WREXHAM AFC 2,

ALDERSHOT TN 0

ALDERSHOT Town continued to endure familiar travails on their travels as league leaders Wrexham cruised to victory on Saturday.

Neither side were able to muster much in the way of genuine creativity or quality possession, but two set-pieces from the impressive Luke Summerfield inflicted a fourth consecutive away defeat on the Shots, who have now taken zero points and scored just one goal in six hours of football on the road this season.

“We played well today, and a decision has cost us the game, it’s as simple as that,” declared manager Gary Waddock, referring to the absence of a referee’s whistle which should have given permission for Wrexham to take the corner from which Stuart Beavon headed the hosts into the lead.

“We didn’t deserve that scoreline, because we were in a very good position at that stage and it changed the course of the game,” continued Waddock. “The comments from the Wrexham players after the game tell you it was a wrong decision.”

Promising periods for both sides during a stilted first half failed to be converted into clear chances, with a total lack of quality at crucial moments. Wrexham went closest, though. Regan Booty cleared Shaun Pearson’s header off the line and Jake Cole did well to parry a bouncing drive from Summerfield.

From the resulting corner, Beavon’s improvised volley flew just over the crossbar and it remained goalless at half-time.

Aldershot found renewed urgency on the restart and enjoyed their best moments in a 75-second spell.

Jacob Berkeley-Agyepong’s shot on the turn was partially saved before being hacked off the goal-line by Mark Carrington. That was immediately followed by a rare slick interchange of passes before Adam McDonnell’s lobbed cross found Scott Rendell in ample space on the six-yard line, only for his free header to totally lack any power and fall limply into Rob Lainton’s arms.

Once Beavon, whom Waddock had once managed at Wycombe Wanderers, gave the Dragons a controversial lead, the visitors mustered precious little by way of response.

Their lack of penetration was compounded on 78 minutes when Summerfield’s seemingly innocuous, inswinging free-kick was left by everybody as it floated towards the byline and Jordan Maguire-Drew nipped in ahead of Lewis Kinsella to flick the ball under Cole.

“Yes, the second goal was a mistake and we can’t keep making mistakes as we will get punished,” admitted Waddock. “But things aren’t quite going our way and we have to continue to build and work hard at it.”

Profligacy has also been a factor in their poor start and the normally clinical Rendell again failed to convert a superb chance on 82 minutes as Dan Holman’s driven cross-shot bounced awkwardly off his chest and into the goalkeeper’s grasp from barely two yards out.

In the final stages, referee Glen Hart also failed to spot the deflection which took Luke Howell’s hooked volley away from goal for a corner, but for all of their justified ire in conceding the first goal, Aldershot were still the authors of their own downfall.

Wrexham: Lainton; Roberts, Tharme (Rutherford 75), Pearson, Carrington; Wright, Summerfield; Beavon, Deverdics (Young 57), Maguire-Drew (Pyke 80); Fondop. Subs (not used): Dibble, Holroyd. Booked: Pearson.

Aldershot: Cole; Bernard, Lelan, Fowler, Kinsella; Booty (Rowe 66), Howell; Wanadio (Fenelon 70), Berkeley-Agyepong (Holman 77), McDonnell; Rendell. Subs (not used): Gallagher, Smith. Booked:?Rendell, Berkeley-Agyepong.

Referee: Glen Hart.

Attendance: 4,648 (143 away).

• Aldershot are home to mid-table Bromley on Saturday.