ALDERSHOT TOWN 3

LINCOLN CITY 1

KEVIN Dillon said he wanted to reach the play-offs "to give the fans a bit of excitement" when he was appointed Aldershot manager little more than five months ago.

The excitement was there in spades on Saturday when Aldershot made certain of extending their season by coming from behind to beat Lincoln City.

Aldershot had more than 4000 supporters in the EBB Stadium, Lincoln's share of the crowd of 4,506 being 257, and they heeded Mark Butler's appeal for more noise in the second half.

Butler, the Shots' record goalscorer, was guest of honour at the game and his demand for louder support was perhaps a vital factor in his old side's victory.

There was a danger of the match drifting away from the home side, with Lincoln playing a canny game of blanket-defence and counter-attack. Chris Sutton's team missed a couple of gilt-edged chances before taking the lead in the 57th minute – and it was then that Aldershot needed their '12th man'.

How the crowd responded. The Imps seemed to almost wilt under the crescendo of noise as an inspired Aldershot roared back with three goals in six minutes to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Although the fans played their part, it was Dillon's substitutions that transformed Aldershot's fortunes.

Damian Spencer had caused Lincoln problems up front, but he had also failed to take some decent chances. When he made way for midfielder John Halls after 62 minutes, Dean Morgan moved from his wide role to a central position, and immediately Aldershot's attack looked more potent.

Morgan made the equaliser for namesake Marvin and then scored a brilliant solo goal to give Aldershot the lead.

Lincoln had lived dangerously at corner-kicks throughout the match and when Marvin Morgan at last powered home an unchallenged header, Aldershot had a two-goal cushion and the points in the bag.

City only had themselves to blame for their sudden demise. For an hour, they had defended with discipline, albeit with some luck as well.

Then, with the game delicately poised at 1-1, Cian Hughton was booked for a childish rant at the referee after being fouled. Possession was carelessly squandered from the resulting free-kick and, in a flash, Dean Morgan, picking up Halls' neat pass, sped down the right before cutting inside to lash home a venomous shot.

All composure gone in the face of Aldershot's tigerish attacking and the deafening noise erupting from the stands, Lincoln failed to mark up properly for a Scott Donnelly corner and Marvin Morgan jumped high to head beyond Rob Burch. Job Done.

Aldershot had looked nervous at the start – not surprising considering what was at stake – and a combination of poor finishing and Lincoln's steady play suggested it was going to be a tense afternoon for the home fans.

Defender Aaron Brown was first to put a free header wide from a Donnelly corner and it was a catching disease because Spencer soon did exactly the same thing. In between, Dean Morgan had a header cleared off the line by Matt Saunders.

The persevering Spencer saw another header fly wide, this time a difficult, twisting effort, and it was 30 minutes before the Aldershot defence was brought into serious action when City forced two free-kicks in dangerous positions.

Andy Sandell went agonisingly close with a free-kick at the other end, but the latent menace of Lincoln's counter-attacking ability was there to see when they almost stole the lead in the last moments of the half.

Davide Somma's deft pass sent Brian Gilmour racing clear and he skilfully dinked the ball over the advancing Jamie Young, but inches past a gaping goal.

Ten minutes into the second half, the home supporters were breathing another huge sigh of relief. City broke out of defence with a long punt down the middle and this time it was Steve Lennon sprinting away to lob Young, only to see the ball bounce wide of the posts.

But it was third time lucky for the visitors when yet another one-on-one presented itself on 57 minutes.

Spencer, again unmarked, had just failed to convert Donnelly's free-kick at the far post. Lincoln again countered to lethal effect and the pacy Somma, the on-loan Leeds man who has made such an impression at Sincil Bank, hammered the ball past Young to register his ninth goal in just 13 games.

Dillon quickly took action, sending on Kirk Hudson and Halls, and later Dave Winfield.

Lincoln had held the lead for 12 minutes, when it all came crashing down around them. Dean Morgan bamboozled Lincoln with a crafty, wrong-footing run inside the box, earning himself space for a short cross that was scrambled over the line by Marvin Morgan.

There was no holding the Morgans now. Dean's individual goal put Aldershot in front on 73 minutes. Two minutes later, Marvin's unstoppable header left Lincoln slumped over the ropes.

There could have been more. Winfield took his turn to miss badly with a free header from yet another Donnelly corner and Hudson was denied by a goal-line clearance.

"I can say it now – we're in the play-offs, and it's a good feeling," said Kevin Dillon. "We don't like to do things the easy way at Aldershot, but it the end I felt we deserved it. We were the better team in the second half. Lincoln were terrific, though, and passed the ball around really well.

"When I first came, defensively we were not as organised as we should have been. But the players have matured a hell of a lot and we don't concede silly goals any more. We're a real menace at set-pieces now and that's a major part of the game for me.

"Collectively, everybody has moved up a notch and it's a pleasure to work with them. They've been terrific."

Aldershot: Young, Straker, Blackburn, Brown, Charles, Donnelly, D Morgan, Sandell (Winfield 70), M Morgan, Spencer (Halls 63), Jackson (Hudson 62). Subs (not used): Jaimez-Ruiz, Soares, Harding, Hylton. Booked: Brown, Donnelly.

Lincoln: Burch, Hone, Stephens, Anderson, Kerr, Lennon, Keltie. Hughton, Gilmour (Hutchinson 77), Saunders, Somma. Subs (not used): Musselwhite, Butcher, Clarke, Reid, John-Lewis. Booked: Keltie, Hughton, Saunders.

Referee: David Phillips.

Attendance: 4,506.

* In their final scheduled league fixture this Saturday, Aldershot travel to Morecambe.