Bishop's Stortford: Kane Crichlow scores five against Aldershot in FA Trophy upset
- Published
Kane Crichlow has also played in Greece during his career
Scoring a hat-trick in a cup-upset victory would be fantastic - but how about five goals?
Kane Crichlow proved a real handful - literally - for National League side Aldershot Town as he led Bishop's Stortford to a remarkable 6-1 win to put them into the last 16 of the FA Trophy.
The Bermuda international only joined the Blues last month, having been on Watford's books earlier in his career and appearing for them in a League Cup tie against Newport County in September 2020.
He showed Bishop's Stortford what he was capable of with a debut goal against Ebbsfleet United in the previous round of the trophy - a game they won on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
But nothing could have prepared them for Saturday's remarkable turn of events at Woodside Park.
"I'm just flabbergasted," Aldershot manager Tommy Widdrington told BBC Radio Surrey.
"It's nothing to do with the way we prepared, it's nothing to do with the way we set up, the personnel, it's absolutely just one of those horror shows where you've got to move as quick as you can.
"The players need to look hard in the mirror because some of them have got visions of grandeur in terms of where they want to go, or where they think they should be.
"If we turn up and play like that against anyone in our league, the score will be worse than that."
Playing at Bishop Stortford's compact RDA Stadium was a far cry from The Hawthorns home of West Bromwich Albion, where Aldershot lost 4-1 in the FA Cup third round six days earlier.
Widdrington's side found themselves 4-0 down inside 25 minutes, three of the goals from 23-year-old Crichlow, and although they pulled one back in the second half, he added two more to make it an embarrassing afternoon for the Shots.
Tommy Widdrington left King's Lynn Town to become Aldershot boss in April 2023
Bishop's Stortford lifted the FA Trophy at Wembley way back in 1981, but following promotion last season, they are bottom of National League North, having won only five of their 27 league games - 38 places below Aldershot, who are 10th in the top flight of non-league football.
"They made one change from the team that played at West Brom last Sunday, they are a good outfit, and we've done a proper job on them," owner-manager Steve Smith told the club website.
"Kane Crichlow had five chances and scored five goals, which is phenomenal. Moments like this don't happen very often, that is an unbelievable result."
The draw for the fifth round will take place on Monday, with the fifth-round ties to be played on 10 February.
So what did Crichlow himself make of it?
"It was a good game from us, we matched them very well," was his understated response.
"This was my first professional hat-trick so it's a great feeling," he added.
For Aldershot, the task now is to try and secure a place in the play-offs and they only have a single-point gap to close on Rochdale, who are seventh in National League.
They are away next weekend to Kidderminster Harriers, whose director of football is former Shots boss Dean Holdsworth.
"I'm not going to throw the baby out with the bath water, that's not my style," said Widdrington.
"Football has a tendency to kick you up the backside, rather than pat you on the back, and we've had a right royal kicking this weekend."
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