Hanwell Town vs Aldershot Town

Wyllie's goal three minutes into the second half effectively ended the contest as a competitive fixture. Hanwell had defended doggedly to keep the deficit at one after Peart's opener, but the immediate defensive error after the restart — described by the club as "a mix up at the back" — gave the visitors a two-goal cushion that a side from two divisions below was never likely to overturn. The early second-half strike removed any urgency for Aldershot to chase further goals and allowed them to manage the game on their terms.

Brody Peart — The midfielder opened the scoring with a well-taken finish in the 26th minute, his first goal of pre-season. Peart showed composure in the box to beat the Hanwell goalkeeper from a position that had yielded little for the Shots in the opening quarter.

Marcus Wyllie — The forward doubled the lead within three minutes of the restart, alert to capitalise on a defensive lapse. Wyllie's movement and anticipation have been a feature of Aldershot's pre-season and he looks sharp ahead of the National League opener on 8 August.

Charlie Boyce-Clarke — The Aldershot goalkeeper kept a clean sheet, his third of pre-season. While Hanwell created few clear chances, Boyce-Clarke's handling was assured and his distribution calm under minimal pressure.

Player of the match: Brody Peart. His opener in a tight first half set the platform for a comfortable afternoon.

The provider data shows two goals from two shots on target, reflecting Aldershot's efficiency rather than a volume of chances. The Shots led 1-0 at the break and doubled their lead early in the second half, a pattern consistent with their pre-season approach of building pressure through possession. No cards were recorded in the match, which is typical of a friendly where both sides prioritised fitness over aggression. The absence of any recorded substitutions in the official events suggests heavy rotation was used, as is standard in pre-season fixtures.

Sports Mole's pre-match data gave Aldershot a 59.51% win probability, with 0-2 the third most likely scoreline at 9.6% — the actual result matched the statistical prediction closely.

Aldershot Town signed off their penultimate pre-season fixture with a second clean sheet in three games. The result marked a return to winning ways after the 3-1 loss to League One Oxford United on 21 July.

Jones's side have one more friendly remaining — away to Braintree Town on 1 August — before the National League season begins at Boston United on 8 August. Hanwell Town, who play in the Southern League Premier Division South, continue their own pre-season preparations.

Aldershot's pre-season form (since 7 July) reads: W2 D2 L1 from five outings, with three clean sheets and six goals scored. The 2-0 victory at Hanwell was their most complete defensive performance of the summer.

A professional, no-frills pre-season win for Aldershot against a side two divisions below them. Peart's finish and Wyllie's predatory instincts provided the goals, but the clean sheet and the controlled second-half performance will give Jones the greater satisfaction. The final friendly at Braintree on 1 August will be the last chance to fine-tune before the real business begins.