ALDERSHOT TN 3, GRIMSBY TN 4

“SEVEN goals, has to be better than a one-nil I suppose,” muttered a diehard Shots fan after this roller-coaster of a match on Tuesday night.

There was certainly no lack of entertainment. Trouble was, it was ultimately a second successive home defeat for Aldershot as Grimsby came from two goals down to strengthen their chances of making the National League play-offs.

Two up by half-time and playing free-flowing football, Aldershot were on course to knock back promotion contenders – just as they had done on Easter Monday against Braintree.

The next goal was going to be vital and Grimsby boss Paul Hurst took decisive action with a double substitution and one of them, a firecracker of a striker by the name of Omar Bogle, was to change the course of the game.

Barry Smith and assistant Chris Barker sensed the danger and both nearly burst blood vessels in their bellowed demands for tighter marking as the second half got underway.

But to no avail. Within 11 minutes, Grimsby had drawn level with two headers and, thereafter, Aldershot were always chasing the game. They were transformed from the side that had played so limply the Saturday before and, soon after the Mariners had taken a 3-2 lead, the outstanding Rhys Browne scored a beauty to level things up.

But there was a cruel denouement as, with just two minutes remaining, Grimsby snatched all three points with a long-range chip that was probably intended to be a cross.

The visitors had pace and passed the ball with precision through midfield, but Aldershot were up for the challenge and were first to threaten when Charlie Walker’s snap shot forced a reflex save from James McKeown.

After a fairly uneventful first half-hour, the game exploded into life as the Shots scored twice in rapid succession. On 32 minutes, Walker’s venomous free-kick took a slight deflection off Josh Gowling and flew past a wrong-footed McKeown.

If there was a touch of good fortune about that goal, the second was out of the top drawer. Walker, with a sublime piece of skill, teed up Cheye Alexander’s long cross for Giorgio Rasulo, lurking on the right, who tucked his instant shot inside the near post.

Grimsby underlined their promotion potential with their strong second-half comeback. Bogle, formerly of Birmingham and Celtic, immediately showed his aerial prowess with a towering header that was only just clawed away by Phil Smith.

Aldershot failed to heed the warning. Seven minutes in, Bogle was allowed to gallop down the left and then cut inside before chipping over a cross that gave Padraig Amond an easy header at the far post.

That brought Grimsby’s 264 travelling fans to noisy life and, four minutes later, they had more to shout about as Nathan Arnold struck a raking cross into the goalmouth and Bogle rose above a crowd of players to equalise with a flashing header.

Aldershot were shaken, but came back fighting. Jim Stevenson’s low shot almost sneaked past McKeown and Browne, back from international duty with Antigua and Barbuda, shot just wide after a dazzling run across the penalty area.

Then it was advantage Grimsby as Smith came for Nolan’s free-kick, missed it, and Arnold leathered the loose ball into the far corner.

But the lead lasted just two minutes. Browne dared defenders to tackle him on another snaking run along the edge of the box and made enough space to this time arrow his shot past McKeown and just inside the far upright.

Three-three, the game on a knife-edge, and a point apiece would have been fair.

But heartbreak awaited Aldershot in the 88th minute as Nolan, from way out on the left, hit a speculative cross-cum-shot that curled wickedly over the stranded Smith and dropped into the top right-hand corner.

“The disappointment is leading two-nil at half-time and having an excellent first half, to defending the way we did second half,” said Barry Smith. “That game typifies the whole season when we’ve played well, then switched off – and it’s been game to game. We’ve conceded three out of four goals from crosses, and the boys have to do better.

“Phil Smith has held his hand up for two goals and feels he could have done better, which is credit to him.”

Aldershot: Smith; Alexander, Beckles, Saville (Richards 66), McGinty; Rasulo, Stevenson, Gallagher, Browne; C Walker, Lafayette. Sub: Pavey (for Richards 90). Subs (not used): Hatton, Thomas, McGrory. Booked: Gallagher, C Walker.

Grimsby: McKeown; Tait, Nsiala, Gowling, Robertson; Arnold, Nolan, Disley, Monkhouse (Stewart 46); Hoban (Bogle 46), Amond (Clay 90). Subs (not used): Pearson, Pittman. Booked: Gowling, Disley.

Referee: John Busby.

Attendance: 1,397 (264 away).