ALDERSHOT TOWN 1, GUISELEY AFC 0

THIS was Aldershot’s seventh victory in nine home National League matches, but they struggled long and hard to overcome struggling Guiseley.

The West Yorkshire side might well have come away with a point but for a second yellow card for midfielder Jake Lawlor, leaving Guiseley to play the last half-hour with ten men.

Fifteen minutes later, Aldershot broke the deadlock with the only real bit of quality in the game and a welcome goal for Charlie Walker who, after his injury-troubled start to the season, looked more like the top scorer of last campaign.

Guiseley’s depleted side never gave up and were always in contention, not least inside injury time when substitute Olly Johnson missed a golden chance to level the scores.

“It wasn’t the best performance from us and we definitely rode our luck at times,” said Callum Reynolds, the Aldershot captain. “But we tried to stay patient and at the end of the day it’s a home win and a clean sheet, and we’ve got to be happy with that.”

Aldershot’s build-up play was attractive, but the final ball was often poor, while hopeless long-range shooting brought hoots of derision from the crowd.

They began brightly and could have scored early on. Bernard Mensah’s incisive pass and Scott Rendell’s instant cross set up Walker in front of goal, but he shot weakly straight at Jonny Maxted.

The Shots should have persevered with one-touch passing in attack, but instead opted for ineffective pot shots from distance.

Mensah curled a left-foot free-kick into the sidenetting, with Maxted scrambling to get across, and when Idris Kanu did get a drive on target, the ball took a lucky deflection off Nicky Clee and flew over the crossbar.

In between those efforts, Guiseley almost pinched the lead when Jake Cassidy, seizing on an error, broke clear on goal and Jake Cole had to race off his line to make a vital block.

Rendell did get the ball in the Guiseley net, only for referee Anthony Serrano to disallow the goal for a push.

As half-time approached, the visitors were desperately unlucky not to take the lead. The powerful Cassidy found space opening in front of him and his final shot cannoned off the upright and rolled along the line towards the lurking Will Hatfield who was brilliantly denied by Cole at pointblank range.

The narrow escape stung Aldershot into more urgent action and in the final moments of the half, Josh Wakefield’s angled shot was tipped away by Maxted and Kanu sent another long-ranger skimming over the crossbar.

Guiseley’s up-and-unders troubled Aldershot at the start of the second half and, from an early corner, Alex Purver forced Cole into another fine save.

Iffy Allen, who had replaced Mensah at half-time, troubled Guiseley with his extra pace, but he too was guilty of impetuous shooting and even when they the numerical advantage, it was hard to see where an Aldershot goal was going to come from.

However, on 73 minutes, Nick Arnold, always looking to get forward from left-back, won a corner with an opportunist shot. Guiseley failed to clear their lines and the eager Arnold played a perfect pass inside to Walker who dropped his shoulder and calmly placed the ball past Maxted and high into the net.

Guiseley went for broke and sent on three substitutes, one being former Shots player Michael Rankine. The massively built striker blasted a free-kick inches wide with his first touch and Aldershot had other uneasy moments in the closing stages.

Deep into added time, a long throw-in bounced through to Johnson at the far post and home fans breathed a sight of relief as the substitute dragged his shot woefully wide,

Aldershot: Cole, Arnold, Reynolds, Evans, Mensah (Allen 46), Alexander, Gallagher, Wakefield, Kanu (Bellamy 77), Walker, Rendell. Subs (not used): Saville, Smith. Booked:?Gallagher.

Guiseley: Maxted, East, Lowe, R Atkinson, Palmer, Hatfield, Lawlor, Purver, Boyes (Preston 80), Clee (Johnson 81), Cassidy (Rankine 81). Subs (not used): Lockwood, D Atkinson. Sent off: Lawlor.

Referee: Anthony Serrano.

Attendance:1,761 (30 away).