ALDERSHOT left the old coal mines of Chesterfield in a black mood on Wednesday night.
 
And now they are among the dark satanic mills of Rochdale, Lancashire - in need of some divine inspiration.
 
The 5-1 thumping at Chesterfield was Aldershot’s fifth consecutive league defeat on the road.
 
While earlier losses at Shrewsbury Town, Luton Town and Notts County had an element of misfortune to them, the last two setbacks – a 4-2 loss at Macclesfield preceded the Chesterfield defeat – were far more alarming.
 
Since half-time at Macclesfield The Shots have let in a goal close to every ten minutes away from home. Such a record has made victory well-nigh impossible.
 
And tomorrow they look to arrest the run of defeats against a Rochdale side who thrashed Chester City 6-1 at Spotland in midweek.
 
Still, at least that means that Aldershot go into the game as underdogs – not that manager Gary Waddock is taking any solace from that.
 
"Rochdale’s confidence will be sky high after that win," said Waddock.
 
"It is going to be a mighty test for us. Some of the players may be nervous but we must roll our sleeves up and work harder than ever as a team.
 
"Defending is a group thing and we must start defending as a team."
 
Waddock warned his players a month ago, after the last-minute defeat at Notts County, that he would not tolerate many more defensive lapses.
 
But, since then there have been few changes – admittedly, in part, due to injuries and suspensions – despite more defensive nightmares at home to Bury (rescued by a stirring comeback) and at Macclesfield and Chesterfield.
 
Already, the encouraging defensive display just a week ago in the 1-1 draw at home with Brentford looks like a false dawn and Waddock is faced with his biggest test since taking over as manager in the summer of 2007.
 
So, will there be changes to the team, in personnel, shape and tactics at Spotland on Saturday?
 
The answer is, surely, yes, although Waddock, speaking on Thursday, did not rule out the possibility of giving the players who performed so poorly on Wednesday night the chance to right their wrongs.
 
"I know there are people waiting in the wings and, after Wednesday, they may be right if they are thinking that they will be involved on Saturday.
 
"But there is also the argument that the lads who played could be determined to put right what went wrong."
 
At least Waddock does have a few players coming back from injury.
 
Club captain Rhys Day may not be match fit after a hernia operation but he may well come into central defence. Day’s lack of pace can be exposed at times but he does possess the leadership qualities and will to win that were so sadly lacking at Macclesfield and Chesterfield.
 
With Anthony Straker injured, Dean Howell has been under little pressure at left back but has been especially poor in the last two games, against Brentford and Chesterfield.
 
Anthony Charles may be enjoying a good season – apart from the odd lapse - at centre back but he has been used as a left back by Waddock in the past and is certainly a more accomplished defender than Howell.
 
So, Charles may well start there on Saturday, which would allow Day into the centre of defence. Ricky Newman is another option in the middle at the back.
 
Chris Blackburn endured a torrid time at Chesterfield in central defence but, as one of Waddock’s key players, may feature again. He too can play as a fullback – on the right, where Junior Osborne has shown potential but has had a baptism of fire, especially away from home.
 
"There is the option of players Charles and Blackburn as fullbacks but then we wouldn’t really have any fit centre-halves,” said Waddock. “That would leave us wide open again.”

So, that would imply that it is unlikely both Charles and Blackburn will be moved. But, given that Waddock has used Charles as a left back before this season, in the 3-2 win at home to Bradford, and last season too - such as in the crunch game at Torquay, where he said he wanted his defence to be big and strong - then Charles may move out wide, where The Shots have looked especially vulnerable this season.

Further forward, other players not or only partially involved on Wednesday include Scott Donnelly, who has had a dramatic fall from favour after starting the season in the team, Lewis Chalmers, who possesses plenty of determination, John Grant, Junior Mendes and Kirk Hudson.

The latter three all impressed at times in the second half at Chesterfield and Hudson, who scored The Shots’ solitary goal, is emerging as the best finisher in the squad. He deserves to start tomorrow and one of Mendes or Grant may well be preferred to Rob Elvins, who has disappointed after his heroics as a substitute against Bury three weeks ago. Marvin Morgan may not be available for selection as he continues his recovery from illness.

