Aldershot's home defeat at the hands of Canvey Island on Saturday effectively ended their promotion hopes for this season, but the scoreline flattered the powerful Essex outfit who now look unstoppable on their march towards the Conference.
George Borg's men should have been at least three goals to the good at half-time.
Right on the whistle, Jason Chewins clipped the crossbar with a scorching drive. Had that gone in, Aldershot would have had a two-goal cushion at the break and, for all their renowned fighting qualities, Canvey might have struggled to pull back the deficit.
As it was, Aldershot went in with a slender 1-0 lead and you feared for them against Jeff King's battlers who specialise in coming from behind.
Sure enough, Canvey, their confidence sky-high after winning 3-0 at Billericay on Boxing Day, turned the match around by scoring twice in the space of four minutes early in the second half, punishing some slipshod defending by the home side.
After that, they were content to contain Aldershot with a blanket defence and frustrating offside trap.
There was no faulting Aldershot's effort and commitment, but without players of the calibre of Grant Payne and Mark Bentley – both injured – they lacked the invention needed to break down Canvey's disciplined rearguard.
And the home side's wretched luck continued. Stafford Browne hit the post with a superb effort and finally, with six minutes left, Aldershot conceded the softest of goals and, with it, the three points.
There were a few boos for Aldershot at the final whistle and, inevitably, Borg was the subject of some chanting in the second half.
But most of the 2,630 spectators, comprising Aldershot's biggest league crowd of the season, will have recognised the quality of Canvey Island who visit Burnley in the third round of the FA Cup this Saturday. Were they resting Julian Dicks for that one?
Canvey revelled in the wide open spaces of the Recreation Ground pitch, moving the ball smoothly with exceptionally accurate passing and clever running off the ball.
But it was Aldershot, again playing five across the back, who made the better start, with Mark Graham and Chewins pushing adventurously down the wings.
It is never too early to start winning and Aldershot could have been in front inside two minutes.
Graham was through on the right with not a defender in sight and Scott Forrester lurking in front of goal. But his final pass was behind the young striker who couldn't react in time and although Chewins crossed the ball back in, Canvey scrambled back to concede a corner.
On 14 minutes, neatly put in by Ryan Kirby, Graham did deliver the right ball for Forrester who shot straight at Ashley Harrison.
Canvey might have been just a little intimidated by Aldershot's lively start and the partisan atmosphere at the Rec, and it was 33 minutes before Gareth Howells was tested in the home goal, Spencer Knight's angled chip forcing the goalkeeper to palm the ball away from under his crossbar.
Two minutes later, Aldershot had their only real slice of luck on the day as they moved into the lead. Steve Ward got his head to a speculative 30-yard shot from Leon Townley, but only succeeded in guiding the ball into the path of Browne who scored nonchalantly from close range.
Minutes after the restart, Lee Boylan had an equaliser disallowed for marginal offside. Then, with the league leaders looking somewhat disheartened, Aldershot had two great chances to put the game beyond their opponents.
Forrester has ball skills in abundance, but, as yet, lacks composure in front of goal. This cost Aldershot dearly on 44 minutes when Graham, latching on to Lee Protheroe's defence-splitting pass, delivered an inch-perfect cross to Forrester who, right in front of goal, delayed his shot for an eternity and had his final effort deflected for a corner.
Finally, at this critical phase of the match, Chewins, after a storming run from halfway, wound himself up for a tremendous 25-yard piledriver that deflected off the top of the bar on its way into the High Street.
After half-time, Canvey wasted no time in underlining the significance of those misses. With eight minutes gone, a Mark Stimson free-kick was flicked on by Chris Duffy and Boylan hooked a brilliant volley past a startled Howells: 1-1.
Four minutes later, Aldershot were again undone at a set-piece. Steve Parmenter's corner-kick, via Stimson's head, fell to an unmarked Boylan who had all the time in the world to thump the ball just inside Howells' right-hand post.
Aldershot had lost the plot at this stage, particularly goalkeeping coach Les Cleeveley who was dismissed from the dug-out. Boylan and Paul Cobb, prompted by the influential Duffy, looked increasingly menacing for Canvey, while Aldershot foundered on the offside trap expertly set by Ward, Mickey Bennett and Ben Chenery.
Browne had looked Aldershot's sharpest player and when Adam Parker at last sprung the trap with a neat pass, the number 10 had a free run on goal. Browne did everything right as Harrison rushed off his line, squeezing a shot past the goalkeeper, only to see the ball rebound off the far post.
Three minutes later, Aldershot's fate was sealed. An error by Kirby allowed Cobb to get in a cross and full-back John Kennedy's low shot somehow squirmed under Howells' body and trickled over the line.
Aldershot: Howells, Coll, Chewins, Kirby, Townley, Adedeji, Graham (Gell 80 mins), Protheroe, Forrester, Browne, Parker. Subs (not used) Harford, Nutter. Booked: Protheroe.
Canvey Island: Harrison, Kennedy, Duffy, Chenery, Ward, Bennett, Cobb, Stimson, Boylan, Knight, Parmenter. Subs (not used) Tanner, Thompson, Vaughan. Booked: Duffy.
Referee: Phil Crossley.
Attendance: 2,630.