Aldershot 3 v 2 Fleet Nationwide Conference

IT IS probably safe to say Tim Sills will not be on Gravesend boss Lian Daish's Christmas card list this year after rocking his side with an injury-time winner just like he did last year, writes Jon Couch.

The Aldershot Town hitman followed up his late header against Fleet last October with a carbon copy in the very same net, putting paid to a gutsy Gravesend fightback.

Sills climbed hughest to head home Darren Barnard's 92nd-minute free-kick to the relief of the Recreation Ground faithful.

Spare a thought for Daish who saw his team battle back against all the odds having to play with 10 men for more than an hour.

Daish must have thought his chances of claiming victory were dead and buried when full back Lee Protheroe was sent off for handling the ball on the line and denying Matt Somner a certain goal.

When Barnard rifled home the spot kick to make it 2-1 there seemed to be only one winner but it was oh, so close.

Shots had taken the lead on five minutes when Sills, who had only just won a fitness battle over a sprained shoulder, buried a Somner cross.

Gravesend got back into the match on 21 minutes when the referee adjudged Bradley Johnson's cross to have struck Somner's hand and Charlie MacDonald converted the penalty.

Johnson had just joined Fleet from Northampton on a month's loan.

Daish's nightmare began 10 minutes after the goal when Protheroe was sent off and Barnard scored.

Despite being in a commanding position Aldershot seemed to lose their way and allowed Fleet to get back into the match.

MacDonald shot wide after Bobby Bowry pinged in a cross from the left and Onome Sodje brought a fine double save from Nikki Bull.

Shots boss Terry Brown responded by making a double substitution but it only made matters worse for the hosts as they completely lost their way.

Fleet equalised with four minutes left on the clock when youngster Luke Moore floated in a cross from the left and MacDonald beat a stranded Bull with a looping near post flick.

Aldershot, riled by Brown's anger on the touchline, poured forward and but for good cover from Scott Gooding would have taken the lead.

However, with seconds ticking down Fleet hearts were broken when Ross Smith impeded Hassan Sulaiman and from the free kick Sills headed past the despairing Craig Holloway.

Daish admitted Tim Sills' injury time winner "ripped the guts out of him" after watching his troops battle back with 10 men.

He and his dug out staff were furious with referee Rob Lee after the game claiming the free kick which led to the winner should never have been given.

He said: "The lads have worked tirelessly since going a man down.

"We played some decent football and got back into the game.

"My keeper has not had a lot to do and the lads were magnificent in taking the game to Aldershot.

"To come away and lose 3-2 to a last-minute goal, when it never was a foul, from the resulting cross is hard to take.

"It has ripped the guts out of me but I cannot fault the lads at all."

Daish had no complaints about Protheroe's dismissal.

He said: "If the ball is on its way into the net and the player's put his hand out then the letter of the law says he should be sent off."

Shots boss Terry Brown said: "Credit must go to Gravesend who played football, kept their shape and deserved something out of the game.

"We have Tim Sills to thank for three points today.

"He did it against Gravesend last year and I was grateful then as I am now."

Fleet dropped to 13th in the Nationwide Conference and host Altrincham at Stonebridge Road this weekend in a must win game for Daish and his men.

Altrincham are lying 17th in the table but only two points behind Fleet.

In other news midfielder Ben Surey has gone on a month's loan to Conference South Basingstoke.

Fleet: Holloway; Protheroe; R Smith; McCarthy; Jackson; Drury (Gooding, 34); Bowry; Saunders; Johnson; MacDonald; Sodje (Moore, 69).

Subs not used: J Smith; Omoyinmi; Kerr.

Att: 2,415