McGinty passed away on the morning of the match, following a long battle with cancer, and as his name echoed around The EBB Stadium, his players gave a display that would have been very familiar to him: neat counter-attacking football to race into a half-time lead, followed by some rather nervy defending as Stanley briefly threatened an unlikely comeback.
Accrington, though, had started in the ascendancy – Hinshelwood scrambling Miles’ overhead flick off the line in the first minute – and they remained a rather toothless threat throughout an entertaining first half. However, it was The Shots who had the cutting edge to complement their fluid approach play.
Soares’ first-time cross from the right swirled high and apparently out of play, only to drop down onto the crossbar and into the path of Adam Hinshelwood. His clever touch back to Donnelly [pictured] on the edge of the box was finished with a fine 20 yard drive into the bottom corner.
Morgan doubled the lead on 22 minutes, sliding in to meet the rebound after Martin had parried Hudson’s angled drive, and The Shots seemed set fair for a comfortable victory.
Martin did well to block Soares’ vicious, swerving shot, but Stanley were resurgent either side of the break: first Jaimez-Ruiz clutched Miles’ cross-shot to his chest with McConville waiting to pounce, and then, with the second half just two minutes old, a Miles corner created havoc in the Shots area and Edwards stabbed in the rebound after Jaimez-Ruiz made a superb save to block Mullins’ flick.
Aldershot had lost their edge and found themselves harassed out of their usually assured style. Fortunately, Stanley lacked quality in the final third, and Jaimez-Ruiz was grateful to make two identical saves to block shots by impressive substitute Kee.
Donnelly could have added a third on 65 minutes, curling a shot inches over the bar, but with Accrington throwing bodies and high balls into the box, he finally eased a few home nerves with another fine finish: exchanging passes with Lewis Chalmers, a lovely back-heel created space for Donnelly to bend a precise shot beyond Martin’s dive and into the bottom corner.
Finally it was mission accomplished, and Gary Waddock spoke for everybody: this win was for Mr McGinty, and his Recreation Ground will be a poorer place for his passing. God Bless You, JJ.