ALDERSHOT TOWN 1

BRADFORD CITY 0

ANOTHER 1-0. Kevin Dillon's 4-5-1 formation may not have won him too many friends, particularly in home games, but Aldershot have ground out six points from two games to keep themselves on the fringes of the play-offs.

Tuesday night's win, just like Saturday's, was achieved in the absence of powerhouse Marvin Morgan, who is ideally suited to the lone striker role.

Danny Hylton, understudy for the injured Morgan, scored the winner at Chesterfield. Against Peter Taylor's improving Bradford City, it was centre-back Anthony Charles who popped up like a born striker to notch the vital goal.

Bradford, seeking a third successive win, had put up a robust defence and Aldershot struggled to make any sort of opening in a turgid first half.

The Lambs were pretty nifty at set pieces and twice came close to taking the lead from well-rehearsed corners, no doubt honed under the guidance of their former England manager.

The night started well for Aldershot, with Kirk Hudson setting up an early chance for Scott Donnelly whose poor first touch enabled Robbie Threlfall to intercept in the nick of time.

With just 21 minutes gone, the luckless Dave Winfield pulled up with a leg injury. Chris Blackburn, of course, was a solid replacement in central defence, but Aldershot seemed bereft of attacking ideas, with Hylton an isolated figure up front and Hudson and Anthony Straker rarely breaking free on the flanks.

Instead, Bradford almost scored from one of their many corners, James Hanson's glancing header being juggled and then smothered on the line by Steve Henderson.

Shortly before half-time, following yet another corner, the ball fell to Mark McCammon who, back to goal and just two yards out, narrowly missed with an overhead effort.

Aldershot, disappointed not to have been awarded a penalty when Hylton appeared to be shoved over by Matt Clarke, improved greatly after half-time and the all-important goal came after nine minutes.

It was Bradford's turn to be exposed at a corner-kick. They failed to clear their lines and Donnelly, whether by accident or design, knocked the ball straight to the unmarked Charles who swivelled to beat Matt Glennon with a perfectly-placed shot into the far corner.

Taylor promptly made a double substitution, but the initiative had swung to Aldershot and they rarely looked like surrendering their advantage.

They almost doubled it, in fact, when Hylton, whose quick thinking and deft touch compensates for a lack of physical presence, surprised Glennon with a snap angled drive that the keeper knocked up in the air and then desperately palmed away for his defender to clear.

On 77 minutes, with Bradford offering very little in the way of goal threat, Dillon was confident enough to send on a second striker and, indeed, new signing Damian Spencer almost made an instant impact.

Ben Harding's initial shot after a Donnelly corner led to a pin-ball exchange in the goalmouth before Spencer, showing sharp reflexes, drove over the crossbar from close range.

Lee Bullock missed a great chance to equalise in injury time, but Bradford, in truth, deserved little for a rather anonymous second-half display.

Aldershot: Henderson, Herd, Straker (Spencer 77), Charles, Winfield (Blackburn 21), Hylton, Donnelly, Hudson (Jackson 86), Harding, Bozanic, Sandell. Subs (not used): Jaimez-Ruiz, Soares, Chalmers, Riza.

Bradford: Glennon, Ramsden, O'Brien (Daley 58), Flynn, Clarke, Bullock, Evans (Grant 73), Williams, Hanson, Threlfall, McCammon (O'Leary 58). Subs (not used): McLaughlin, Bateson, Boulding, Thorne. Booked: Hanson, Daley, Evans.

Referee: Phil Crossley.

Attendance: 2,311.

* Aldershot host old Conference rivals Burton Albion on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).