After crashing out of the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup with a 2-4 Quarter Final defeat away to Diadora League Division 3 side Flackwell Heath in midweek, a managerless United (after Dave Sansom's sacking) bounced back to complete a season's double over Wokingham at Buckingham Road as an injury hit Ducks (missing 4 first teamers and down to their last 13 players) kept their first league clean sheet since their 2-0 win at Wokingham in October.
It was a lacklustre game with neither side looking remotely like scoring in a dull and tedious first half and the closest anyone came to breaking the deadlock was just before half time when Jason Walkington's corner was flicked on at the near post by Mark Hampstead and Ducks keeper Simon Gregory saved low down at the second attempt.
The hosts raised their game after the break and they went close early in the second half when Town keeper Peter Scrivens was forced to palm away a dangerous looking corner from the right and as the ball broke loose, the attempted clearance fell to Phil Stacey who crashed a powerful 25 yarder against the bar before the ball rebounded to safety.
What proved to be the only goal came in the 55th minute when Francis Cassidy's prodded through ball fell off invitingly into the path of Graham Westley, the offside flag stayed down and Westley hammered his shot from inside the box and although Scrivens got his hands to it, couldn't prevent the ball from going in.
Wokingham rallied late on and they came close to snatching a draw in the 87th minute when Andy Mackenzie's high cross into the box was dropped by Gregory and after the United defence had only half cleared two efforts from ex Chelsea star Tommy Langley and another from Walkington, the ball eventually fell to sub Jim Bradley who fired high and wide from an acute angle.
The visitors' best chance came deep into stoppage time when Cliff Hercules misdirected a clearance through a packed penalty area to Jim Devereux who turned to find himself one on one with Gregory who made a superb save for a corner to ensure all 3 points just about deservedly stopped in Aylesbury.
David Figg
