Aldershot Town won 2-0 at home to AFC Fylde in the National League.

A closely-fought encounter was decided by goals at the end of each half courtesy of James Henry and Josh Barrett.

Levi Laing started the game well, although his foul just outside the area gave Fylde’s Nick Haughton an opportunity to test Shots keeper Marcus Dewhurst from a dead ball. Haughton’s effort beat the wall, but it sailed past the left-hand post and into the East Bank.

Aldershot’s first attack of some substance saw Henry link up with Kwame Thomas. The midfielder found the ball at his feet in the box, and played a neat one-two with Thomas, but Corey Whelan was quick enough to cut the ball out and prevent a certain opener.

Dewhurst was called into action in the 12th minute when Gavin Massey surged into the box and hit a venomous strike which stung the palms of the Shots stopper, who parried away for a corner. He was tested once more shortly afterwards, but dealt with Jon Ustabasi’s effort in similar fashion.

Aaron Jones felt aggrieved to receive the game’s first booking, after his attempt to get the ball on the right-hand touchline was adjudged to be a high foot at the expense of Owen Evans.

The Coasters began to look the more likely to score, particularly when Haughton’s left-footed effort came agonisingly close to beating a rooted Dewhurst at his right-hand post, rolling just wide.

However, it was the Shots who took the lead after a moment of quality.

Keane Anderson sprayed an intelligent first-time ball out to the left, allowing Kai Corbett to make the most of his dribbling ability and put his marker on the floor. The Shots’ number nine then found Henry, who continued his vein of goalscoring form with a deflected effort which dipped into the top right-hand corner.

Fylde started the second half strongly, and a series of charging runs runs from Tyler Roberts down the left caused serious problems for the Shots’ back-line, but the hosts managed to quell the threat each time.

A mix-up in midfield allowed Roberts in at goal once more, but a superb recovery challenge from Anderson protected the Shots’ fragile lead.

Corbett then beat two men down the left before putting in a dangerous low cross that called visiting keeper Ben Winterbottom into action.

Henry nearly scored his second of the evening when his ferocious left-footed effort from the corner of the box went just wide of Winterbottom’s far post.

Laing then produced a superb goal-line clearance to keep the Shots in front.

Ashley Boatswain lofted the ball over the head of Dewhurst and the ball looked destined to trickle into the home side’s net, but Laing produced an acrobatic last-ditch clearance over the bar.

Moments before coming off, Corbett almost finished a fine performance of his own in perfect style when he cut in from the left and hit a low strike from the edge of the area which forced an excellent fingertip save from Winterbottom.

An uneventful second half looked to be ebbing to a quiet conclusion, until Barrett pounced on a poor clearance from the Fylde defence. The Shots’ top scorer chested the ball down and struck his effort with aplomb to make it 2-0 and put the result to bed.