Aldershot Town endured a thoroughly frustrating – and ultimately fruitless – afternoon as their Play-Off dream foundered on Rotherham United’s perfectly executed gameplan.
Solid and organised at the back, and coping all-too-easily with a disjointed Aldershot attack relying too often on the long ball, Rotherham’s archetypal away performance was sealed by Adam Le Fondre’s opportunist late strike.
It was just reward for Ronnie Moore’s side who will now go into Wednesday’s second leg as favourites, thanks to Le Fondre’s neat finish, latching onto Brown’s woeful back-pass with just two minutes remaining. The Shots, though, had created scant few chances to suggest that they, instead, deserved to snatch a half-time lead in the tie.
Despite being at full-strength, Kevin Dillon’s observation that “eight or nine of the team didn’t perform” was exasperatingly correct. Possession was wasted and composure lost as Aldershot’s endeavour came to nought, and with both defences on top it was perhaps predictable that one mistake, and subsequent moment of quality, would settle the game.
Further insult came in the form of Jamie Young’s injury, carried off with a badly gashled leg after challenging for a high ball with Le Fondre. With chances at a premium, Marlon Jackson’s failure to connect with Dean Morgan’s low cross, in the seventh minute, proved costly. Gunning's superb block prevented Marvin Morgan from pulling the trigger at point-blank range, and Aldershot failed to better that opportunity, despite Young’s replacement, Jaimez-Ruiz, having little to do.
Le Fondre scooped a half-chance into the goalkeeper’s hands, and Law’s angled shot was easily saved, whilst in the second half Ryan Taylor’s free header drifted wide, but it was Rotherham’s defensive qualities which shone through. Aldershot’s best chances fell to Anthony Straker – three shots which narrowly missed the target – and, aside from a weak long-range effort from Halls, they resolutely failed to justify the optimism of the biggest home crowd of the season.
Having stumbled onto centre stage, and fluffed their lines once, The Shots will need to lift themselves, rapidly and markedly, if they are to imbue the second leg with their renowned sense of drama.