Aldershot Town 0, AFC Fylde 0

ALTHOUGH ostensibly a positive result against a team with Football League ambitions, another anaemic attacking performance left Aldershot Town on the brink of relegation to National League South.

The Lancastrians should have cruised to victory after a dominant first-half display, but The Shots wasted the best chance of the game – their only effort on target in a lethargic 90 minutes – and soon realised a draw was of little use to them as they now sit 12 points from safety with just 15 left available.

“This would have been a valuable draw at any other time in the season but we needed to win the game.

“We’ve kept a clean sheet but a point isn’t good enough,” admitted manager Gary Waddock, who could see his side relegated with defeat at Bromley this weekend.

“The players have been excellent in the last six or so games, their work rate and attitude has been very good, but for whatever reason it hasn’t happened for us in front of goal this season. That’s been the case over the past two years – we create chances but we’re not ruthless enough,” he continued, after setting two new unwanted club records – 11 home matches without a win and failing to score in 21 matches in a single season.

“There have been a lot of obstacles and challenges that have been put in our way this season. Now we certainly have to win the next five games,” admitted Waddock.

Only goalkeeper Will Mannion prevented Fylde from running riot in the lunchtime sunshine, but ultimately this was not a game which will live long in the memories of BT Sport’s television audience.

The prolific Danny Rowe endured a rare off day but James Hardy should have put Fylde ahead in just the ninth minute, only for Mannion to make a superb point-blank block.

Mannion then denied both Andy Bond and Ryan Croasdale from long range, and brilliantly tipped Nick Haughton’s rising drive over the bar.

In contrast, John Goddard’s two shots – one curled wide and one adjudged to have not been blocked by a defender’s hand – was the meagre fruit of Aldershot Town’s endeavours. Mannion was alert to repel Rowe after Hardy’s weaving run at the end of the first half, but The Shots began the second half briefly in the ascendancy.

Matt McClure – making his first start since New Year’s Day, having appeared set to leave the club in February – sliced a volley wide, and Jake Gallagher, seemingly with an open goal to shoot into from eight yards, saw the ball cleared off the line by Danny Philliskirk. Rollin Menayese volleyed wildly over the bar on 56 minutes and that was the end of the hosts’ purple patch.

Having started in surprisingly low-key fashion, the game entered an even less enthralling phase as Rowe continued to struggle for accuracy with two wayward free kicks and Goddard also missed the target from a set-piece.

Substitute Ashley Hemmings nearly injected some late drama with a dynamic run and shot and another drive which hit the side-netting, but neither side could snatch all three points, and neither side were truly satisfied with their afternoon’s work.

Aldershot Town: Mannion, McCoy, Menayese, Elokobi, Booty, Howell, Gallagher (Berkeley-Agyepong 74), Goddard, McClure (McDonnell 64), Mensah, Rendell. Subs (not used): Bernard, McDonagh, Finney.

Attendance: 1,280.