ALDERSHOT 8 CHERTSEY T 0
Maghoma 6, Henry 11, Jones 25, Corbett 70, 85, 88, 90+1, Stuttle 88
RED-HOT Aldershot Town beat the freeze and breezed into the fifth round with a club record 8-0 home victory over Chertsey Town.
The EBB Stadium pitch was only passed fit just over 90 minutes before kick-off but Aldershot wasted no time in asserting their authority over a Curfews team which had already upset Bath City and Dagenham and Redbridge in their best-ever FA Trophy run.
Two goals up in 11 minutes, and 3-0 ahead by the 25th minute, the Shots put the cherry on the cake with a late four-goal flurry which, although chastening for Chertsey, finally gave a truer reflection of the hosts’ dominance.
“We’ve done a professional job and achieved our goal of getting through to the next round,” admitted the coaching team deputising for recuperating manager Tommy Widdrington.
“We’re pleased but there’s also a tinge of disappointment – there were times out there when we could have been better, more clinical in front of goal and passing the ball.
“We could and should have had double figures.”
Match Action
Widdrington watched from the directors box as, Christian Maghoma, started by the goalkeeping coach David Smalley, scrambled the ball in after Josh Barrett’s corner wasn’t cleared.
James Henry soon doubled the lead, stroking in Ashley Akpan’s superb cross, and suddenly the Shots were rampant.
Barrett missed four good chances in the first half – including a volley which hit the inside of the post – but the lively Ryan Jones, with a rising drive into the roof of the net, effectively sealed the tie before half-time.
Yet, the Shots continued to be profligate and Chertsey’s efforts produced isolated moments in attack.
Substitute Conor Lee nearly made an instant impact by bringing a superb double save from Marcus Dewhurst on 57 minutes.
But any thoughts of a comeback were extinguished by the arrival of Kai Corbett with a point to prove, adding a fourth with a delightful curling shot which became the first part of a 20-minute hat-trick.
He also set-up Jonny Stuttle’s low near-post finish before dancing through the Chertsey defence for the sixth goal.
Stuttle tapped in the rebound as Nick Jupp parried Cameron Hargreaves’ drive and Corbett completed the scoring by rounding Jupp.
Eight goals had been harsh on the veteran goalkeeper, who made several impressive saves, but Curfews boss Mark Harper recognised a bittersweet experience against his former side, sitting 43 places higher in the pyramid.
“Aldershot were outstanding,” conceded Harper.
“They showed how big the gap is between the two leagues.
“We weren’t on our day today, too many individuals carrying knocks – but we gave a reasonable account of ourselves and we’ve come a long way in 18 months.”
