Wantaway midfielder Glenn Howes climbed off the substitutes' bench for Basingstoke Town and helped to inspire them to a 1-1 Ryman Premier Division draw at Aylesbury United on Saturday.

The Southampton-based student came on after 66 minutes in place of Alex Ewin and, three minutes later, Stoke bagged the all-important equaliser when Neville Roach netted from a flick-on by ex-Saints striker Kevin Gibbens.

Stoke, sixth in the table, had been indebted to the heroics of goalkeeper Scott Tarr for keeping them in the match.

He parried a close-range Joe Baker header midway through the first half and, just before the break, distinguished himself with two more superb saves from Alex Stanley and another ex-Saint, Craig Maskell.

It was Maskell who eventually broke the deadlock on 53 minutes, finally breaking Tarr's resistance with a well-placed shot from Baker's delightful threaded pass.

Stoke's master marksman Craig McAllister looked the man most likely to equalise, but having had the ball squared to him by Gibbens, he smacked his shot against the crossbar.

League leaders Aldershot Town stretched their unbeaten run to eight games with a 1-0 win over Hitchin at the Recreation Ground.

Stafford Browne, who recently rejoined the club, got the winner just after the hour mark from a cross by Roscoe D'Sane.

It's a result that leaves Terry Brown's Conference chasers seven points clear of Sutton and St Albans having conceded just one goal in their last six league outings.