Holders Aldershot Town went out of the FA Isuzu Trophy in the third round with a 2-1 defeat at Eastleigh.

Eastleigh started brightly, with Josh Lundstram passing over the top into the path of Aaron Blair. Shots keeper Coniah Boyce-Clarke teased Blair into an audacious chip which went wide.

Aldershot countered through Josh Barrett, who weaved away from Temi Eweka before seeing his effort blocked twice by the Eastleigh defence.

In the 25th minute Lundstram got on the end of a loose ball and back-heeled it into the path of Harvey Saunders. Saunders picked up the ball, beat his man with his first touch and fired home, giving Boyce-Clarke no chance.

In the 41st minute Aldershot captain Ryan Hill broke free down the right and put a fantastic low ball across the box, but Aaron Pierre cleared it for a fruitless corner.

Half-time substitute Tristan Abrahams managed Aldershot’s first shot on target but his effort from outside the box was comfortably caught by Josh McNamara.

In the 54th minute Blair nicked the ball just inside his own half and took off towards the Aldershot goal, but his final touch let him down and Boyce-Clarke knocked it out for a corner.

Ten minutes later Richard Brindley picked out Eastleigh captain Lloyd Humphries just outside the box. He caught the ball well but Boyce-Clarke smothered it comfortably.

The game was wrapped up in the 85th minute when substitute Paul McCallum brushed off two Shots defenders and laid the ball off to Saunders, whose blistering pace allowed him to get away from Sam Inwood. Saunders then slotted the ball under Boyce-Clarke to make the score 2-0.

Aldershot did bundle one over the line in the 95th minute through Kwame Blair-Thomas, but it was too late, despite an extremely late scare from Abrahams who side-footed an effort over from close range.

Ed Groves