Words John Edwards | Pictures Jonathan Moore

Aldershot 2 Altrincham 1

Altrincham's five-match unbeaten Vanarama National League run came to a wet, windy and ultimately frustrating end at a storm-lashed EBB Stadium this afternoon.

The conditions were truly appalling, but Alty appeared to be making light of them early on as they started on the front foot and seemingly had little difficulty executing their usual game plan of keeping the ball and using it to good effect.

In the absence of top scorer Regan Linney due to suspension, however, they were unable to reflect it on the scoresheet, and when Aldershot struck twice inside four minutes, the self-belief so evident earlier began to drain away.

Tom Crawford's 78th-minute dismissal for a second yellow card hardly helped, and when substitute Jake Bickerstaff opened his Alty account with an accomplished finish in the 90th minute, it duly proved too little too late.

After a cagey start to the game, in which Alty had the better of the exchanges, the Robins fashioned the first attempt on goal in the 13th minute when Joe Nuttall controlled a pass 25 yards out before turning and firing a low shot that forced a diving save from Aldershot keeper Marcus Dewhurst.

Alty survived animated penalty appeals three minutes later following a challenge on Jack Barham inside the area, and the Shots forward picked up a yellow card for arguing his case a little too strongly for the referee's liking.

Given the swirling nature of the wind that was buffeting the stadium, Alty were doing well to retain possession and build moves as constructively as they were, though skipper Lewis Baines had to be alert to block a shot on target from the home side midway through the half.

One such flowing move promised much for Alty in the 23rd minute, only to end with George Wilson ballooning his shot high over the bar as he leaned back and swung his left boot at the ball.

Alty were warming to their task and threatened a breakthrough again in the 25th minute when Matty Kosylo teed up Lewis Banks for a left-foot effort that sailed narrowly wide of the upright from outside the area.

The Robins had made all the running, but it was the Shots who opened the scoring a minute later.

Ashley Akpan swung a low cross into the danger area from the right flank, and James Henry was on hand to turn it in from a couple of yards out.

Despite dictating play for so much of the opening half-hour, the Robins found themselves two goals adrift in the 30th minute.

Again it was Henry who did the damage, though the Shots striker had a slice of good fortune as he charged down an attempted clearance and was suddenly in the clear and able to apply a composed finish past the advancing Ethan Ross.

A goal back before half-time would have been handy for the Robins, and Kosylo almost delivered one in the 42nd minute with a left-foot shot that was unluckily deflected just off-target for a corner.

Similarly, two minutes later, Alex Newby twisted and turned to open up space for a shot that took a deflection for another corner, as Alty stepped up the pressure in an attempt to reduce the arrears.

The rain was hammering down with greater ferocity than ever at the start of the second half, but it didn't deter Alty from trying to continue building patiently as they sought a way through the Shots defence.

Equally, the Robins knew they could ill-afford to slip further behind, and there were warning signs that such an eventuality could happen as danger man Henry sent a shot and then a header not far off the target in quick succession.

Alty should have been right back in it in the 52nd minute when a clever pass from Elliot Osborne fell perfectly for Newby as it bounced in front of him inside the area and only slightly to the left of the Aldershot goal.

The Alty forward was only a few yards out, but his attempt at a left-foot volley was mistimed, and Dewhurst was able to save with ease.

With the hour-mark approaching, Alty sent on Kahrel Reddin for Wilson in a switch intended to add width and pace to their attacking endeavours.

The Robins continued to ring the changes, with Bickerstaff and Isaac Marriott also going on, but a route through to the Aldershot net remained elusive, as Alty struggled to maintain their earlier tempo.

Matters went from bad to worse in the 78th minute, when Crawford pulled back an Aldershot player who was advancing towards the Alty area and was unsurprisingly shown a second yellow card, all but sealing their fate as they went down to 10 men.

In the event, Bickerstaff provided a flicker of hope, as he latched on to a ball that was nudged into his path and fired unerringly past Dewhurst for his first Alty goal, with the first of five added minutes about to start.

Aldershot saw them out with few, if any, alarms, and it was disappointing from an Alty perspective that the game fizzled out as it did after an opening half-hour that suggested something far more palatable for the Robins.

Aldershot Dewhurst; Widdrington (c), Hargreaves, Barrett (Mullins, 83'), Jones, Scott, Akpan, Barham (Ghandour, 83'), Menayese, Henry (Frost, 75'), Ellison (Tetek, 46'). Subs not used: Byrd, Frost, Corbett, Nash.

Altrincham Ross; Banks, E.Jones, Baines (c), Osborne, Newby, Kosylo (Marriott, 69'), J.Jones, Wilson (Reddin, 60'), Crawford, Nuttall (Bickerstaff, 66'). Subs not used: Cooper, Humbles, Golden, Fallon, Bickerstaff.

HT 2-0

Goals Henry 26', 30' | Bickerstaff 90'+1

Yellows Barham 17', Scott 31', Henry 40', Barrett 68' | Crawford 34', 78'

Reds None | Crawford 78'

Referee Jamie O'Connor

Assistants Peter Lowe & David Pilling

Fourth official Harrison Blair

Attendance 1,882 (84 away)

Next Up

The first of three consecutive home games coming up on Tuesday evening - York City the visitors to The J.Davidson Stadium (7:45pm). Tickets available here and hospitality here.

If you're interested in FREE tickets for our National League Cup tie against Stoke City under-21s on Tuesday, December 3rd (7:30pm) - courtesy of OBI Property - click here.