John Nutter's extraordinary goal illuminated a solid Aldershot display that put them top of the league on Tuesday night.

Aldershot were holding, rather uneasily, on to a one-goal lead midway through the second half when Nutter gave them breathing space with a goal to savour in the dark winter months ahead.

There seemed no danger to Purfleet when they cleared a Lee Protheroe free-kick and the ball fell to Nutter, some 35 yards out on the left.

But the full-back had spotted Calvin Haywood fractionally off his line and, without hesitating, struck a left-foot volley that dipped and swerved wickedly on its cruise-missile unerring course into the top right-hand corner.

Nutter's remarkable goal did not surprise manager George Borg. "He is a quiet lad, but he has great vision and he can do things like that. It's one of the best goals I've seen and it's a great shame it wasn't caught on video."

"The lads were excellent tonight. I thought we were a cut above Purfleet – they never got near us."

And Borg had special praise for Scott Forrester, the young striker who is fast making a name for himself. "He's got himself into the first team and he's definitely one of the best prospects I've come across. He got a whack in the face tonight, but he didn't get involved. His performance said it all."

Referee Phil Crossley, a stickler for the rules, threatened to call the game off until groundsman Dave Tomlinson had dug away enough ground so that the distance between crossbar and ground measured exactly right.

Yet the official missed an obvious backhander from Martin Ling that laid out Forrester, merely booking the Purfleet man for his initial foul.

Borg, needless to say, was not impressed with the official – "another referee who wanted to be a big-time Charlie at the Rec" – but he was consoled by Aldershot's four goals against an unbeaten Purfleet side.

Aldershot started well and were in front after 16 minutes. Haywood punched weakly at a Protheroe free-kick and Stafford Browne drove the loose ball through a ruck of players into the back of the net.

The home team could easily have been three up in the first half-hour. Forrester shot straight at the goalkeeper after neat interplay between Lee Holsgrove and Jason Chewins.

Browne blazed high over the bar as the ball ran across the area and, following a superb cross by Owen Coll, Browne sent a header winging just wide.

But as half-time approached, Purfleet showed some of their ability, holding the ball up skilfully in midfield with accurate passing and then breaking dangerously, utilising the speed and close control of Jon Keeling, their best player.

The visitors' improvement continued into the second half and they were unlucky not to equalise when Jimmy McFarlane's pointblank header was instinctively stopped by Gareth Howells.

However, Nutter's 67th-minute intervention turned the tide.

Browne should have clinched the points after being sent racing clear by Forrester's exquisite reverse pass. But Browne's shot did not match his mesmerising run.

With three minutes left, however, Browne shrugged off Jamie Southon in the race for Holsgrove's through-ball and tucked home his second goal.

Substitute Keith Martin, set up by Keeling, pulled one back for Purfleet with a scrambled goal.

But Forrester had the last word in injury time. The deceptive Holsgrove drifted right before chipping in a cross that was knocked on by Protheroe and Forrester was there to plant the ball high into the net.

Aldershot: Howells, Coll, Nutter, Kirby, Townley, Protheroe, Graham, Chewins, Forrester, Browne, Holsgrove. Subs (not used) Ellis, Adedeji, Sugrue. Booked: Holsgrove.

Purfleet: Haywood, Purdie, Southon, Adams, McFarlane, Howard (Goodfellow 47 mins), Ling (Lawrence 53 mins), Linger, Buglione, Marshall (Martin 70 mins), Keeling. Booked: Linger.

Referee: P Crossley. Attendance: 1,751.