Aldershot Town 1 Guiseley 0

ALDERSHOT Town leapfrogged Guiseley in the National League with a win thanks to the only goal of the game

Mark Bower’s men were two points better off than the Shots before kick-off at the EBB Stadium, but Aldershot pulled off their first win in eight league games.

One goal from substitute Tom Richards 11 minutes from time was enough for the home side to claw their way above the Lions.

It was a tense game in difficult conditions with a wet surface and swirling wind which affected the quality of play but not the effort that both sides put in. The Shots had the first real attempt of the game but the shot went wide and the visitors’ first effort was a James Hurst drive that flew over.

The Lions edged the first half, but the closest they came to breaking the deadlock came when Gavin Rothery collected Adam Boyes’ knockdown but fired over as the teams reached the break on level terms.

Aldershot began the second half with purpose and dominated possession but they only created half chances. Lions keeper Steve Drench made sharp saves to deny Charlie Walker, while Daniel Carr and Dan Walker also went close.

The visitors again came back at their hosts and Hurst sent in a shot from almost 30 yards that cannoned onto the bar, Shots’ keeper Phil Smith threw out a hand but it was unclear whether he had tipped it onto the woodwork.

Bower replaced Boyes with Tom Craddock as he looked for his side to make the breakthrough, but it was the home side that produced the one spark. Richards blasted in the first senior goal of his career to convert a Jack Gallagher cross.

There was a late chance for Guiseley’s Craddock, but deep into stoppage time the Shots’ Sean McGinty hit the bar.

A disappointed Bower said, “We were by far the better side in the first half and got in some good areas and were inches away from applying the final touch to go in front.

“After half-time with the wind in their favour you know you are going to come under some pressure and they had a lot of possession, but we weathered the first 20 minutes of that.

“We got a foothold in the game and were desperately unlucky with the one that their keeper gets a fingertip onto that goes onto the crossbar.

"Then we got caught with probably their only real chance in the game and their lad sticks it away.

“We lacked a bit of composure in the second half, we had opportunities to clear the ball but we were slashing at things.

"It was just one of those days when noting really went for us and while it’s disappointing we will look back on it and learn from it.”