ALDERSHOT TOWN 1

GRIMSBY TOWN 1

FORGOTTEN striker Danny Hylton came off the bench to score the equaliser against Grimsby who belied their lowly status with a gutsy display against seventh-placed Aldershot at the EBB Stadium on Saturday.

Kevin Dillon's cautious 4-5-1 formation handed the initiative to the second-from-bottom team who, for much of the game, threatened to inflict only a second home league defeat of the season on the Shots.

Even after Hylton had squared matters with 22 minutes to go, Grimsby had a golden chance to secure all three points, Adam Proudlock blazing a late penalty well over the crossbar.

With attacking players like Marvin Morgan, Kirk Hudson and Hylton at his disposal, Dillon could surely have been more adventurous against Grimsby, who had won only three times in 26 matches.

He stuck with a five-man midfield, however, and Aldershot never got going in the first half.

This had something to do with the visitors being handed a morale-boosting early lead.

John Grant, an isolated figure up front, scored an own goal while on defensive duty at a corner. His only other contribution before being substituted at half-time was an attempted shot that carried over the East Stand.

With only six minutes on the clock, Michael Coulson played in a harmless looking cross, but the luckless Grant stuck out a leg and deflected the ball inside the far post.

Nothing went right for Aldershot in this half. Centre-back Chris Blackburn was off the pitch for several minutes trying to staunch a nose-bleed, while Marlon Jackson had to retire altogether with a knee injury.

This brought on Morgan to partner Grant, much to the satisfaction of the home fans whose mutterings about "one up front" had been growing steadily louder.

The Shots certainly needed a plan B, because they had troubled Grimsby keeper Nick Colgan not once. At last, on 44 minutes, Scott Donnelly got a shot on target.

Getting caught in possession was a catching disease for the home side and Grimsby used their plentiful possession to attack with zest, usually down the right from where Coulson supplied a number of dangerous crosses,

Adam Proudlock would have doubled the lead, but for Andy Sandell getting his body in the way of a fierce shot and deflecting it for a corner.

Aldershot were much better in the second half and it proved a good call by Dillon to send on Hylton who had made only two starts this season.

Hylton has the ability to slip in undetected, as he showed when he ghosted on to Louie Soares' through-pass and Colgan had to race off his line to make a vital challenge.

With the Shots showing much more urgency, Morgan set up Donnelly whose thunderous shot was blocked – painfully – by Joe Widdowson.

Hylton doubtless feels he has been under-used this season. If so, he made his case in the 68th minute with an expertly taken equaliser. Morgan won the ball in his usual pugnacious style and Soares' neat pass released Hylton who whipped his shot across Colgan and inside the far post.

Grimsby showed no sign of settling for what they had got and only an acrobatic goal-line clearance by Ben Herd kept out Tommy Wright's effort at a corner-kick scramble.

Kirk Hudson, the early season's blue-eyed boy, came on to force an excellent save from Colgan, but Grimsby were handed a great chance to snaffle the points in the 86th minute. A penalty was harshly awarded against Sandell who could hardly have avoided Paris Cowan Hall's driven cross.

However, the pressure got to Proudlock who lifted the kick well over the top.

Oliver Bozanic forced Colgan into one more important save and, with Aldershot going for it during five minutes of extra time – and Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz irritating the crowd by dithering over his goal kicks – the game ended on a bizarre note when Blackburn was booked for diving.

"In the first half, we were out of it, it was poor and it's frustrating as a manager when you have to change things," said Kevin Dillon. "It was because we were inept, absolutely inept. We lost a lot of battles in the first half.

"Second half we improved. We had chances and could have won it, and they could have won it as well, when they got a penalty."

The manager said he had withdrawn John Grant because he wasn't fit. "He couldn't run and had no energy. Danny had a bit of energy and that was the difference."

Aldershot: Jaimez-Ruiz, Herd, Blackburn, Charles, Soares (K Hudson 72), Harding, Bozanic, Grant, Hylton (46), Donnelly, Jackson (Morgan 35), Sandell. Booked: Blackburn, Donnelly. Subs (not used): Masters, Straker, Chalmers, Winfield.

Grimsby: Colgan, Widdowson, Linwood, Atkinson, Sinclair, Sweeney, Bore, Proudlock, Coulson (Cowan Hall 73), Wright (Fletcher 82), Peacock (Leary 65). Subs (not used): Hegarty, M Hudson, Chambers, Overton.

Referee: Karl Evans.

Attendance: 3,195.