Preview: Stones head to Aldershot Town
THE DETAILS
Aldershot Town v Wealdstone
Vanarama National League
EBB Stadium
3pm kick off, Saturday 1st October
TICKETS
Tickets can be bought on the Aldershot Town ticket portal right up until kick off. Tickets cannot be purchased on the turnstiles and must be purchased either online or over the phone on 01252 30211.
Prices are:
£20 Adults
£16 Concessions
£7 U18s
FREE U11s
Wealdstone fans must enter the ground through Turnstile 4 at the front of the stadium located on the High Street. Get your tickets online HERE.
THE CONTEXT
For only the second time this season, Wealdstone go into a game off the back of a league defeat, heading to an Aldershot side that have won their last two home games. Defeat to Southend on the weekend saw the Stones slip out of the play-off positions into 8th place, whilst Aldershot lost to Altrincham 1-0 at the J. Davidson Stadium, giving the hosts their first victory of the season.
Wealdstone ended a memorable 2021/22 season away at the EBB Stadium last time the two sides met, in a comfortable 3-1 away win. It's been changes aplenty for both sides since with the Stones three goalscorers that day all since departing and Aldershot captain Lewis Kinsella switching allegiances and joining the Stones in the summer.
ONE TO WATCH
Justin Amaluzor has had a good start to life at the EBB Stadium and the attacking midfielder is currently the Hampshire sides top scorer with four goals from nine appearances so far this season, including a 25-yard screamer in the Shots 5-1 win over FC Halifax Town recently on BT Sport.
WHAT'S BEEN SAID?
Stones boss Stuart Maynard: "Every game in this division is a tough game whether they are in bad form or good form. Altrincham hadn't won a game all season and got a win against Aldershot who have good players all over the pitch. They've got a strong midfield, particularly with their recent addition of [Tom] Whelan on loan from Chesterfield who is a top player in this division."
"They're a good team, they've got a lot stronger than last season, they've got lots of pace in their attacking end of the pitch and it'll be a challenge. Me and Matty [Saunders] will look at them and come up with a game plan in which we think can hurt them. And all you've got to do is look forward to it, have that desire, hunger, work ethic and going into games wanting and believing you'll get something home or away. We're looking forward to it."
Aldershot boss Mark Molesley: “Not a lot went right for us Saturday with the sending off and us making life harder for ourselves but everyone is working hard, fighting for the shirt and we went close to getting what would've been a creditable point with ten men in the end."
DID YOU KNOW?
Aldershot Town are a phoenix club of the former EFL side Aldershot FC, which folded back in 1992 and were the first side to win in the EFL Play-Offs in 1987, where they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers in the then Division Four Play-Off Final. The new club won five promotions in sixteen seasons and returned to the EFL in 2008 for a four-season stint in League Two.
FORM GUIDE
Stones:
Southend United (H) 0-1 L
Torquay United (H) 1-1 D (Browne)
Maidstone United (A) 1-1 D (Cook)
Woking (H) 1-1 D (Kretzschmar)
Yeovil Town (H) 0-0 D
Aldershot Town:
Altrincham (A) 1-0 L FC Halifax Town (H) 5-1 W (Cordner 2, Glover, Amaluzor, Effiong)
Notts County (A) 2-0 L
Barnet (H) 3-1 W (Effiong 2, Willard)
Maidstone United (H) 1-3 L (Amaluzor)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Played - 5
Won - 1
Drawn - 2
Lost - 2
* as Aldershot Town
Played - 1
Won - 0 Drawn - 0
Lost - 1
* as Aldershot FC
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
May 2022 - Aldershot Town 1-3 Stones - (McAvoy, Umerah, Jackson)
Sep 2021 - Stones 2-2 Aldershot Town - (Jackson, Umerah)
Apr 2021 - Aldershot Town 2-0 Stones
Jan 2021 - Stones 3-4 Aldershot Town - (Lewis, Dyer, Emmanuel)
Jul 2018 - Stones 1-1 Aldershot Town - (Hudson-Odoi)