The Blue Square North side were justifiably disappointed by the 2-1 defeat as their performance warranted a second crack at the Premier leaders. "That's the way we've been playing recently," Tamworth manager Gary Mills said, "we didn't change anything just because we were playing Aldershot, good side that they are."
Tamworth were relegated from the Conference National last season and as the only survivors from outside non-League football's top flight left in the competition, went into Saturday's tie having lost just once in eight games. The club have a proud reputation in the non-League cups: winners of the FA Vase in 1989, the Lambs were beaten by Burscough in the Trophy final at Villa Park in 2003. A poor start to this season has left Mills' side way off the play-off places, but additions to the squad and a fine run in the Trophy has inspired form.
Nineteen-year-old former Birmingham City striker Nick Wright, with hat-tricks in successive games, last week joined an elite group of just four former Tamworth players to have achieved the same feat. Mills said of Wright: "Not long ago he was being jeered - now he has started to grasp the importance of hard work which includes the horrible stuff when you haven't got the ball."
Saturday's game, played on the Lambs' sloping pitch, saw Wright and his strike partner Jamie Reed work tirelessly at the "horrible stuff" as Tamworth battled away against an Aldershot side six points clear at the top of the Blue Square Premier.
Shots' leading scorer John Grant was carried off on a stretcher before half-time, however, the victim of a bruising challenge from Tamworth captain Adie Smith, who was booked. Fortunately the injury appears to be less serious than at first thought.
Honours remained even until the 80th minute, when a driven corner from Aldershot substitute Scott Davies was powered home by central defender Dave Winfield. The home fans' disappointment lasted barely 20 seconds as Reed forced his way to the touchline and pulled the ball back for Tamworth substitute Jake Sheridan to equalise. Yet another substitute Matt Williams, almost won the tie for Tamworth in the 90th minute, bursting through to shoot just wide, before Kirk Hudson applied the coup de grace; collecting the ball 20 yards out to the right, he curled a left-foot shot over Alex Cisak and into the far corner, to the delight of the visiting fans, packed behind the Tamworth goal at the Meadow Street end.
The home side were given a standing ovation as Aldershot move on to a two-leg semi-final and a possible first Wembley appearance.
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