LEARNING how to win when not at your best is a key component to any successful season and Gary Waddock’s table-topping youngsters look to have picked up the knack rather well, on the evidence of Thursday night’s 3-2 victory over Grays.

That win briefly extended the Shots’ lead at the top to four points and while Torquay United cut it back to one on Saturday, the gap between Aldershot and Burton Albion in fourth is a healthy nine points.

With most of their rivals in FA Cup action this coming weekend, when the Shots travel to Salisbury on Sunday in the league, and then just one more round of league matches to come before Christmas, the Shots should be sitting pretty on top of the Blue Square Christmas tree come the Boxing Day derby at Woking’s Kingfield Stadium.

But this was not a convincing performance from Waddock’s league leaders. It may sound incongruous to say that the Shots were below par or indeed lucky to take the three points, given that they led 3-0 at the break and scored two beautifully constructed goals in the last five minutes of the half.

But, even in that first half, Grays had enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and offered plenty of potency going forward, with Aaron O’Connor a constant threat. Perhaps Aldershot shaded proceedings, just, on the back of some superb counter-attacking play, but a 3-0 advantage flattered them.

Grays were then hugely dominant in the second half and might easily have secured the draw that, overall, they deserved. Waddock agreed; in stark contrast to the Saturday before, when the Shots had playing superbly to secure a tight win over Rushden & Diamonds, this was a narrow win at the Recreation Ground in which the Shots were outplayed for long periods.

“We are all very disappointed, that was nowhere near the standard we have set ourselves,” said Waddock. “We couldn’t keep hold of the ball and were lucky to win, it’s as simple as that.”

While Grays were composed and inventive after the break, the Shots surrendered possession time and time again, especially in midfield, and did little more than knock hopeful punts up towards the isolated John Grant. Unsurprisingly, the ball kept coming back at them and the Shots looked increasingly nervous.

No doubt they would have fared better with the experienced and calm head of Ricky Newman to steady the ship in the middle at the back but, to be fair to Shots captain Rhys Day, he made many a meaty header to repel Grays. The Essex side hail from the banks of the Thames Estuary but even the high tides of earlier in the month paled in proportion to this surge from Justin Edinburgh’s men.

It was all hands to the pump for the Shots and it was indicative of their second half struggles that two of their best defenders were attackers, with Jonny Dixon sprinting from tackle to tackle to break up the Grays midfield and Rob Elvins, on as a substitute, making two very important late defensive headers inside his own area.

That the Shots did escape with the points owed much to two key incidents at either end of the match. Two events that were, literally, slices of luck.

First, in the third minute, Grays ‘keeper Ross Flitney made a mockery of his side’s  extraordinarily miserly defensive record away from home - just four goals conceded in ten matches - by slicing a back pass behind him and leaving Ben Harding with an open goal to open the scoring. That error came 24 hours after Scott Carson’s aberration for England against Croatia at Wembley but it was a comical moment more similar to Paul Robinson’s air kick away to Croatia last October, in another England defeat. “It was a freak goal,” said Grays boss Justin Edinburgh. “Ross has been fantastic for us all season and will be again.”

Perhaps, but Flitney’s fitful shank proved decisive in that Grays had gifted the Shots a goal. Then, at the death, with Anthony Straker caught like a rabbit in the headlights, unsure whether to clear the ball or play offside, Grays’ Jamie Stuart was clean through on goal but rather than equalise he sliced his left foot shot wide of Nikki Bull’s far post.

“That was a tremendous chance,” admitted Waddock. “I’m sure Justin is very disappointed that they’ve taken nothing back from the game.”

In fairness to the Shots, their finishing was excellent in the first half. While O’Connor twice forced Bull into fine saves, and team-mates Gavin Grant and Karl Murray were a menace too, the Shots were more clinical.

John Grant had already hit the target and forced a good save from Flitney before Dixon made it 2-0 in the 40^th minute. It followed a flowing move, with Harding and Joel Grant linking well, before Dixon’s shimmy opened up the space to thump a low shot past Flitney, albeit with a slight deflection of a Grays defender.

This was by far Aldershot’s best period of the match and seconds later Joel Grant curled over; he went far better on the stroke of half-time, finishing off a sumptuous passage of play for a glorious goal. Kirk Hudson’s incisive burst fed Lewis Chalmers, who rolled the ball to Harding. He burst towards the box and looked set to unleash a left-foot shot but, instead, faded a soft pass to Grant, who drew Flitney and slipped the ball into the corner.

Talking of corners, Grays had won as many as half a dozen in the first half and Bull and his defence had looked vulnerable from them all. So, it was of no surprise when Grays pulled a goal back early in the second half, from a corner. Bull and Day got tangled up with each other going for the ball, Straker missed a back post header, and Grant tapped into an empty net.

Although the Shots did have a few opportunities in the second half - John Grant, who still looked rusty after injury, volleyed over and failed to get a shot in when through, and Hudson had a stinging shot blocked after a clever free-kick from Chalmers and Harding - Grays controlled the game.

Harding and Chalmers could not get a grip of the midfield, especially once Edinburgh introduced former Arsenal star Ian Selley. That Chalmers went on to be awarded the man of the match award was a surprise. He had been magnificent against Rushden a few days before but this time, while the desire was still impressive, the composure and distribution was lacking.

It was fortunate for the Shots that Grays didn’t grab a second until late in the day. O’Connor had gone close with a volley but, predictably, the goal came from another corner, which forced panic in the penalty area. Jack Obersteller smacked a shot against the post, Bull superbly saved Grant’s rebound effort but substitute Luis Cumbers swept home, with the help of a deflection off Day.

The Shots fans were baying for the final whistle; Waddock was baying at his players. Still, Grays came again and Anthony Charles did just about enough to put Stuart off in that wonderful injury-time chance for Grays.

The Shots had won at home, again, just. It’s now eight league wins in a row at the Rec and successful promotion campaigns always require plenty of points pick-pocketed from opponents.

“We’re very disappointed, but at least we won,” said Waddock. “It’s far better to be a lucky manager than an unlucky one. Tonight I was a very lucky one. But so be it.”