ALDERSHOT Town return to National League action this Saturday, needing to fill the gap left by the departure of one of their best players.

Last week, winger Bernard Mensah joined League One Bristol Rovers for an undisclosed fee, leaving Aldershot to renew their championship challenge – play-off slot at the very least – without one of their key attackers.

Mensah, 23, joined Aldershot from Watford in June 2016 and became a firm favourite with the fans. In all, he made 64 appearances for the Shots and scored 17 goals.

His strike rate was good for a winger. He scored 13 goals in 47 appearances last season and although restricted by injury this campaign, has still managed four goals in 15 games.

Known for his skill and lightning pace, he had a happy knack of scoring important goals – often the first of the game.

Typical was the 25-yard blockbuster that put Aldershot ahead at Bromley in November.

The feeling amongst many fans was that if Mensah played well, Aldershot played well and he was a pivotal figure in the winning league run during November, giving Aldershot the lead in three successive matches – against Hartlepool, Wrexham and Bromley – a sequence that no doubt attracted the interest of Darrell Clarke, the Bristol Rovers manager.

Mensah has not scored since then, but the assists have mounted and his darting runs, mainly on the left, and eagerness to get in the box were a vital part of Aldershot’s armoury as they claimed ten out of a possible 12 points over the Christmas period, twice beating Woking.

Hounslow-born Mensah made two first-team appearances in his time at Watford and, from 2013 to 2015, had loan spells at Braintree (twice) and Barnet, working with Gary Waddock, the current Shots manager, as the Bees won the Conference Premier title. He played 33 games for the Iron and the Bees, scoring five goals.

Aldershot chief executive Laura Smith said after Mensah’s departure: “Bernard was keen to play at a higher level and Gary Waddock didn’t want to stand in his way, especially as he would be out of contract in May. We only received Rovers’ offer this week and wanted a swift resolution.”

Mensah signed permanently for Aldershot in July 2016 and was described by his new club as being ‘equally adept playing in attack or on the wing.”

He leaves Aldershot with the side riding high in second place in the National League, just four points behind leaders Macclesfield, having made his final appearance in the 2-1 victory against Dover Athetic.

He was an unused substitute as Bristol drew 0-0 at Blackpool on Saturday and with Rovers languishing 17th in League One, could feature in the home match with fifth-placed Bradford City this weekend.

Aldershot, without a game last weekend due to their early FA Trophy exit, will want to slip back into the groove when they host mid-table Ebbsfleet. The Kent side might be low on confidence after crashing out of the FA Trophy on Tuesday night, beaten 2-0 in a replay by Division One North outfit Warrington Town.

Mensah may have left, but Aldershot supporters will be glad to see the return of French midfielder Fabien Robert who has rejoined the club on loan from Forest Green Rovers until the end of the season.

Robert, a midfield playmaker of undoubted skill, made 15 appearances for the Shots between September and December before a knee injury cut short his initial loan spell.

The 29-year-old played 23 National League games for Forest Green in 2016-17, helping them win promotion to League Two, and previously played for Swindon, Doncaster, FC Lorient and US Boulogne.

• Aldershot goalkeeper Mark Smith has signed for Eastbourne Borough after his loan spell was made permanent.

Smith initially joined Eastbourne in November and has made 13 appearances for the National League South side.

He signed for Aldershot from Brentford in the summer of 2016 and made 14 appearances for the club.

• Aldershot’s home game against Gateshead, scheduled for Saturday, February 3, will be re-scheduled following the Tynesiders’ FA Trophy second-round replay victory on Tuesday.

Gateshead came from behind to beat Boreham Wood 2-1 at Meadow Park, having drawn 3-3 at the International Stadium on Saturday. They will now travel to Maidstone United in the third round.