Continuing our look at the other clubs to be battling with the Shrimps next season we look at Aldershot thanks to the webmaster at Macclesfield FC.
2009/10 Review - Managerial Upheaval
The Shots, fresh from a solid season of consolidation back in the Football League, were gearing up for a fresh assault on the division and got off to a good start. By Early October the side were in fifth place in the League Two Table when Wycombe Wanderers swooped to take Conference title winning manager Gary Waddock.
The results suffered early on and either side of a 2-0 FA Cup win over Bury, the League campaign under caretaker manager Jason Dodd and later permanent replacement Kevin Dillon saw five winless matches. This run dropped the club down to 11th position before a 5-2 win against Dagenham set them back on track. After finally settling down (they would lose 6-1 to Burton only a few weeks later), the Shots put in a steady but unspectacular series of results together which saw them still in 12th at the end of February.
Late push
But they would only lose three more matches in the 15 between then and the penultimate game of the season, a 3-1 victory over Lincoln that saw them four points ahead of eighth with one match remaining. The final day defeat to the Shrimps was meaningless as the play-offs were already secured. But joy turned to despair as Rotherham were 1-0 winners in the first leg of the semi-finals at the Recreation Ground and completed the job with a comfortable 2-0 home win.
Ins and Outs
At the end of the season, Aldershot released several players including Lewis Chalmers, signed by Macclesfield last week.
Also moving on were a handful of players that the Shots had offered contracts to. Aaron Brown a mid-season midfield capture from Yeovil joined Leyton Orient, Scott Donnelly who hit 14 goals from midfield last season has joined Swansea and Kirk Hudson, who has been with the club since 2006 has moved to Brentford.
Meanwhile Dave Winfield, another long serving player having been with the club since 2005 and Andy Sandell have both moved to join former manager Gary Waddock at Wycombe.
New Boys
There has been some inward action however as Darren Jones joins from Hereford, Jack Randall comes in from Palace and Jamie Vincent and Luke Guttridge move from Walsall and Northampton respectively.
Fans' Eye View
"Losing Donnelly is a real blow to be honest. But we thought it would be difficult to recover after Waddock left us and we did pretty well then.
Personally, I'd have kept hold of Lewis Chalmers as he was quite underrated here at times but always gave his best. But he wanted to move back up north and I think our loss will be Macc's gain. As long as we can replace the players we've lost then we know all about League Two now and I think we could go one better than the play-offs this season."
Terry, Aldershot.
Latest odds at Corals
To win league - 12/1
To get promoted - 5/2
First Three League Games
Aug 7 - Accrington Stanley (a)
Aug 14 - Southend United (h)
Aug 21 - Shrewsbury (a)
Carling Cup Opponents
Watford (h)
