A controversial fourth-minute penalty proved decisive as we fell to a 1-0 defeat at home to Aldershot.

Mark Ellis was penalised for allegedly bringing down Harrison Panayiotou in the area, with the Shots man picking himself up to make no mistake from the spot.

Chances at the other end proved hard to come by, with stand-in central midfielder Calvin Miller firing an effort wide and a low Elisha Sam cross just evading Kyle Wootton before the referee called time on a frustrating first half.

After the break, Sam Slocombe was called upon to make an important save after Michael Doyle's replacement captain Jake Reeves was dispossessed inside his own area.

Again it was proving to be slim pickings up top as we had to wait until the final throes to go close to an equaliser with substitute Jimmy Knowles drawing a good low save from Mitch Walker before, moments later, firing an effort into the side-netting.

But it was the Shots who fired the final blow as, with the last kick of the game, Josh Rees burst through on goal only for Slocombe to touch his shot just wide of the post.

STARTING XI: Slocombe; Barnett, Turner, Ellis, Kelly-Evans; Reeves, O'Brien, Miller (Rodrigues 75'); Boldewijn (Effiong 85'), Sam (Knowles 55'), Wootton

UNUSED SUBS: Rawlinson, Chicksen