Shots threw away a two goal lead and slumped to their fourth consecutive draw at home to Lincoln, for whom loanee Ashley Grimes took his tally to 12 goals in 12 games with a crucial late equaliser. In a tail of handball's....what goes around comes around....as first Shots benefitted from one, then had another turned down, survived an appeal when a home player handled in the box, before finally Lincoln somehow got away with one in the build up to their late equaliser.
Aldershot Manager Dean Holdsworth rang the changes, following Shots lackluster 0-0 draw at home to Macclesfield at the weekend.
Out went Morris, Panther, Sills and McGlashan and back in came Herd, Guttridge, Vincenti and Hylton. Small played up top on his own. With Vincenti seemingly given a free role – as he appeared out left, out right, up front and all across the midfield at different times throughout the first half.
Shots, apparently having learned their lesson from Saturday, began in more lively fashion. That said, Vincenti's was the only effort worthy of note in the opening fifteen minutes...Carson though, keeping goal for the visitors, got across well to half save and a defender completed the clearance.
Lady luck then helped Shots out....as for the second time in ten days, an opposing defender inexplicably handballed as a ball was crossed into the Lincoln area. Shots record to date this season, four penalties, all saved or missed....so who would step up to take the responsibility for this one? None else than skipper Anthony Charles, who's fine strike to Carson's right, gave Shots the lead.
Shots went on to dominate the remainder of the first period.....without creating too many chances worthy of note. Rodman tormented experienced full back Jamie Clapham at times without ever finding an end product. Small whipped a dangerous ball across the face of goal, but none of the three advancing Shots players could connect. There was a scare in time added on, when Ashley Grimes almost intercepted Rodman's underhit back pass, but Shots survived to lead at the break.
Far from siting on their lead, Shots came out with a real appetite for the second half and doubled their lead on 48 minutes.......the lively Rodman cuting in from the right and scoring with a fine finish from an acute angle.
Shots rarely win at a canter and rather predictably, they soon conceded...O'Keefe heading home a cross from the left hand side, after Hylton had failed to clear properly when back in his own penalty area, trying to defend his teams cause.
Sills and Halls came on but Shots lost their impetus. They began to look nervous and Lincoln sensed it. With just four minutes left, they levelled, grimes ramming the ball home after both ref and linesman somehow missed a blatant handball when the ball first came into the box.