Aldershot had to go through the wringer but eventually secured their status in the league for next season and avoided the nightmare scenario of a second successive relegation. The Shots endured a traumatic previous campaign and their off-field issues put them on the back foot at the start of this campaign as well. They were handed a ten-point deduction at the start due to entering administration and Andy Scott had to work in an almost impossible situation during the close season. He barely had any players registered just a week before the kick-off and only a slew of signings in the days before allowed him to field a starting 11 with senior players. Yet, they defied the odds to get off to a decent start at Grimsby, securing a creditable 1:1 draw. The Shots enjoyed a pretty strong start of the season overall and were able to overcome the deficit after just a few weeks into the season. They won five of their first ten games as the experience and quality of players like Mark Molesley, Chris Barker and Craig Stanley carried them through these testing early weeks. It was never going to be plain sailing though and reality started to strike with injuries biting into the small squad. The team remained just as competitive and determined but the lack of quality in some areas showed and they went on a poor run of one win in eight games that kept them firmly in the bottom four. But the Shots displayed some impressive home form overall and hefty wins over Southport and Tamworth showed that Aldershot are too good to be embroiled in a relegation battle. The form of Brett Williams proved key in these games as the striker bagged a ton of goals and lead the line superbly by himself. Things were genuinely looking on the up early in January after a 3:1 win at Barnet but then contrived to take a pretty sharp turn for the worse in the weeks after that. Aldershot had a great opportunity to reach an FA Trophy final but a heavy defeat at Havant & Waterlooville put paid to that and also had a rather serious impact on the morale. Scott’s men went seven games without a win after that as the goals by Williams dried up and Molesley had to spent time on the sidelines. But there was still defiance and fight about the side and they showed real spirit to get some vital wins as the battle for survival went to the wire. Last-gasp draws away at Dartford and Macclesfield proved to be key in hindsight while a brilliant display and a hefty win at a strong Alfreton side kept their fate in their hands. There was a dramatic conclusion of the season as a penultimate derby with Woking ended in an enjoyable 2:1 away win that was enough to secure safety for next season. It proved a harder season than it was expected to be after the strong start but Scott and the players deserve a lot of credit for sticking through thick and thin and eventually emerging with their heads above the water.
