ALDERSHOT midfielder Ben Harding scored direct from a corner on Saturday to earn the Shots a 1-1 draw with Crewe Alexandra and keep his team's play-off hopes in their own hands.

It was a much-improved performance after last week's lazy defeat to Torquay, but there were still signs of sloppiness, particularly in the hosts' midfield.

Aldershot responded well after going behind within 50 seconds of the opening kick-off and dominated possession for long spells. But their opponents were happy to play on the counter attack and squandered the game's best chances in front of goal.

After sharing a goal a piece in the first half, neither side was able to score a winner and the resulting point moves the Shots up to sixth place in League Two with just three games of the regular season left to play.

Aldershot captain and former Crewe player Anthony Charles returned from injury at left-back, with in-form Anthony Straker moving into midfield. Right winger Marlon Jackson also made his comeback from injury, with Louie Soares and Oliver Bozanic missing out after failing to impress last week.

The game started in calamitous fashion for the Aldershot defence, when Crewe striker Clayton Donaldson's prodded 18-yard shot deflected over Jamie Young to put the visitors ahead inside the first minute.

But if you're going to concede, it's best to concede early – and the Shots' strong response showed a determination not to let the game get away from them.

On 10 minutes, Shots winger Jackson broke down the right before finding the unlikely figure of Charles just inside the 18-yard box. The captain chested the ball down with grace and let fly with a volley into the face of visiting centre back Mitchell-King. The Crewe defender was visibly shaken by the strike, and promptly left the field to be replaced by Patrick Ada.

Showing few signs of his recent injury, the pacey Jackson offered penetration down the right wing, and it was his blocked cross that led to Aldershot's equaliser in the 41st minute.

Ben Harding stepped up to take the resulting corner and, after his first left-footed inswinger was clawed away by the goalkeeper, his second effort sneaked in at the near post – marking his first goal of the current campaign.

Aldershot continued to press early in the second period, with combative work by Donnelly in the 52nd minute allowing Dean Morgan to turn and shoot narrowly over from eight yards.

But despite setting up camp in the Crewe half, the visitors' pacey forward line of Donaldson and Calvin Zola were a threat on the break.

Zola should have put the visitors ahead on 55 minutes after cutting in from the left and confidently side-stepping two defenders, but his low shot across goal was excellently finger-tipped away for a corner by the alert Young.

Soon after it was Donaldson's chance to waste an excellent opportunity for the visitors after latching onto a long ball just outside the Aldershot area. The home crowd's cries for offside went unanswered, but to their relief the visiting striker rushed his shot and blazed over from just inside the 18-yard box.

Chances came thick and fast for both sides, and Shots centre back Dave Winfield was left with his head in his hands after his towering header from a Donnelly corner was tipped over by the Crewe keeper.

With the heat undoubtedly tiring the players, the game began to fizzle out in the closing stages, with little action punctuated by a flurry of late bookings for both sides.

But there was still time for Dean Morgan to come within an inch of stealing the winner in the third minute of stoppage time.

Picking up the ball on the edge of the Crewe area, the MK Dons loanee swivelled for a shot at goal but was unlucky to see his effort cannon off the inside of the left upright and run to safety. It was something out of nothing, and gave Aldershot a cruel taste of potential victory.

Despite the draw, Aldershot midfielder Ben Harding was in good spirits after the final whistle, having notched his first goal of the season from the corner spot.

He said: "We were practising set pieces yesterday and I was getting a bit of stick because they weren't going to plan, but I thought I'd just whip it in right on top of the keeper and luckily enough it's gone in."

Shots boss Kevin Dillon said his team need just four more points to guarantee a top seven finish.

"We like to do it the hard way at home and certainly did that today," he added. "Jamie Young was terrific – he made some great saves and he's been excellent since he came to the club. But I was a bit disappointed with some of our passing. I don't know if it was tiredness or a lack of concentration, but to give the ball away without any pressure on you is not good.

"The effort was amazing today, even despite the hot weather. Scott Donnelly limped through the last 20 minutes after getting a dead leg, but he didn't want to come off. That's the kind of attitude that will get us into the play-offs."

Dillon continued: "The players deserve to talk about the play-offs now. They've got to face up to the fact we're in there and we've got three games left now. We can forget about finishing in the top 10 now – we're looking at the top seven."

On Saturday, Aldershot travel to struggling Cheltenham Town (kick-off 3pm).

Aldershot: Young; Blackburn, Brown, Charles, Winfield; Straker, Harding (Bozanic 64), Donnelly (Hylton 88), Jackson (Hudson 67); M Morgan, D Morgan. Subs (not used): Jaimez-Ruiz, Soares, Spencer, Connolly.

Crewe: Phillips; Brayford, Mitchell-King (Ada 17), Tootle, Worley (Shelley 43); Westwood, Grant, Murphy, Walton; Donaldson, Zola (yellow card). Subs (not used): Legzdins, Davis, Miller, Gardner.

Referee: D Deadman

Attendance: 2,966