"I think a few teams will struggle to contain them" - Aldershot v FC Halifax Town: Opposition Focus
We spoke to Steve Gibbs, who has covered Aldershot across local and national media for over a decade, for an insight into FC Halifax Town's opponents on Saturday.
How have Aldershot started the season?
Impressively well, considering the complete overhaul of the squad by new manager Scott Davies and widespread predictions of a relegation battle. Just one defeat so far, and that could easily have been a draw against fancied Hartlepool United if Marcus Dinanga hadn't missed a late penalty. Davies signed 21 new players and kept just one who was involved in the first-team at the end of last season, but the transition has been mostly seamless.
What are the ambitions this season for the club?
After several years of bumping along just outside the bottom four, Davies's young, hungry squad have started to suggest that this could be a far more positive and optimistic season. Before appointing Davies to replace John Coleman, Chairman Deane Wood said he was aiming for the top half - and Davies himself thinks his team will surprise a few people - but really anything other than a relegation battle will be a relief.
Who have been the stand-out players in the team so far and why?
Tristan Abrahams has risen from the dead to be one of the most prolific strikers in the National League with five goals in two-and-a-half matches. His brilliant 23-minute hat-trick against Harrogate last Friday showed the player Shots fans hoped they'd signed in the summer of 2025 but saw nothing of in the whole of last season. Dominic Odusanya is becoming a beast in midfield. Wingers Basil Tuma and Hakeem Sandah have pace and trickery aplenty, and only need to find a bit of consistency. Centre-back (and boyhood Shots fan) Michael Stickland has been a colossus in defence. Creative midfielder John Gilbert was going to be a stand-out player until he sustained an ankle injury just 10 minutes into the second game of the season. The most impressive thing, though, has been the unity and work-rate across the whole team - currently it's a side that is greater than the sum of its parts.
What can Halifax expect to come up against, what's Aldershot's style of play like?
Pace and intensity. Davies's teams play what might be called 'heavy metal football', with aggression and energy that presses high and makes them lethal on the counter-attack. So far, they've combined good passing with a more direct approach. Harrogate boss Simon Weaver admitted that his team couldn't cope with it as they were blown away in the first-half, and I think a few teams will struggle to contain them.
Injuries/suspensions?
Gilbert is out for at least two months with an ankle injury. Ollie Harfield is still recovering from the horrendous dislocated knee and torn ligaments he suffered two years ago. Jacob Borgnis is due back from his three-game suspension.
Likely line up and formation?
I think Borgnis will replace Lawless in midfield but Davies could easily go for another unchanged line-up as nobody has left him down so far.
Hayes, Oshilaja, Stickland, Dyce, Efete, Odusanya, Borgnis, Adom-Malaki, Abrahams, Dinanga, Tuma.