Aldershot Town V Chester FC MATCH THREAD

I hope JM enjoys his success tonight but doesn't drop any clangers in the post match interview. We need positivity ahead of the Macc game.

Tom Crawford is a central midfielder.

Correct ... the young striker that played in pre-season was Marsh LLoyd

Thought Joyce did what he had to but Chappel made a difference once he got balls to his feet

Well, seeing as Anders is on his way home will have a stab at a match report.
Yes, the first half was dire. Misplaced passes, saved three times by the woodwork, Akintunde up front on his own and long balls being lumped into the channels. It was like a training attack vs defence game and Shots looked pretty slick. Really should have been two or three. Can't remember a shot for us. James and Turnbull looked well off the pace. Half time Akintunde and Davies off and Chappel and Joyce on, which didn't exactly fill the away terrace with joy. More of the same for the first fifteen minutes, then Mahon gets in the box and cuts inside and has his leg clipped. Very soft but a clear pen, totally against the run of play. Dawson, who by now is playing up front, slotted it superbly. Expected it to be backs to the wall but we got a grip on midfield and started passing the ball a lot better. There were some very good performnaces in the second half...the keeper was excellent all game, coming for crosses and pulling off a couple of good saves, NRT was impressive at left back. James and Turrnbull got better and better and we were looking threatening. Ten minutes to go and Chappel, who also played well, broke forward on the right and chipped the Shots keeper. Ball comes back off the bar and wasn't really cleared. Think it was Chappel again who found James on the left an he slmmed it in. Was convinced it was going to be off side but no ...cue pandemonium as we all go mental. Looked reasonably comfortable after that ...the sting had gone out of Shots and they ran out of ideas. Their players and fans started getting wound up - always sweet at Shots as also remember getting relegated there. Great scenes at the end when the players came over. 120 Blues including four Scottish squaddies who are based in Aldershot and like to go in the away end - they left at half time. Saw them in the pub later and they couldn't believe we'd turned it round. Same goes for most of us I suspect. Ultimate game of two halves - looked like a decent team in the second half but can't afford to start games like that. Not sure where that leaves Macca - tactical genius who always knew it would turn out right, or just a blip? Who knows. Don't care for now. Will just savour the win. MOTM Dawson...put in a great shift up front, held the ball up superbly. Clinical penalty. 

Close enough.

Mahon was MOTM for me, won the penalty, ran tirelessly and caused them enormous problems down the left wing in the second half.

Regardless of the luck, we would have been torn apart had we come out attacking in the first half, their blonde curly haired left winger would have exposed the gaps mercilessly. Mitchell didn't have many saves to make, despite them hitting the woodwork three times. We hit the woodwork too. A draw would have been a fair and respectable result.

We have lost one in five, that doesn't justify sacking the manager. I didn't care how negative the play was when I walked away with a grin on my face and three points. Macca is being judged on a bad end of season when he had clearly lost the dressing room.

This group of players are playing for him. Whilst that continues and we are picking up enough points to take us towards a mid table finish, I will be happy. Way too early in the season to judge, but after today, I can see the wins coming.

Yeah we get it. Thanks for your insights

Credit where it is due. That's a superb win that even the most optimistic of us probably wouldn't have thought possible. It's bought the manager some more time. Personally, I had slipped down the hill towards wanting him out but this has brought me back up. I don't go away though and home form is mine and the club's bread and butter and this must be turned around before we all have a love in about him. Over to you Jon and all eyes on Monday.

Please read your opening two sentences. You confirm the first half achievement as good luck. At no time did I criticise the players. I suspect many are dissatisfied with the first half tactics imposed on them, which is why I made the inference that the final half hour may be their preferred tactics once their shackles are off. 
My opinion is based on over four months of play, and one which has continued this season in the same vein. I wholeheartedly agree that the team played a LOT better in the second half, exactly as they did against Sutton. Total credit to them. On a better day we may well have taken six points from the last two games. I don't make opinions based on a couple of isolated good half hours of play. 

You clearly have an agenda. Fair enough. 
But you weren't even at the game. 
And you do tend to be a bit patronising. 

one of there fans has praised mitchell saying he was outstanding today

another reckons we were more fitter then there players

few given credit in how the players turned it around

Yeah let's all stand there and applaud em shall we.
Oh and people will boo McCarthy not the players.