, perhaps he wasn’t 100% fit after being ill all week. Besides, Nikki has been excellent for us and letting in goals is a team thing, not an individual one.

Not that Aldershot were dead and buried at 3-1 down, given that there was still more than half an hour to play. Waddock brought on Marvin Morgan and John Grant from the bench and his former first-choice strikers made a difference. Within two minutes of their arrival, Grant’s flick set up Hylton, who coolly converted for his second goal in two games.

But Aldershot’s goal threat was on the wane and, while they forced a handful of half chances, the final 20 minutes were more disappointing in an attacking sense than anything that had gone before.

Charles came close with a header, which was cleared off the line, Blackburn headed just wide and half chances fell to Hylton, Morgan and Grant.

But, with Lewis Chalmers sacrificed from midfield and The Shots’ beleaguered rearguard pushing high up the pitch for the equaliser, Macclesfield looked the more likely side to add to their tally.

Bull made a superb save from Simon Yeo and then just beat Terry Dunfield to a loose ball.

Substitute Francis Green was the most profligate. Aldershot could not cope with his pace and he could have had a hat-trick before he did put the game to bed in the 83rd minute, heading home unmarked from a corner. Once again, Aldershot’s defence had switched off.

“Hard work is the key,” said Waddock afterwards. “The players must go back to basics and take a long look at themselves because letting in seven goals in two games is not good enough.”

If he could, Waddock would surely make changes to his defence for the visit of Brentford on Saturday. But his hands are tied, with Dave Winfield and Rhys Day definitely out and Junior Osborne and Anthony Straker struggling to be fit. Ricky Newman is also only just returning to match-fitness after a three-match ban.

There are more options fro changes in tactics and personnel elsewhere but Waddock insists he will remain loyal to his attacking ethos. “I’m not going to change the way we play,” he said. “The point about today is that we simply didn’t play.”

Perhaps, however, away from home, there is a need for a more resilient approach. That said, at half-time, there had been nothing to suggest that The Shots could not go on and win this match with the classic away match winning score: 1-0.

Likewise, at 1-1, the game was still there for the taking and there was no need at all for anything rash, with nearly half the match remaining.

So, as at Notts County a fortnight ago, it was Aldershot’s failure to adjust to how a game unfolded that cost them. Plus, on this occasion, a rare poor day at the office for Bull.

It is no surprise, therefore, that Waddock called for more leadership on the pitch from his more experienced players, in what is a young squad, with relatively little Football League experience.

“We need to talk more, be more vocal and roll our sleeves up,” said Waddock. “I want people to compliment us on our hard work and those type of qualities, not just the way we pass the ball.” That Aldershot committed just six fouls on Saturday suggests they currently lack the bite necessary to battle to points away from home.

Still, Aldershot are tenth and have won as many games as they have lost. They may be suffering from a chronic bout of travel sickness but it’s a pretty healthy position to be in after ten games at a higher level.

The frustration is that Aldershot could be higher still. Macclesfield are no great side and this was an excellent chance missed to make a nonsense of that poor away record.

Aldershot Town: Bull, Soares, Howell, Blackburn, Charles, Chalmers (Morgan 62), Davies, Harding, Elvins (Grant 62), Hylton, Hudson. Not used: Jaimez-Ruiz, Donnelly, Newman.

For more, see Tuesday's Aldershot Mail.

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