Two steps forward and one stumbling step back, inconsistency reigns once more at The EBB Stadium.
Generous to a glaring fault, The Shots gifted Burton two early goals and thereafter lacked a few fundamental qualities – cohesion, creativity, passion – to drag themselves back into a disappointingly lack-lustre game. Paul Peschisolido’s tactics, though, were spot-on – defending from the front and overcoming a numerical disadvantage in midfield with ease – as Burton comfortably turned Aldershot’s sluggish start into a debilitating defeat. Parkes was left unmarked on the six-yard line to glance in Taylor’s corner on 9 minutes, and a quarter of an hour later they repeated the feat: with eight defenders in and around the goalmouth, McGrath’s corner drifted through the penalty area to James, whose side-foot volley was touched in by Kabba. The Shots were second best in every department, creating little more than a couple of half-chances for Danny Hylton and made to look increasingly clueless by Burton’s vibrant performance. The expected second-half onslaught never materialised, despite substitutes Damian Spencer and Omar Riza briefly suggesting otherwise as Aldershot switched to 4-4-2. Riza’s injury-time shot was about the best that the home side could muster, but for most of the second-half it was Burton who looked more likely to score a third goal. Kevin Dillon promised extra training for his squad, along with further reinforcements to a team in dire need to leadership, but such is their frustrating nature, this team will probably return from Bradford with three points.