ALDERSHOT & Farnham returned to winning ways on Saturday with a crucial 4-0 win against Oxted’s second team.

After a disappointing result, but good performance, last week against Sunbury & Walton Hawks the Shots knew they had to respond to keep title aspirations alive.

Following some constructive self reflection in the week, the squad were fully aware of the requirements over the forthcoming weeks, starting with third-placed Oxted at home.

Despite the positivity in the warm-up, the opening 20 minutes were all Oxted.

Solid work by the back three of Herring, Giltrow and Weston accompanied by some expert goalkeeping by Hall managed to maintain parity in these exchanges.

Against the run of play Boot found Morhall down the right, who surged along the baseline before expertly flicking the ball over the stranded goalkeeper from a tight angle to make it 1-0.

Two minutes later Scott Perry converted one of several corners won in the first half, firing high past the goalkeeper’s right-hand side to make it 2-0.

Treadgold, Wheland, Rushmere and Boot influenced the game through the middle, wearing down the increasingly strained Oxted midfield. This paid dividends with Smith firing neatly into the bottom left-hand corner following a well worked turnover in the middle of the park to give the hosts a 3-0 lead at half time.

The second half was a more subdued affair, with the majority of the game being spent in midfield battles. Oxted came out with renewed vigour, but the pressing from the frontline of Weston, Smith, Groves and Coombe reduced the opportunity for meaningful chances to be created. With the game becoming increasingly stretched, the Shots looked for openings on the counter attack.

One such opening resulted in Stuart Morhall driving in from the right-hand side, firing in a fierce strike on the half volley from the top of the D into the bottom left-hand corner to make it 4-0. Yet more pressure came as a response from the away side, but the Shots stood strong to keep their clean sheet leaving.

League leaders Aldershot & Farnham will travel to Brighton this weekend.

Head coach Ian Jennings said: “I think the last week has given individuals and myself time to reflect not just on the match but other factors too and I was delighted to see how as a complete group we responded in such a positive way and with other results going our way it puts us clearly in control of our own destiny.

“The defensive lines were much better across the board which then makes life easier for the actual defence as it gives limited options for their forwards to run into. I felt we were as solid a unit as we have been all season and it was great to see Hamish back to his best after last week and showing the same form as he does week in week out at training.

“We will continue to tweak and improve across all lines but I’m confident that if we are able to replicate the same form as we showed in this latest match then we will be fine for the rest of the season. As long as we stay calm and focussed on the job in hand it’ll take a very good side to beat us again.

“My man-of-the-match was a close call between Stuart Morhall and Will Giltrow but I’ve given it to Will for a very solid all round performance.”

By Will Giltrow