FA Cup 1st Round

Aldershot Town 1 Rotherham United 1

Perhaps Aldershot’s — and John Grant’s — luck is changing.

Not that there was anything undeserved about The Shots’ injury-time equaliser, when Grant’s penalty found the top corner, via the fingertips of Rotherham ‘keeper Andy Warrington.

Aldershot had dominated this match — only for Warrington to get his hands to almost everything they threw at him. And when he was beaten, the crossbar denied Anthony Charles from scoring a 30-yard thunderbolt.

But any 93rd-minute goal is a stroke of good fortune, especially in a cup competition — and, thanks to Grant’s goal, The Shots were in hat for Sunday’s Second Round draw. Should they win the replay at Rotherham a week tomorrow (Tuesday November 18) they will make the short trip to League One Millwall, one of Gary Waddock’s former clubs, in the next round.

Without that penalty, however, Aldershot would be out of the Cup and feeling sorry for themselves, punished for missing chances and switching off early in the second half — just like at Morecambe in League Two the week before — despite controlling this game for long periods.

It was a sweet moment for Grant too, who had a penalty saved last week in another outstanding performance by an opposition ‘keeper — Barry Roche of Morecambe. This was just Grant’s second goal of the season, in more than a dozen starts, and his first goal at The Rec since another penalty, against Stevenage Borough, back in February. It was also his 50th goal for the club.

No wonder manager Waddock praised Grant’s nerve at converting the penalty.

“I’m delighted for John,” said Waddock. “After having one saved last week, it takes a brave man to do that.

“I have said on many occasions that football is a 95-minute game these days,” added Waddock. “There was a bit of time wasting here and there — the referee was switched on and we got the time back. We got our reward and we deserved something from the game. We were on the front foot for most of it, against a good side.”

Grant’s equaliser also maintained Aldershot’s unbeaten home record this season and the 1-0 Conference defeat to Forest Green Rovers in January remains their only home defeat since August 2007.

After allowing themselves to fall a goal behind, just after the break, what pleased Waddock most about his side’s eventual comeback was their patience. Too often this season The Shots have panicked after going behind, chased the game and lost their shape — and the match.

On Saturday they kept their discipline at the back, built from midfield and continued to probe away.

The introduction of Marvin Morgan from the bench added impetus and while Warrington saved a series of half-chances, Rotherham’s defence eventually cracked, with Nick Fenton upending Morgan in the area. Grant did the rest — just.

“In previous games when we’ve conceded, we’ve wobbled,” said Waddock. “Maybe in other games we would have let another goal in and it’s very difficult to get back into a game then.

“Rotherham scored against the run of play but the lads remained calm and focused.”

Showing patience and belief at ‘Fortress Rec’ is one thing, however. Aldershot must start to do the same away from home, starting at the Don Valley Stadium next week.

While Aldershot dominated this match, Rotherham will start the replay as firm favourites, given that The Shots have lost seven games in a row away from home.

Not that Rotherham offered much of a threat to Nikki Bull in this match. Granted, leading scorer Reuben Reid was only fit to make a cameo appearance from the bench. But Aldershot, with Chris Blackburn starting in an unfamiliar right back role, looked very solid defensively.

Captain Rhys Day has certainly added some steel to the backline since recovering from injury and Charles, back from suspension, had another fine defensive game.

Bar a superb tackle by Day on Drewe Broughton, early in the game, Aldershot had little defending to do in the first half.

By then Warrington had already made a superb save from Grant’s angled shot and he followed that up with an even better one from Kirk Hudson’s low drive.

Next Warrington parried an effort from Charles but he got nowhere near a stunning shot from the same player in the 24th minute, which crashed down off the bar.

Blackburn showed a lack of attacking instinct by trying to pass the rebound to Grant, when he should have smashed goalwards from five yards.

Given that Rotherham have seen off five sides from higher leagues in cup competition this season — and quickly wiped off a -17 points deduction in League Two — it had been a torrid first half hour for Mark Robins’ men, who had little answer to Ben Harding and Scott Davies in the middle of the pitch and the energy of Grant, Hudson and, especially, Danny Hylton up front.

Day’s passing from the back was also astute, as his side bossed a one-sided half, latterly played in torrential rain, with water splashing up off the surface.

Thanks to Warrington, however, Rotherham went in level and, once again, Aldershot had failed to notch the goals that they superior play had merited.

That familiar failing was ruthlessly punished by the visitors early in the second half. For a ten-minute period, The Millers dominated and while Blackburn superbly blocked a Micky Cummins shot within seconds of the restart and Alex Rhodes headed Pablo Mills’s cross inches wide, Rotherham soon made the most of being in charge, when Rhodes played a clever corner back to the edge of the area and Cummins swept the ball past Bull.

Not that the goal was not without controversy. The referee’s assistant had awarded a throw-in, not a corner, but referee Singh overruled.

But, with their manager telling them to ‘relax, play your football, chances will come’ Aldershot did not panic. Davies forced a good save from Warrington, Grant blasted high and wide after superb play from Morgan and then Morgan shot weakly at Warrington.

At the other end, Aldershot, marshalled by Day, did not lose their shape, but Reid, denied by Bull, and Fenton both missed chances to finish the tie.

Deep into injury-time, Davies won the ball in midfield and fed Grant. Morgan looked second best to reach Grant’s pass, but his long legs helped him beat Fenton to the ball and referee Singh gave the penalty.

If last week’s miss, his lack of goals and that this was almost the last kick of an FA Cup tie, with his side losing, were not enough to make Grant nervous, it took an eternity for the ball to be recovered after the foul. But the man born in Lancashire held his nerve, despite Warrington getting a glove to the shot, to smash the tie back to South Yorkshire.

After a difficult season to date, Grant deserves the last words. “Scoring the 50th goal has been weighing on my mind but hopefully I can push on now,” he said.

“Of course I was nervous before the penalty. I’ve had demons in my head at times this season, saying you are not good enough but other parts tell you to keep going, you will score. And I will never turn down the chance to put the ball in the back of the net. I stayed focused and picked my spot.

“My heart skipped a beat when the keeper got a hand to it but there was enough pace on the ball.

“I’d like to thank the fans. It was great to score again in front of the East Bank. The fans are fantastic. They could have easily got on my case this season because I haven’t been getting the goals, even if I feel I’ve worked really hard. But the fans always back me and I really appreciate it."

Aldershot Town: Bull, Blackburn, Straker, Day, Charles, Harding, Soares (Morgan 59), Davies, Grant, Hylton (Elvins 90), Hudson. Not used: Jaimez-Ruiz, Chalmers, Howel, Donnelly, Newman.

Rotherham United: Warrington, Tonge, Nicholas, Sharps, Fenton, Harrison, Cummins, Mills, Broughton (Barker 54), Garcia (Joseph 78), Rhodes (Reid 63). Not used: Cann, Yates, Taylor, Hudson.

For an extended match report and more from Gary Waddock and John Grant, see this week's Aldershot Mail.

Aldershot’s reserves entertain Crystal Palace in the Pontins Holidays Combination League tomorrow afternoon (Tuesday). Kick-off at The EBB Stadium is 2pm.