Aldershot won at a canter in the end on Saturday, although lowly Bedford had ample chances to make a much closer fight of it.

"The first half was too open and loose – it could have been four-four at half-time," acknowledged Stuart Cash. "But we tightened it up in the second half, while still playing attacking football, and scored three good goals," continued the caretaker manager who clearly enjoyed his first home game in charge.

Bedford, third from bottom, were a team Aldershot had to beat, but still posed enough problems to test this post-George Borg side.

And Cash has already shown that, although he has inherited Borg's squad, he has his own ideas about the best way to play.

He wants, for instance, Stafford Browne to play a more direct role up front, not to be caught up trying to win the ball in midford.

The upshot of that directive was for Browne to score twice, albeit once from a penalty, but the strategy to fully utilize the striker's pace and skill must be a sound one.

Players and crowd responded to Cash's committed, but measured approach, rather different to Borg's noisy, bristling style, and three goals in the last half-hour were due reward for a display that will do the caretaker's credentials for taking full charge no harm at all.

As Cash pointed out, Aldershot were a bit too open for their own good early on and had a let-off when Ken Slinn released Mark Paul who, with a glorious chance to put Bedford in front, shot past the advancing Gareth Howells and just wide of the upright.

Instead, Aldershot took the lead with the neatest of goals after 18 minutes. A long ball over the top was skilfully chested down by Mark Watson into the path of the rejuvenated Richard Gell who, from 20 yards, placed his left-foot shot inside the foot of the post with unerring accuracy.

With the sides exchanging attack for attack, Aldershot were fortunate to hold on to their lead. Paul's snap shot was bravely blocked by Howells who followed up with a superb double save. A mistake by Lee Protheroe let the visitors in, but Howells denied Slinn and then kept out the striker's follow-up header with an acrobatic one-handed parry

At the other end, defender Paul Wilson made an equally agile goal-line clearance as Jason Chewins' deflected shot drifted towards an empty net and Paul Harford, picking up the pieces, saw his goalbound drive superbly saved by James Heeps.

After another glaring miss by Slinn, Aldershot were able to escape to the changing-rooms and a steadying talk from Cash.

The effects were immediate in the second half, with Bedford being closed down much more vigorously in midfield and unable to make an impression on the redoubtable back three of Ryan Kirby, Owen Coll and Ollie Adedeji.

A fustrated Bedford let their concentration waver and paid the price in the 62nd minute when Mark Graham, from near the corner-flag, whipped in a raking cross and an unmarked Browne ran in to score with an unstoppable header.

Cash promptly introduced new signing Mark Ward, on loan from Neil Warnock's Sheffield United, and the youngster quickly showed his worth.

Sent clear by Protheroe, the pacy Ward was blatantly barged from behind by Lee Harvey and Browne did the rest from the penalty spot.

Ward went close himself with a delicate chip before, with two minutes left, Aldershot put the cream on the cake.

Latching on to substitute Grant Payne's threaded pass, Jason Chewins twinkle-toed his way deep into the area before beating Heeps with a rifle-shot into the far corner.

Aldershot: Howells, Gell, Chewins, Kirby, Coll, Adedeji, Graham, Harford, Browne (Payne 86 mins), Watson (Ward 65 mins), Protheroe. Sub (not used) Parker.

Bedford: Heeps, Harvey, Miller, Wilson, Tucker (Jackman 22 mins), Dyer (Adams 72 mins), Griffiths (Williams 72 mins), Berry, Slinn, Paul, Edge.

Attendance: 1,801.