As predictable as you like, the Shots stumbled to a first of many defeats of another season with The Clown fielding Phillips in midfield 🤔 and Edser in the back four.

Jacob B-A has reappeared in our team 😮 while up front, to the casual fan even, two names you never heard of.

Mind you there were other surprising scorelines across the National League with top guns Torquay, Stockport and Halifax all being slain by minnows.

At least Shots didn’t have Tom Denton to contend with but Tshimanga and Danny Rowe were always going to be a threat.

What a pity the fans ‘flooding back’ having their pockets picked to watch this shower of shit. Of course I wasn’t there. I’d already planned to sit out home games and only do aways to visit grounds as yet unvisited.

I know Charlotte was watching the women’s Hundred final at Lords, something I tried to get a ticket for and Yeovil home on Bank Holiday Monday IS tempting but I’ll be in London doing far more pleasurable things.

Anyway here’s the match report from the Shots website, as usual with no photos and noticeably no mention of the attendance, probably too embarrassed to print it.

Two second half goals from James Rowe and Kabongo Tshimanga meant it wasn’t quite the start that Aldershot Town had hoped for to begin the new Vanarama National League campaign.

It was the Shots that got off to the better start, putting Chesterfield under pressure in the first few minutes, with a couple of half chances to go along with it.

But it was the Spireites who had the first good look at goal ten minutes in, a 20 yard effort from King forcing Walker into his first save of the afternoon.

Among the chances came yellow cards for both sides, with 3 players picking up bookings inside the first quarter of an hour.

It was the home side that continued to pile on the pressure, with a number of free-kicks and corners either lacking a good delivery, or only missing a final touch.

Just before the half hour mark, a cleverly worked Aldershot Town free-kick almost found the back of the net at the East Bank end, with Edser’s initial shot rebounding straight back to him and narrowly missing the top left hand corner at the second time of asking.

And just a few minutes later, Chesterfield had a chance of their own, as Tshimanga met the cross from Rowe but couldn’t quite get his header on target.

After almost being the provider of a goal, Rowe nearly had a goal for himself, with his free-kick from distance bouncing awkwardly in front of Walker, but the Shots keeper did well to hold onto the effort.

The visitors continued to pile on some pressure of their own, with another header, this time from Grimes, going just wide of the target.

After a quiet start to the second half from both teams, it was Chesterfield that thought they’d broke the deadlock after a low cross was met by Grimes at the back post, but the offside flag kept the score even.

And just a couple of minutes later there was another great chance for the Spireites, but Kabongo Tshimanga couldn’t beat Walker who parried it away well.

Immediately down the other end, Aldershot Town had a chance of their own. Kevin Lokko climbed highest to meet Kinsella’s corner, but his headed effort sailed just wide.

After a slow start to the half, chances were flying in at both ends. A good ball from Harris wasn’t quite met by Willard at one end, and 30 seconds later, Danny Rowe decided to try his luck from distance, but his well-struck effort went just wide of the post.

72 minutes in, the deadlock was finally broken. After King was brought down in the penalty area, Rowe stepped up and slotted the ball into the bottom corner, with a slight touch from an outstretched Walker not enough to prevent the goal.

And just 5 minutes later, Chesterfield doubled their lead, with Tshimanga getting on the end of the through ball, keeping his composure and capitalizing on the opportunity.

After a quiet final 10 minutes of regular time, Aldershot Town could have grabbed a consolation goal, but chances from Kinsella and Willard couldn’t quite beat Loach.

The Shots continue their Vanarama National League campaign next weekend when they make the short journey to face Boreham Wood.

Short journey? It’s in the middle of fucking Hertfordshire or somewhere. For me it’s eighty miles on top of that.

I’ll be back as soon as The Clown is shown the door and fucks off back to Braintree or wherever once we’re back in the bottom four by Christmas then the board will have to do something.

Until then I’ll be saving my money, thanks. Can’t tweet this blog post because I’m on a week’s ban because I was hateful apparently to Tyson Fury 🤣 you can read about that here too – personally I’d rather watch paint dry.