Tuesday night’s game was always in the calendar. Just over an hour’s drive meant home at a decent hour but also the opportunity for a meeting or two before the game.
It was a first visit to Aldershot for many years, indeed the last one I remember was back in 2003/04 when Matt Redmile opened the scoring for Barnet but had to settle for a point.
2023/24 appears to be bringing the possibility of play off campaigns for both sides, Barnet ensconced in 3rd place whilst the Shots have enjoyed a massive turnaround under Tommy Widdrington and Hugo Langton, with a decent FA Cup run too.
Now, normally by this point the rest of the blog would be behind the paywall for the paying subscribers but I’d like to share a little more just before the rest is hidden.
Unbeknown to many of you I also offer clubs a programme writing service. How often do you head to a game and find one full of adverts, hardly any content but stumping up at least a couple of quid for the privilege.
Now, I’m not knocking clubs because I’ve been there to know how hard it is to produce one, what I would knock is the price when down the road other clubs actually give you something to read or get the brain working when thumbing through the pages.
The reason I’ve added this bit in is because I write in the Aldershot programme, one of the best around in non-league but I also go right down to Step 5 in the County Leagues. Each column is unique to each game and each club, they’re never repeated.
There are a few images below and a nice touch from Victoria Rogers who put the Shots effort together, very much appreciated.
The content below was originally paywalled.
Coming off the back of good results for both sides at the weekend and given the unpredictability as well, it was either going to be a very tight game or a very free scoring game.
The Shots certainly edged the first half, Barnet certainly struggled to get themselves going with the midfield battle won by the home side, the Bees Gatlin O’Donkor well marshalled by the Shots backline. Josh Keely was forced into a couple of saves within that dominance but nothing too hard to trouble the young keeper.
Despite being the more attacking of the two sides, Aldershot couldn’t find the breakthrough before half time, the closest being Connor Stevens clearing the ball off the Barnet goal line.
With no changes during the interval it was as you were and a similar patten across the second half too, Aldershot probing and working the ball well but still unable to find a breakthrough.
As the game headed towards it’s final moments Bees substitute Callum Stead had a glorious chance to win it for the visitors but couldn’t get the ball into the net with ten minutes to play.
And five minutes later the home side were in front. A ball landed at the feet of Tyler Frost on the far right of the penalty area, he cut across the ball, hitting Kwame Thomas and a further deflection on it’s way into the net.
There was little time left for Barnet to fashion an equaliser, the Shots taking the points and two very good wins in a row maintaining their play-off chase as we head towards the final two months of the season.
A very flat performance from the visitors in which they never got going all evening, but credit must go to Aldershot for stopping Barnet playing despite what some supporters thought on Twitter.
Having watched the Shots game on the weekend they played well against Altrincham who are a very good side and more than matched Barnet for the full 90 minutes, impressive movement and interchanging across the park.
Lorent Tolaj was influential without scoring while James Daly and Josh Stokes were a nuisance, the midfield battle clearly won by the home side. 2nd or 3rd place is firmly in the hands of the Bees, an estimate of six wins needed and no more than four losses will secure a first round play-off bye but they will have to do it without those currently injured, but there is enough quality within those still fit to not make it an issue.
