A DISASTROUS two-minute period just before the half-hour proved decisive as Aldershot Town lost for the first time in Blue Square Premier since October 13 and for the first time in any competition since early November, going down 2-1 away at Grays Athletic on Saturday (December 29).

 

First skipper Rhys Day had a penalty saved by Grays ‘keeper Ross Flitney in the 26^th minute and then, just two minutes later, midfielder Scott Davies was given a straight red card for a dangerous tackle.

 

The ten men of Aldershot battled bravely for the remaining hour and more and manager Gary Waddock remained true to his positive ethos and maintained an attacking formation. Indeed, substitute Danny Hylton should have done better with a headed chance in injury time but guided his effort too close to the safe hands of Flitney, who had enjoyed a miserable evening in Aldershot’s 3-2 win over Grays at the Recreation Ground five weeks before.

 

In truth, however, it needed another inspirational display from ‘keeper Nikki Bull and some rotten finishing from Grays to keep the Shots in touch in the second half. As it was, goals for Grays either side of half-time, from Jack Obersteller (43) and the impressive Ben Watson (53) were too much for the ten men, even though Jonny Dixon did pull a goal back in the 65th minute.

 

To make matters worse for Aldershot, Torquay won 1-0 at Woking - ex-Shots striker Tim Sills scoring the goal - and the Gulls are now just four points behind Waddock’s team at the top of the table, with a game in hand. Both sides face derbies on New Year’s Day, with the Shots home to Woking and Torquay entertaining Exeter.

 

Waddock said he ‘couldn’t have asked for anything more from his players’ after the defeat and agreed that the game turned on the two key moments of the first third of the match.

 

“We missed the penalty and then the sending-off changed the game,” said Waddock. “It looked a bit harsh to me and I’m not sure Scott made any contact at all but I’ll have to have a look at the match video.”

 

A few months ago Davies may well have escaped with just a yellow card but with dangerous, lunging tackles currently blighting the Premiership and making high-profile news, it was pretty inevitable that the referee would brandish the red card for Davies’ studs up slide from behind, in the midfield. It came more from inexperience - and perhaps frustration at the missed penalty - than malice but, above all, it was unnecessary. Davies could and should have stayed on his feet. He will now serve a four-match ban after being sent off at Cambridge United in the FA Cup - the aforementioned last defeat for the Shots.

 

With Lewis Chalmers also facing a one-match ban next week away to Northwich Victoria, after picking up a fifth booking of the season at Grays, Waddock’s midfield will be severely depleted should Ben Harding get injured or suspended. But Davies’ absence was most keenly felt on Saturday.

 

The Shots had looked largely in control of the match before the dismissal, with Joel Grant twice going close. Indeed, Aldershot were very unlucky not to be awarded a penalty - and perhaps see Grays reduced to ten men - in the 13^th minute, when Rob Gier’s goal bound shot appeared to be turned behind by the arm of Grays’ Karl Murray.

 

When Aldershot did get a penalty, it was pretty soft. Grant cut in from the left after a fine pass by Anthony Straker and collapsed to the floor after running into Andy Sambrook. It was clever play from Grant but referee Cooper’s decision was harsh on Sambrook, who had simply stood his ground. With John Grant still missing with tendonitis, Day, who had missed a penalty against Halifax Town in October, stepped up but his weak kick was pushed aside by Flitney’s left hand.

 

That woke up the Essex crowd and their jubilation grew with Davies’ sending off. It was little surprise that Grays dominated the last 15 minutes of the half, even if Rob Elvins hesitated and wasted a good chance for the Shots on the break. Bull saved superbly from Aaron O’Connor and Obersteller blasted wide. Finally, two minutes before the break, Obersteller turned in Watson’s cross to put Grays ahead, after Watson had tricked his way past Gier.

 

With Louie Soares as well as John Grant still injured, Aldershot had started with an unchanged team from the Boxing Day win at Woking but the sending off forced a change of formation. Dixon and Elvins remained up front and Waddock went with just three at the back - Gier, Day and Anthony Charles - with Straker pushed forward to left midfield. “It was totally my decision to go 3-4-2,” said Waddock. “One up front would have meant we could never have got out of our half. I’m positive and try to win games, so went with three at the back. Obviously their goal just before the break changed the half-time chat a little and the second half was always going to be open, given that we had just three at the back and were going for the win.”

 

And open it certainly was. The Shots started the half well, with Harding and Dixon going close, but Watson struck a killer blow in the 53^rd minute, getting a deflection to Danny Kedwell’s shot, which wrong-footed Bull. As a stream of gulls drifted over the ground to their nearby roost on the Thames mudflats, news came through that more Gulls were flying high at Woking.

 

But Aldershot did not shrink back from the mountain they had to climb. Waddock introduced Hylton, Kirk Hudson and Dave Winfield for Elvins, Straker and Gier. Hudson was again impressive, pushing back Grays with his pace and direct running. Aldershot’s best moments came from him and Joel Grant, who twice cut through the Grays defence. The first time no one read his cross into the six-yard box but the second time he fed Dixon and he finished emphatically past Flitney, with still 25 minutes to go.

 

But most of the action was at the other end, as the Shots threw caution to the wind. Sandbrook shot inches wide, put off by Bull. The ‘keeper made an outstanding save from O’Connor and then two more from Obersteller and substitute Alan Power. When Bull was finally beaten by Obersteller, Charles cleared off the line. Power and then O’Connor shot inches wide, before Bull pulled off a superb save to deny Kedwell.

 

Not that the Shots didn’t have their chances, with Hudson shooting just over after a fine run and having a penalty appeal turned down as he was out-muscled in the box. Grays grew increasingly nervous after each moment of profligacy and Hylton nearly made them pay, with that last-gasp header. Instead, the Shots lost, for the first time in the league since Burton in October, but it wasn’t for the wont of trying.

 

“It just wasn’t our day at all,” said Waddock. “The players showed great character and belief and it was a great effort. We so nearly got a point.

 

“The guys have done extremely well and will continue to do so. It’s impossible to win every game and we must make sure that we get back on a winning run.”

 

It wasn’t a good day for table-topping teams in that particular of the country, with Manchester United losing 15 miles to the east, at West Ham, a result which brought a cheer from the disappointing home gate, swelled to 1,210 by the Aldershot hordes.

 

“Woking will be a very difficult derby game on Tuesday,” said Waddock. “It will be hard but we will be ready. I’m not sure John Grant and Louie Soares will be right for that one either. They haven’t trained and at this time of year, with games coming thick and fast, I need players to be fully fit. We shall see how they go.”

 

Despite the setback of defeat, Waddock was upbeat. Aldershot will, after all, go into 2008 on top of the table. “We would certainly have taken that at the start of the season,” said Waddock. “But there is still a long way to go.”

 

Aldershot: BULL 8, Gier 6 (Winfield 55, 6), Straker 6 (Hudson 55, 7), Day 6, Charles 6, Davies 4, Harding 6, Chalmers 6, Joel Grant 7, Dixon 7, Elvins 5 (Hylton 55, 6).

 

Shots on: Grays 9; Aldershot 7

Shots off: Grays 7; Aldershot 3

Corners: Grays 7; Aldershot 6

Offside: Grays 8; Aldershot 0

Fouls: Grays 13; Aldershot 15

Yellows: Grays 4 (Sambrook, Selley, Obersteller, Day); Aldershot 2 (Charles, Chalmers)

Reds: Grays 0; Aldershot 1 (Davies)