TERRY Brown still hopes to sign a striker before Saturday, despite the frustration of having a deal fall through at the 11th hour on Monday.
The manager had agreed terms with club and player at 4 pm on Monday and planned to introduce Southend's Barrington Belgrave as an Aldershot player the following day.
Two hours later, Southend sacked their manager, Rob Newman, and caretaker Stewart Robson promptly decided that the Nationwide Division Three club would be holding on to Belgrave.
"He was a most exciting player a few seasons ago," said Brown about Belgrave, who commanded a fee of £40,000 when he moved from Yeovil to Southend. "I thought we had him, but these things happen in football."
Far from discouraged, Brown says he has a "very exciting forward" lined up, currently at a league club, and is 90 per cent certain of signing him before Saturday, when the manager returns to Hayes, his former club, for the first time as Aldershot boss.
On Tuesday, Aylesbury, who are likely to include former Aldershot player Richard Gell in their line-up, visit the Recreation Ground.
Roscoe D'Sane, Aldershot's leading scorer, had a late call-up for the England Non-League side who played Holland U/21s at Eindhoven on Tuesday night. D'Sane played 16 minutes as substitute and the match ended 0-0, with England missing several good chances.