Dick Turpin eat your heart out! Daylight robbery is alive and well and took place at the EBB Stadium today. Somehow, Aldershot Town managed to turn a highly dominant performance, in which they had 12 corners and created chances somewhere in double figures, they contrived to lose 2-1 to a poor Macclesfield side that scored with two of their three efforts on goal.
After three consecutive defeats, Shots manager Dean Holdsworth put out arguably his strongest line-up for this match. Perhaps he has a strongest 12? McGlsahan and Vincenti seem to rotate their starting places, according to the formation and tactics Holdsworth wants to play. On this occasion Vincenti started, with McGlashan on the bench.
After a quiet opening 15 minutes, Shots suddenly came alive. Rodman had a shot deflected for a corner and then Rankine followed suit. Shots won five corners in the space of ten minutes and begun to exert constant pressure on the visitors goal. Guttridge broke through and thumped a shot goalbound - Veiga in the Macc goal saved well. Then Hylton put Vincenti through 50-50 with the keeper. Vincenti stetched out a long leg and connected first, but his attempt cannonned straight back of Veiga. Next up Rankine - again found by Hylton, another left foot thumper - Veiga parried, Rodman followed up, Veiga saved again. Then a brilliant run by Rodman, twisting and turning and weaving his way into the penalty area before sending a left foot sizzler - over the bar!!
As the clock ticked towards half time, you could forgive Shots supporters beginning to think that this was going to be one of those days! But where there's Hylton, there's hope. Picking up the ball centrally, some 30 yards out, he moved forward, was forced left and curled the ball over Veiga and into the top left corner of the High Street End goal. A real beauty, his ninth goal of a prolific season so far.
Just three minutes into the second half, Shots almost doubled their lead when Veiga headed clear on the edge of his area, but only to Vincenti, who chested the balls down and volleyed goalwards from 30 yards. Somehow, Veiga back peddled enough to tip Vincenti's effort over the bar for a corner.
Unfortunately for Shots, in the 52nd minute, a horror moment was about to make them pay for their profligacy in the first half. Anthony Straker, who moments before had wasted a cross when in an attacking position, then, when under absolutely no pressure at all, inexplicably presented the ball to George Donnelly, who gratefully took the ball forward ten yards, unchallenged and calmly slotted the ball under Ross Worner to level the scores.
And then the earlier pattern of the game continued......Shots in total domination. Rodman had a curling free kick saved. Gutts volleyed over...twice, Vincenti headed over....twice.
Then, on 73 minutes, misfortune turned to disaster for Shots as Macclesfield completed the ultimate smash and grab sucker punch. Out of nothing a half chance and Ross Drapers scissor kick volley flew past Worner to put the visitors ahead.
And that was it....Shots flattered to deceive after that, the stuffing knocked out of them. Four straight defeats now....the curse of drawing Manchester United?
Shots: Worner, Herd, Jones, Morris, Straker, Hylton, Guttridge, Collins, Rodman, (McGlashan), Vincenti, (Smith) Rankine.