Aldershot Town were knocked out of the National League Cup after a heavy 5-0 defeat to Ipswich Town's under-21 side on Tuesday. The loss at the EBB Stadium saw the Shots concede five times without reply in their final group stage fixture, a result which came just days after a 1-0 league win over Gateshead.
Jacob Mazionis opened the scoring for the visitors after just five minutes. Frankie Runham then netted twice, either side of a goal from Josh Lewis, before substitute Shakil Nicolaou completed the rout in second-half stoppage time. The result confirmed Ipswich's progression to the quarter-finals.
Manager Scott Davies made two substitutions in the very first minute, bringing on Jack Matton and Malakai Gamblin-Green for Michael Stickland and Dominic Odusanya. Further changes followed at half-time, but Aldershot struggled to contain the young Ipswich attack. Matton and Jacob Christmas both received yellow cards during the second half.
The cup exit comes as Aldershot Town sit 14th in the National League, with 21 points from 16 games, having recorded six wins, three draws and seven losses. Their recent league form shows two wins and three losses from the last five matches, a sequence that includes a 2-0 loss to Sutton Utd and a 1-0 defeat to Wealdstone. The team has scored 19 goals and conceded 19 in the league this season. They now find themselves 23 points behind the league leaders, Boreham Wood.
The team now turns its focus to a major FA Cup first round tie away at League One side Barnsley this Saturday. After that, the next league fixture is a trip to third-placed Southend on Saturday 14 November.
Assistant manager Mark Jones admitted the 5-0 cup defeat to Ipswich Town U21s on Tuesday was a 'tough night' for his side. Jones said, "It was always going to be a tough night for us with what we were able to put out there." He explained the club, with a squad of 21 players and several injuries, had to protect key players ahead of their FA Cup tie at Barnsley this Saturday. Aldershot, 14th in the National League, now focus on that cup match.
Ipswich Town U21 forward Frankie Runham said his side 'killed them in the second half' after scoring twice in Tuesday's 5-0 National League Cup win. Runham told the club's media, "We killed them in the second half and that's what we've been working on in training." The defeat, Aldershot's third in their last five matches, came days after a 1-0 league win over Gateshead. The Shots, 14th in the National League with 21 points, now focus on the FA Cup.
