ALDERSHOT 1, NORTHAMPTON 1

BEN Harding scored in the fifth minute of injury time to salvage a point for Aldershot who, for the second home game running, only came to life when substitute Damian Spencer came on to support lone striker Marvin Morgan.

Northampton deservedly took the lead after having the better of the first half and were moments away from recording their first league win of the season when Harding found the net with a left-foot shot.

The Cobblers, who have already knocked Reading and Brighton out of the Carling Cup, were no mugs and were first to threaten when Steve Guinan tested Jamie Young with a curling effort.

Chris Dunn was brought into serious action at the other end when Morgan, released by former Cobbler Luke Guttridge, forced the keeper to save at the near post.

Northampton looked sharper and another crisp shot from Guinan was well blocked by Young, before the visitors took the lead on 35 minutes. Michael Jacobs played a fine ball into the path of Billy McKay who drilled home a low shot.

It was the third league match running that Aldershot had fallen behind.

The home side almost had an immediate response. Guttridge's reverse pass found Wade Small just onside but, at the critical moment, Dean Beckwith came sliding in to disposses the midfielder.

Aldershot had plenty to do in the second half and showed more urgency in the opening exchanges.

The Guttridge/Morgan combination seemed to be their best hope and the striker should at least have hit the target, rather than balloon the ball into the crowd, when a clever ball left him in an excellent scoring position.

Kevin Dillon sent on Spencer for Anthony Straker with half-an-hour to go and the Northampton defenders suddenly had much more on their plate – faced with two brawny attackers eager to put themselves about.

A Spencer cross found Morgan at the near post, but again the chance went begging.

Dunn was now the busier of the two keepers and was equal to everything thrown at him, although he got off lightly when Small rose to head a Guttridge corner over the bar.

Northampton then came within a whisker of killing the game off. A Jacobs free-kick found Beckwith ghosting in at the far post, but the lunging defender just failed to apply the final touch.

Aldershot won a series of corners in the closing stages, but the visitors held firm, and when Dunn saved a stinging shot from Spencer, it seemed that Aldershot's last chance had gone.

Deep into injury time, after a hopeful long punt forward, Northampton twice cleared their lines, only for the ball to drop nicely to Harding who swept in a sweet shot from 12 yards for the late, late equaliser.

Aldershot: Young, Herd, Vincent, Guttridge, Jones, Charles, Harding, Morgan, Straker (Spencer 61), Panther (Halls 74), Small (McGlashan 81). Subs (not used): Ketteridge, Fortune, Connolly. Booked: Panther.

Northampton: Dunn, Johnson (Herbert 66), Rodgers, Beckwith, Holt, Jacobs (Thornton 89), Osman, Wedderburn, Davis, Guinan (Harris 67), McKay. Subs (not used): Jansson, Death, Konstantinou, Slowe. Booked: Johnson, Beckwith.

Referee: Graham Scott.

Attendance: 2,739