Aldershot Town won a five-goal thriller 3-2 at Dorking Wanderers in the fourth qualifying round of the Emirates FA Cup on Saturday.

Shots boss Tommy Widdrington made four changes from the league defeat at Southend United. The cup-tied Keane Anderson missed out and Charlie Penman, Kiban Rai and Tristan Abrahams dropped to the bench with Theo Widdrington, Cameron Hargreaves, Jed Meerholz and Hady Ghandour starting.

Dorking had a couple of early chances as Charlie Carter and Jimmy Muitt fired narrowly past the post, but it was the Shots who came closest to taking the lead early on when a soft back pass put home keeper Harrison Foulkes under pressure and his clearance smashed into Kwame Thomas and looped just over the bar.

Ben Jackson clashed heads in just the second minute, causing him to play with a very large bandage, but as blood starting seeping through once more, he required further treatment.

Jason Prior went close with a header for Dorking but couldn't get enough power on it and Shots keeper Marcus Dewhurst got down and saved it.

The Shots were forced into a first-half change when Widdrington pulled up and couldn't continue. James Clarridge took his place, with Meerholz moving into midfield and Hargreaves taking the captain’s armband.

Aldershot took the lead a few minutes before half-time. Meerholz did brilliantly down the right wing to beat his man and cut the ball back to Josh Barrett, who produced a sublime chipped finish from the edge of the box.

Dorking almost equalised immediately as they piled on the pressure from kick-off. A scramble in the box saw a shot from close range blocked behind for a corner.

With ten minutes of added time to end the first half, there was plenty of time for things to change before the break.

The Shots doubled their advantage in the fifth minute of added time when Barrett's wide free kick found Thomas, who powered his header into the corner.

Dorking pulled a goal back before the break when Frank Vincent scuffed a shot at goal that was turned in by James McShane.

The second half got off to the best possible start for Aldershot as they regained their two-goal advantage in the 46th minute. A long ball forward found Ghandour down the left of the box and he did well to keep his composure, turn back and lay it off for Barrett who had found space at the far post to power his effort past Foulkes.

Dorking reduced the deficit in the 55th minute when Dennon Lewis found the bottom corner with a curling effort after being found in space out on the left and cutting back onto his right foot.

Lewis came close to getting his second ten minutes later after being found in space on the edge of the box, but his curling strike rattled the crossbar.

The home side should have equalised in the 75th minute when an in-swinging cross from the right caused problems and somehow wasn't turned in as it bounced just over the bar.

A late goalmouth scramble caused panic at the back for Aldershot with two minutes of the 90 left. Multiple Dorking attackers tried their luck only to see their efforts blocked by Aldershot’s defence, and Louis Storey headed just wide from the resulting corner.