So on a balmy Spring night at the Park, two of the division's heavyweights produce a right slobberknocker with honours rightly being shared 1-1 as Aldershot find themselves crowned Blue Square Premier League Champions in front of one of the biggest crowds of the season - a whopping 5005 appreciative supporters, including a sizeable contingent of Shots fans. City lined up: Marriott; Friend, Seaborne, Matt Taylor, Tully; Edwards, Gill, Harley; Watson, Stansfield, Logan.
An adventurous attacking line up from City and an attacking 4-3-3 formation, but in a blistering series of opening exchanges it was Aldershot who had the better chances. As early as the third minute an Aldershot striker cut inside and unleashed a powerful swerving drive that Marriott had to palm round the post at full stretch, then two minutes later they had a free kick just outside the box following a clumsy challenge from Friend that was powered wastefully wide.
City weathered the early storm though, and in the 20th minute broke through to fashion a chance of their own, however with neither Watson or Stansfield prepared to leave it for the other, they simply got in each other's way and the chance fizzled out. A couple of minutes later City had another chance, but as Matt Taylor hoisted a looping header from a floated Harley free kick, the linesman's flag was up for offside.
Chances were coming thick and fast for City in a bit of a purple patch when an Edwards drive ricocheted back to Harley who blazed onto the Bank from 25 yards, then on the half hour Logan nodded the ball down to Watson who's first time turn and shot was an easy collect for the keeper.
But City's industry didn't go unrewarded, and in the 40th minute the deadlock was finally broken. Gill played the most agonisingly delicious pass along the floor through the heart of the Shots' defence where Stansfield outpaced his markers and broke through on goal. He waited for the keeper to make his move before prodding the ball low to the keeper's right and just inside the far post for a truly wonderful goal and a 1-0 lead for City as the place went ballistic.
However, a mere three minutes later it was the away end's turn to cheer as the scores were once again level. A ball from the edge of the box wide to the left was drilled across to Scott Donnelly stationed on the penalty spot. His first time daisy cutter was straight at Marriott, but he somehow contrived to spoon it up over himself and into the net instead of making a routine gather and thus the teams went into the break all square at 1-1.
After much toing and froing at the start of the second half, with neither team able to gain the upper hand, manager Tisdale made the bold move of introducing Moxey and Carlisle for Harley and Watson, with Matt Taylor moving up front as City reverted to a 3-4-3 formation with Edwards dropping back in a 4-3-3 if necessary.
It almost worked with the very next move: Carlisle sending over a peach of a cross to the far post where Deano met it with a bullet header that was inexplicably cleared off the line for a corner. Play continued to ebb and flow from end to end with once again neither keeper being unduly troubled, but as the half wore on it was City who looked the more likely winners.
On the half hour Logan nodded down to Deano who drove a low through ball for Stansfield to chase, but it was ever so slightly too long for him, then a couple of minutes later Stans had an even better opportunity when Logan fed him round the corner with a great ball to run on to. As he got to the box, a combination of getting the ball stuck under his feet and a defender's close attentions sent Stans crashing to the turf, but as the crowd bellowed for a penalty the referee rightly waved play on.
City weren't quite finished though, and a final throw of the dice saw Basham introduced at Logie's expense for the final five minutes, and once again City almost profited immediately. This time a corner was flicked on by Taylor for Carlisle to crash a header towards the top corner. Unbelievably the keeper managed to frantically claw the ball away before Taylor's close range follow up was knocked just wide of the near post.
With City very much on the up, time ran out, and the spoils were shared. But what a game - proper end to end stuff, plenty of chances for both sides, and a real and honest desire from both teams to win a football match without resorting to histrionics, play acting and diving all over the place. Credit to Aldershot too - BSP Champions and L2 football next season. Congratulations, if today's game is indicative of your season, you fully deserve it, and hopefully in a couple of weeks time we'll be joining you.
However, in order to do that we'll need to be a little sharper and not offer so many opportunities, nor let in such soft and unnecessary goals. The strikers need to be just a little more clinical, and the midfield just that little bit cleverer. But you can't fault the play of most today, and in particular Gill, Harley, Friend, Taylor and Edwards all had fine games.
So where does that leave us now? Just behind Stevenage on goal difference in sixth spot, and a point behind both Cambridge and Burton in fourth and third respectively. There's still three games to go, starting with a very tricky trip to Rushden on Saturday before we're back here on Tuesday to face already relegated Stafford before the final game of the season, and probably the biggest game of the season, at Burton in a week and a half. All are winnable - especially if we play like we did tonight - but all are losable too, especially if we play as we did against Droylsden and Salisbury recently.
So which Exeter City will turn up? Hopefully the one from tonight, and hopefully you will too. The atmosphere was electric at times tonight, and it gives the players a real lift too. Do your bit for that final push, and the players will do theirs too. It's still too tight to call, but it's still well within our grasp. See you on Tuesday, can you really afford not to be there?
Course not!
