AFTER the FA Trophy and Setanta Shield hor d’oeuvre of the week gone, Aldershot Town can get their teeth stuck into the main course again: the Blue Square Premier.

And their Easter eggs are in one basket, with four league games in a week, starting at home to Altrincham on Saturday.

With a ten-point lead at the top and just 11 games to play, with games in hand on most of their closest rivals, the Shots could conceivably have the title all but wrapped up by the end of the week.

But, games in quick succession could also provide a rude awakening if things don’t go according to plan. Altrincham, in the relegation zone on goal difference after Weymouth’s comeback at Northwich on Tuesday, will be fighting for their Premier status and the three other games are all away from home.

Gary Waddock and his side will know that Steve Evans and Paul Raynor, Crawley Town’s managerial double-act, will offer no favours on Easter Monday and Droylsden and Stafford Rangers may well be doomed to the drop, but will raise their game against the league leaders.

Aldershot’s combative midfielder Lewis Chalmers is certainly not fazed by the rush of games — quite the contrary.

“The more games we have, the better the results we can get,” said Chalmers this week. “We want to try and get as many points on the board and win the league as soon as possible.”

But Chalmers and the Shots are focused right now solely on Altrincham, from where Waddock signed 22-year-old Chalmers in the summer.

“It’s pretty much a new team since I was at Altrincham, but I still speak regularly to the few that are left,” said Chalmers.

“They will be fighting for their lives as they’ve played a few more games than other teams down there. But it’s just as massive for us. We want to try and make that gap at the top even bigger.”

Chalmers admitted that the FA Trophy exit to Ebbsfleet was hard to take but it can spur the side on to glory later in the season. “Losing on Saturday was one of the worst feelings I’ve had. I don’t want to feel like that again,” said Chalmers. “It was a kick in the teeth and for all of us possibly a once in a lifetime opportunity, to play at Wembley, gone.

 

“In the end 3-1 from the first leg proved too much. Perhaps if we had scored earlier at the Rec it might have been different, but I really rate their keeper, Lance Cronin. I know him well from England C duty and he’s very difficult to beat.

 

“But the Trophy is now out of our minds. We have a great squad, there isn’t a player I don’t rate, and we move on.

 

“While I never like missing game - the gaffer [Gary Waddock] said I was rested for the Setanta Shield game - it was nice to watch the guys play against Woking and win on penalties.

 

“Whatever side we put out, it is good enough to win matches. Those of us watching from the stands pretty much picked the five penalty takers. All we got wrong was the order. To be honest, we have so much talent in the squad that I simply couldn’t see us getting beaten on penalties.

 

“Joel Grant looks laid back but that’s just his way. His penalty didn’t work but I think it’s fair to say that his positives massively outweigh a negative like that penalty.”

 

Chalmers and other squad members not involved in the Woking game - Nikki Bull, Ben Harding, Anthony Charles and the like - were all down on the touchline for the shoot-out, supporting their club-mates, which was a perfect illustration of the spirit within the Aldershot camp.

 

“We all get on so well,” said Chalmers. “Everyone gets to training earlier than they have to because we enjoy ourselves so much. There’s a lot of messing about before the hard work and we wind each other up. It’s a great atmosphere.”

 

Two players now back in full training are Ryan Scott and Ryan Williams, who have both recovered from serious injury. “It was great to hear that Ryan Williams was back playing in the reserves against Millwall on Wednesday,” said Chalmers. “He’s a big player at this club.”

 

Scott is a little further ahead in his comeback and came on for the last 15 minutes of extra-time against Woking. “I think it may be bad news for me that he’s back, as he’s a central midfielder,” said Chalmers. “I thought he looked pretty tidy on Tuesday.

 

“I’ve never seen anyone work as hard to get back fit as the two Ryans, Scotty especially. He’s been training an hour earlier than everyone else and staying an hour later. It’s great that he’s back.

The rigours of Conference football are still a little way off for the two Ryans, however, especially for Williams.

 

But Waddock does have Anthony Charles available after suspension against Altrincham and may well come in for Dave Winfield, with Rob Gier possibly replacing Dean Smith at right back. In midfield, Waddock looks set to have to choose two from Scott Davies, Kirk Hudson and Joel Grant, assuming both Chalmers and Ben Harding start.

 

Altrincham have won just three times away from home all season but did manage an impressive draw at Torquay a month ago. The Shots won away at Altrincham, 2-1 in early September, thanks to a late goal from Louie Soares.

 

The Shots have already played Crawley four times this season. They lost 1-0 at home in the league in late August but since then have had the better of Evans’ team, drawing 1-1 in the FA Cup and winning the replay 1-0 at the Rec and then marching to a magnificent 6-2 triumph after extra-time in the Setanta Shield a month ago.

 

However, Evans and Raynor have little love of Aldershot - just ask Martin Kuhl - and are expected to fire up their players on Monday. Those players showed in midweek that they are more capable than their league position suggests, when they did Aldershot a favour and beat Cambridge United 2-1 in the league.

Kick off at the Rec against Altrincham on Saturday is at 3pm; kick-off on Monday at Crawley is at noon. Match reports from the Easter games will be on this website: www.aldershot.co.uk.

First printed in: Aldershot News and Mail