WHILE Aldershot were busy getting back on track with a 3-1 win over Histon on Tuesday night in the Blue Square Premier, their FA Trophy semi-final first leg conquerors from Saturday - Ebbsfleet United - put in a limp display at home to Rushden & Diamonds and were beaten 3-0.
 
But those two results simply reflect the relative importance of the Blue Square Premier to the two teams. For Aldershot, the league is the priority, despite being so close to both Wembley and silverware in the Trophy.
 
And while Ebbsfleet may argue that they still harbour ambitions of reaching the play-offs - win their games in hand and they would be in with a chance - Liam Daish's team selection against Rushden suggested otherwise. He made wholesale changes to his defence - which will possibly be the key to component to their team come Saturday, when they defend their 3-1 first leg advantage at the Recreation Ground - and neither Chukki Eribenne and John Akinde, the two strikers who caused Aldershot so many problems last week, played a full game.
 
The Ebbsfleet supporters seemed to agree that the Rushden game was of little consequence; the gate of 546 was the lowest at Stonebridge Road since Ebbsfleet (Gravesend & Northfleet) re-joined the Conference in 2002.
 
Judging from last Saturday's performance, however, Daish will have no problems getting his side motivated for the semi-final second-leg. With away goals not counting, Ebbsfleet will be confident of progression, albeit aware of Aldershot's magnificent home record of 17 wins from 19 matches.
 
A two-goal advantage is not easy to protect, however. Should Ebbsfleet attack and try and extend their advantage to three, or sit back and be happy to soak up the Shots' expected onslaught? Perhaps Daish would have been better off watching Liverpool, two goals to the good, play the perfect second-leg game at Inter Milan on Tuesday, rather than watch his own side's token efforts.

 

Aldershot boss Gary Waddock agrees that while Ebbsfleet may have the advantage in goals, Daish and his assistant Alan Kimble face a bit of a dilemma over their tactics.

 

“It’ll be very interesting to see their formation and then their tactics,” said Waddock.

 

“They may sit back and defend their lead, but that would invite pressure. On the other hand, if they go for the all-important three-goal lead, we are a very good side on the break. I think it’s quite a difficult thing for them.”

 

Ebbsfleet’s away league record suggests that they will look to keep things tight. In 16 matches they have drawn seven times and lost only five, scoring a paltry 17 in the process, but only conceding an equally meagre 20 goals.

 

One of those five defeats came at the Rec in October, when the Shots won 2-0. So, Aldershot have already beaten Ebbsfleet by a margin that would be good enough to take the tie to extra-time.

 

“If we have to go to extra-time and penalties, then I would take that,” said Waddock.

 

“But we won’t really be approaching the game any differently to normal. The first thing is that we want to win the game and we also know that we have to score at least two goals. We have the quality capable of doing that.

 

“However, Ebbsfleet have to start as favourites. Any side with a two-goal lead must do - and they are a good side too.

 

“But while we know what we have to do, they are perhaps not so sure. They are the ones with everything to lose. After the first leg, all we can do is gain.”

 

Waddock also has tricky selection decisions to make. His side need goals and he must consider whether to stick with the solid midfield he picked against Histon - with Ben Harding on the left and Scott Davies and Lewis Chalmers in the middle - or find a place for Joel Grant, who, on his day, can be Aldershot's most silky attacker.

 

“We went for our most solid set-up, the one that served us so well earlier in the season, against Histon because we knew that they would be big and strong,” said Waddock. “But on the night that still got us three goals.”

 

It is highly unlikely either Harding or Chalmers, who suffered no ill effects from his return from injury against Histon, will be left out, and with Davies back to his early-season best and scoring goals, he too will surely play. Kirk Hudson must start and, unless Hudson is moved up front, it's hard to see where Grant can fit in.

 

With John Grant still missing in attack, Junior Mendes, if fit after a groin problem, may make his full debut for the Shots, possibly at the expense of Rob Elvins, whose link-up play has been tidy of late, but struggles to compensate for a lack of goals. And goals are what Aldershot need. “Junior trained on Thursday,” said Waddock. “So hopefully he’ll have no reaction and will be available.”
 
The Shots' defence must be vastly improved from their awful display in the first half at Ebbsfleet - not that the midfield and attack offered much help - even if Rhys Day and Anthony Charles coped better with Akinde and Eribenne after the break.

 

But Charles is suspended tomorrow, after accumulating ten bookings, so, unless Waddock springs a surprise and opts for Ricky Newman, Dave Winfield will come back in. Winfield needs to revert to his outstanding play of the last few weeks, up until that tortuous first half in Kent.

 

Perhaps one of the most important battles of the game will be whether Rob Gier, at right back, can keep Ebbsfleet's lively Stacy Long quiet. Long was outstanding in the first leg.

 

“We know what we have to do,” continued Waddock. “We will have the crowd behind us and a lot can happen. Score an early goal and the momentum will be with us, but we have to remember that they if they score first, that will really put a dampener on things.

 

“I think it might be quite cagey but the longer the game goes on and we are still in contention, then I think Ebbsfleet might start to get a little nervous.”
 
Aldershot are quite capable of winning by three goals (a two-goal win would take the tie to extra-time and penalties) but it's worth noting that more than half of their home wins this season have been by just the odd goal.

 

To win by more, they could do with the key decisions going their way (which they didn't do last Saturday) and a bumper crowd at the Rec (sadly absent against Histon on Tuesday) to fuel what is going to be a difficult overtaking manoeuvre past Ebbsfleet, on this road to Wembley.

First printed in: Aldershot News and Mail