National League leaders Stockport County extended their lead at the top of the table to five points with a comfortable 0-2 win at struggling Aldershot Town on Saturday evening, as first-half goals by Ollie Crankshaw and Will Collar secured all three points in front of the BT Sport cameras.
The impressive Crankshaw dinked The Hatters into the lead early in the first half, before the in-form Will Collar headed home a superb second shortly after to seal a routine win at the EBB Stadium.
A combination of injuries and suspensions meant that boss Dave Challinor was forced into three changes to the side which started in last weekend’s battling 1-0 win over Weymouth, as Myles Hippolyte replaced the injured Ryan Rydel at left-back, Antoni Sarcevic returned in midfield to replace Jordan Keane, and Connor Jennings earned a start in a three-pronged attack, in place of Scott Quigley.
Goalkeeper Luca Ashby-Hammond, in the midst of a loan spell from Championship leaders Fulham, took a spot on the bench for the first time in league action.
County dominated possession from the off, and soon had an early lead against the out-of-form Shots.
On the quarter-hour mark, the league leaders deservedly hit the front when skipper Madden released Crankshaw into the area, with the winger’s dinked finish over Dillon Barnes giving The Hatters the lead.
The visitors continued to dictate play, and just prior to the half-hour, had a second when the lively Crankshaw turned provider, crossing from the right for that man Will Collar to flick the header past a helpless Barnes.
Aldershot enjoyed a brief spell of pressure themselves as half-time approached, and captain Kodi Lyons-Foster had soon planted a header of his own past Ben Hinchliffe, only for the offside flag to correctly deny the hosts a route back into the game.
County could well have made it three just before the break, when the energetic Hippolyte crossed for the unmarked Collar to head straight at Barnes – but Challinor’s side made it to the interval with their two-goal lead still comfortably intact.
The Hatters resumed for the second half showing no changes to the first-half line-up which had provided that commanding lead, and almost had their third of the evening when Crankshaw fired low at goal, producing a fingertip save by Barnes.
A much quieter second half advanced largely without event, as Aldershot rarely forayed forward in search of a way back into the game, and The Hatters happy to keep possession – although Corey Jordan did blaze high over the crossbar inside the area for the hosts, into the final fifteen minutes.
A clever lofted ball into the box by Crankshaw almost released Hippolyte for a first National League goal for his new club, but Barnes did just enough to perturb the midfielder. Shortly after, Crankshaw again found space on the right of the area to drill at goal and force the save by the busy Barnes.
Welsh wing-back Southam-Hales almost had his first of the campaign late on, but his near post effort was blocked en route to goal by Giles Phillips.
With less than five minutes left on the clock, Sam Matthews saw a consolation for the hosts denied by Ash Palmer’s block, before The Hatters broke at speed and almost made it three but for a vital block to deny substitute Scott Quigley.
Comfortable County successfully saw out the remaining minutes to claim another three points and extend their lead at the top of the National League table – ahead of a switch to FA Trophy quarter-final action next weekend at Needham Market.
FULL-TIME: Aldershot Town 0-2 County
(Crankshaw, Collar)
County line-up (4-3-3): Hinchliffe; Southam-Hales, Johnson, Palmer, Hippolyte (Whitfield, 83); Croasdale, Sarcevic (Minihan, 64), Collar; Crankshaw, Madden ©, Jennings (Quigley, 70).
Unused subs: Ashby-Hammond, Keane.
Attendance: 1,552 (with 357 County fans).
Bookings: Quigley.