Waddock could - many would say should - be, however, mulling over picking just one of his forwards. Chesterfield manager Lee Richardson commented after Wednesday’s match how Aldershot played quite well going forward but that their open approach allowed Chesterfield to dominate elsewhere.

A defensive approach may go against Waddock’s attacking instincts but, if The Shots are to stop the rot away from home, then, while they may not go so far as ‘parking the bus in front of the goal’ as Jose Mourinho once accused Tottenham Hotspur of doing at Chelsea, bolstering the midfield and reminding defenders that they are, first and foremost, defenders, does make sense.

It was those tactics that helped Exeter City win 1-0 at high-flying Bury recently, for instance, and, on a grander scale, almost paid off for Roma at Chelsea on the very night of Aldershot’s debacle at Chesterfield.

Waddock said that he and Martin Kuhl are considering a change of formation - but added that it would be a gamble.

“We are looking at a number of things,” said Waddock. “But since I came to the club we have played 4-4-2 and that it what the players are used to and what we mainly train towards.

“So, any change of formation would be a gamble. But, sometimes in football you have to gamble - and it pays off.”

Given that, on paper at least, Aldershot’s strength lies in the midfield, then a formation of 4-5-1 would allow Waddock to pick five from Chalmers, Ben Harding, Scott Davies, Donnelly, Hudson and Louie Soares. Or, if Soares plays at right back, all of the others. The versatile Ricky Newman is another option for the defensive midfield role that Chalmers can play.

Harding is struggling to reach the heights he set in the Conference last season and his place is under threat. But he has never been dropped in the league since Waddock arrived and he might benefit from having both Chalmers (or Newman) and Davies (or Donnelly) with him in the middle.

Should Waddock flood the midfield then Hudson would no doubt be encouraged from out wide to push on and link with a loan front man on the break - possibly Danny Hylton, who has the energy and nuisance factor to fulfil the role, although Grant, who set up Hudson's goal on Wednesday, and Mendes have the experience. Mendes has been a bit-part player since arriving last spring but has impressed whenever he has played.

Whatever Waddock chooses to do, changes are to be expected in a vital week for his team, with three games in the next eight days; The Shots defend their superb home record against Port Vale on Tuesday and then there is a trip to Morecambe, ahead of a fortnight’s break from league action, for the FA Cup.

“We can’t dwell on Wednesday and get dragged down,” said Waddock. “This period is a test of character and the problems have to be solved. We must stick together and get through this. And we will.”

So, Waddock has faith in his squad and, indeed, said that, while the loan window was still open, new arrivals were unlikely. “I’ll go with what I’ve got,” he said, of a squad that is still in mid-table in League Two, on a fairly healthy 15 points from 12 games, even if they have picked up just two points from the last 15 available.

As for Rochdale, their battering of ten-man Chester moved Keith Hill’s men as high as tenth in the table and they are finally showing signs of recapturing the form that saw them reach the play-off final last season, only to lose to Stockport County at Wembley.
 
Rochdale have been stuck in the bottom division of the Football League since 1974, so were familiar opponents for the old Aldershot FC.
 
The old Aldershot’s record in the foothills of the Pennines was poor but this season, until Tuesday’s win, Rochdale had not been especially impressive at home.
 
They have lost to Dagenham & Redbridge and Wycombe Wanderers at Spotland, so other ‘southern softies’ have already hacked it in that part of the north. Moreover, Aldershot have already won close by in Lancashire this season, at Accrington. Oh for another 1-0 win and a clean sheet.
 
To achieve that admittedly unlikely result, given the reason away woes, Aldershot’s defence will have to watch out for Dale’s in-form strikers in particular; Chris Dagnall hit a hat-trick against Chester and Adam Le Fondre, who scored twice, has been a regular scorer since joining from Stockport 15 months ago.
 
Still, little more than a month ago, Darlington were fresh from hitting Macclesfield Town for six when they took on Aldershot — and promptly lost.
 
Small comfort, perhaps, but Waddock will believe that his side can yet weave some magic in the land of the Lancashire textile mills.

“I know that things can turn quickly in football and at this level that there is a fine line between success and failure,” said Waddock.

Kick-off at Spotland is at 3pm.