Another Tayl of woe at the Wreckreation Ground

Taylor had been beaten here in the previous two seasons with Wycombe and Stevenage.

And he collected an unwanted hat-trick as his new club failed to build on their back-to-back wins.

Although City can play a lot better, they were still kicking themselves for missing several chances to get something from the game.

Buoyed by the confidence of successive victories, Taylor had named an unchanged side for the first time, with non-contract striker Gavin Grant added to the bench at a ground where he had scored on his last two non-league visits with Taylor’s Stevenage and Grays.

The game began in unremarkable fashion. Both sides forced a couple of corners in the opening ten minutes without troubling either keeper.

Aldershot midfielder Ben Harding tried to emulate the long-range rockets from last season’s fixture but sent the ball towering over the bar.

But there was a flutter in City’s defence after Gareth Evans fouled Andy Sandell near the touchline. Scott Donnelly’s free-kick beat its intended target and Matt Glennon before bouncing wide.

Aldershot then went route one, keeper Stephen Henderson launching a booming clearance towards Kirk Hudson. He held off Luke O’Brien on the edge of the box and found Donnelly but Robbie Threlfall was across to snuff out the danger.

The home side were enjoying the bulk of the play but City kept numbers behind the ball. The flat atmosphere wasn’t helped by injury stoppages for Mark McCammon and then Shots defender Dave Winfield, who had to limp off.

With City looking to hit the big two up front, the lofty Winfield’s absence played into their hands and James Hanson won his first aerial tussle with substitute Chris Blackburn.

And Hanson had City’s first chance from a Simon Ramsden corner, Henderson needing two grabs to hold his header before Evans could pounce.

The match was turning into a corner-fest – with ten clocked up in just over half an hour – but it lacked any real quality.

City weren’t holding on to the ball well enough and Aldershot’s main tactic seemed to focus on Henderson hoofing the ball 70 yards at the earliest opportunity.

They strung a better move together as Hudson cut inside Threlfall but he slipped while shooting and Glennon had an easy save.

Corners remained City’s most likely route to an opening goal, with the frontmen proving a handful. Another good delivery from Ramsden was met by a combination of Hanson and Steve Williams but McCammon was unable to direct his shot on the turn from close range and the chance dribbled away.

Henderson, under pressure on the byline from O’Brien, put himself in trouble with a scuffed clearance that landed at Flynn’s feet. But Anthony Charles got in a crucial block to save his keeper’s bacon.

Aldershot shouted in vain for a penalty as half-time approached. Danny Hylton appeared to be nudged over by Matt Clarke as they chased another long ball but referee Phil Crossley was unimpressed.

In a dour opening half, City had kept it pretty tight against the third top home scorers in the division. Aldershot had enjoyed the bulk of possession and played the better football yet City had looked the more likely to break the deadlock.

McCammon appeared after the break with a bandage round his head following his early knock. It was reminiscent of Graeme Lee at Aldershot last season.

Aldershot had a chance four minutes in but Harding skied it into the trees behind the open end of the ground. But that lifted the home side and Hudson was almost played in from a slick passing exchange down the right flank.

City responded as Flynn picked out Evans in space to cross. His ball flew behind Hanson but bounced back to him off Ben Herd’s shin.

The goal opened up briefly but Blackburn slid in with a vital interception to smother the shot wide.

But the stalemate was ended after 54 minutes – and City paid the price for not clearing their lines.

The danger seemed to have passed when Ramsden headed a corner away but Donnelly, who had taken it, fired the ball back in straight to Charles and the centre half had room to control and drive his fourth goal of the season past Glennon.

Taylor reacted to the setback with a double change, bringing on Omar Daley and Steve O’Leary for O’Brien and McCammon. Flynn was pushed further forward as City switched to 4-3-3.

The heat was starting to rise and Hanson was booked for going in late on the keeper.

It was not happening for City and Flynn headed over harmlessly. Then Daley set off on an angled charge into the Aldershot box but his cross sailed behind.

The Jamaican got a stern warning for clattering Herd but there was no escaping a card when he did it again on the other side two minutes later.

Aldershot had upped their game and a thunderbolt from Hylton was palmed up in the air by Glennon, who recovered in time to deal with the rebound.

Grant came on for his debut with 17 minutes left as Clarke received City’s third booking for clattering Hylton.

Aldershot should have sealed the points when Glennon parried Harding’s header. The ball fell for newly-arrived substitute Damian Spencer eight yards out but he thrashed wildly over.

City launched a late rally and subs O’Leary and Daley combined to tee up Threlfall but he screwed his shot across goal.

And they were almost gifted an equaliser in stoppage time when Herd headed Daley’s through ball past his own keeper but the wrong side of the post.

Then O’Leary’s volley fell conveniently for Lee Bullock, who crashed it over from ten yards. It was a big miss and summed up City’s frustrating evening.