Shots battle to point
Ten-man Aldershot followed up their Carling Cup win at West Ham in midweek with a battling performance to earn a 1-1 draw with Oxford at the Kassam Stadium.
It was reward for a fighting display after playing with a man short for 79 minutes. Defender Anthony Straker was sent off in the 11th minute for bringing down Lewis Guy when he was through on goal.
But after trailing for a long spell to James Constable's third goal of the season, the Shots equalised midway through the second half when Luke Guttridge drilled a long-range shot into the bottom right corner.
Constable had fired the Us in front after 21 minutes with a superb left-foot volley.
Aldershot goalkeeper Jamie Young failed to get much distance with a punched clearace at a corner, and Constable volleyed back over his head from 15 yards.
It was Constable's third goal of the week after his derby-day double at Swindon last Sunday.
Oxford really should have extended their lead in the first half.
Peter Leven floated a free-kick just wide and Guy went close with a half-volley after a pacy break begun by Liam Davis.
But the Shots came strong towards the end of the first half with Jermaine McGlashan seeing an angled shot stopped after getting in behind the U's defence, and Alex Rodman having a 25-yarder saved.
Substitute Peter Vincenti was unable to turn the ball in from four yards when McGlashan volleyed a half-cleared corner to him in front of goal.
Oxford tried to keep spreading play to make use of their extra player, but they lacked real urgency in the final third, and Guttridge made them pay.
Oxford Utd 1-1 Aldershot: Match Report - view commentary, squad, and statictics of the game as it happened.
Source: DSG
