Wealdstone and Aldershot Town shared the spoils in an entertaining 1-1 draw at Grosvenor Vale on Saturday.

The Stones, playing against a side one division above them, more than held their own on a stifling afternoon, and the manner in which they showed character to respond from a deficit would have doubtlessly pleased manager Bobby Wilkinson.

Gary Waddock’s visitors grabbed the advantage at the mid-point in the second half when a Shots trialist fired past Jonathan North in the home goal.

However the returning Bradley Hudson-Odoi, back for his second stint at the club, latched on to the end of an inviting David Pratt cross to beat goalkeeper Jake Cole and salvage a draw.

Aldershot will be among the favourites to earn promotion from the National League this season and showed why with a high-tempo performance in the first half that left North the busier of the two goalkeepers.

The one time Watford youth player had to be alert to thwart first half chances from Regan Booty, while Scott Rendell went close to breaking the deadlock soon after and Luke Wanadio saw his shot parried by North.

Wealdstone might have taken the lead against the run of play, however, only for Danny Green to fail to get his shot away in time as Cole smothered the loose ball.

Green was soon in the thick of the action again as he squandered a gilt-edged chance – arguably the best chance created by either side in the first half. Good work by Bradley Bubb found him unmarked but he incredibly fired over the bar when he ought to have hit the target.

A raft of changes from both sides might have disrupted the rhythm and tempo established but, if anything, the opposite was true.

The Hampshire club wasted little time in picking up where they left off, grabbing the lead mid-way through the second period as a trialist fired a curling effort beyond the reach of North.

Wilkinson would make an inspired substitution, however, introducing Pratt who would wrestle the game back into the balance.

Carrying the Stones’ greatest attacking threat, he fired in a cross for Hudson-Odoi who did enough to breach Cole’s defences for the leveller.

Both sides shared chances as Stefan Brown went closest for the hosts and forwards Matt McClure – once of Wealdstone – and Shamir Fenelon nearly snatched victory for Aldershot, but it remained 1-1.

WEALDSTONE: North, Tyler (Sheppard 55), Grant (Mambo 60), Stevens, Okimo, Poku, Green (Lench 55), Ahmidi (Clark 71), Brown (Monakana 80), Bubb (Pratt 55), Hudson-Odoi.