DAGENHAM & R 3
Effiong 34, Hill 82, Pereira 90+3
ALDERSHOT TN 3
Harries 47 (pen), Tolaj 72, Barrett 90+7
TOMMY WIDDRINGTON lavished praise on his Aldershot Town players and his side’s travelling fans despite seeing his side just come up short of securing a play-off place.
The Shots needed to better FC Halifax Town’s result to clinch seventh spot but the Shaymen’s victory at Eastleigh meant their efforts at Victoria Road yesterday went in vain.
But the fans did have a stunning 97th-minute freekick from Josh Barrett to cheer as the Shots earned a point from a six-goal thriller with Ben Strevens’ men.
“It was a biopic of our whole season,” Widdrington said. “There were periods in the game when I didn’t think we were on it and then we were absolutely excellent for certain periods.
“We scored two really good goals but we haven’t been able to see games out all season.
“Ultimately we’ve got a point from the game and, from two trips, taken four. Had we had done that all season we might not have come up just short but we have.
“I’m really proud of the group and I’m proud of the staff but the fans today wowed me! It gets you right in there. They’ve come out in their numbers to support us and I take my hat off to them.”
Shots keeper Jordi van Stappershoef produced a superb fingertip save to keep out Inih Effiong with a close-range effort early on. But the former Shots striker wasn’t to be denied on 34 minutes when Keenan Appiah-Forson and Josh Hare combined for Effiong to smash the ball home.
The Daggers retained the lead going into the break but, two minutes into the restart, the Shots were level when Dagenham’s Elliott Johnson brought down Kwame Thom
