ALDERSHOT TN 0, BRADFORD CITY 0

ALDERSHOT are in the draw for the second round, but they will have to beat Bradford City at their own Valley Parade ground next Wednesday to make further progress in the FA Cup.

This follows the goalless draw at the EBB Stadium last Saturday when, as the score suggests, two excellent defences largely cancelled each other out.

That was apart from an explosive opening minute when both sides could have taken the lead.

After that firecracker start, the Shots had the better of a lively first half and belied the two-division gap between the teams and the lingering glory of Bradford’s seismic FA Cup win over Chelsea last season.

The Bantams rather ruled the roost in the second half, but Aldershot manager Barry Smith praised the steely effort that earned his side a replay.

“I thought the performance overall was one of commitment and hard work. First half, we created so many chances. Second half we got a result with a clean sheet and a draw. We showed discipline and worked very hard, as we always do.”

Bradford reached the sixth round last season, beating Sunderland as well as Chelsea in their best FA Cup run since 1976.

But there were no spectacular goals to feature on First Round Highlights on the BBC. The visitors were allowed very few sights of goal by an unyielding Aldershot defence that, going into the game, had conceded just two goals in five games.

Not surprisingly, Omar Beckles was named man of the match, but it could just as easily have been fellow centre-back Jack Saville. Both were superb against a Bradford attack that included prolific marksmen James Hanson and Billy Clarke and, later in the game, Devante Cole, son of Andy.

The Shots were fired up at the start and Dan Walker’s raking cross fell perfectly for Richard Brodie who delayed his shot long enough for Bradford to get bodies in the way and Damon Lathrope’s follow-up was well wide.

Bradford immediately broke to the other end and Kyle Reid’s on-target drive was cleared from the goalmouth by Cheye Alexander.

Dan Walker continued to torment full-back James Meredith on the right and Bradford were fortunate that no-one got on the end of a series of dangerous crosses.

Aldershot strikers Brodie and Charlie Walker struggled to break their shackles and it was Jim Stevenson who emerged from midfield to go closest. His cracking 25-yard half-volley forced a flying save from Ben Williams who palmed the ball away for a corner.

As half-time approached, only Beckles denied Bradford the lead against the run of play. Aldershot survived a furious goalmouth scramble, but the ball ran loose to Billy Knott whose volley looked a goal all the way until Beckles deftly headed over his own crossbar.

Despite now playing against a gusty wind, the west Yorkshire side were more of an attacking threat in the second half. Soon, Clarke’s sharp turn earned him space for a fierce shot that had Phil Smith leaping across to deflect past the far post.

But although there was plenty of hustle and bustle, the cup-tie had ‘replay’ written all over it from the hour mark onwards as the defences took an unshakeable grip.

Cole Jnr showed some nice touches during his 20-minute cameo, but Aldershot were in mood to give it away now and defended the set-pieces particularly well, thanks mainly to the aerial dominance of Beckles and Saville.

A draw was a fair result, but Aldershot, you suspect, will have to show more in attack when the sides resume battle at Valley Parade.

Aldershot: Smith, Alexander, Beckles, Saville, McGinty, D Walker, Lathrope, Stevenson, Browne (Richards 73), C Walker, Brodie. Subs: Thomas, Oliver, Hatton, Barker, Mavila. Booked: Brodie.

Bradford: Williams, Darby, McArdle, Burke, Meredith, McMahon, Liddle, Knott, Reid (Marshall 84), B Clarke (Cole 70), Hanson. Subs: Cracknell, N Clarke, Leigh, Mottley-Henry, James. Booked: Burke.

Referee: Ben Toner.

Attendance: 2,640 (350 away).

On this Remembrance Sunday, a two-minute silence was observed impeccably before kick-off at the EBB Stadium.