An inept first half performance cost United any chance of victory against battling Bishop's Stortford. The visitors had far more of the possession and certainly made better use of the ball when they had it.
Aylesbury were still missing the influential Danny Bailey in the middle of the park but did welcome back James Courtnage, Scott Honeyball and Jefferson Louis, who'd all been missing the previous week. Stortford included a number of new faces, having recently signed players from struggling Premier Division side Grays Athletic.
Initially both sides failed to impress before player-manager Martin Hayes, the former Celtic and Arsenal midfielder, opened the scoring on 25 minutes. He hit a shot from outside the penalty area that James Courtnage seemed to have covered. Unfortunately the ball squirmed out of the Aylesbury keeper's grasp and dropped over the line.
On several occasions during the first period the visitors were left in too much space with too much time, and with more competent finishing could easily have increased their advantage.
They did double their lead a minute before the break however. James Courtnage saved well from a rasping drive, but the Aylesbury defence went absent without leave at the resultant corner, allowing Trevor Paul to tap in from inches out.
After the interval United did improve. The referee missed an apparent stamp on Steve Callinan to cap another poor display of officiating, but the incident seemed to spur on home players and supporters alike.
Roni Joe went on one of those runs, which only he can, and was abruptly upended in the box. The Stortford defender was rightly dismissed for a professional foul before Phil Mason slotted the resultant penalty past a static keeper.
That should have sparked an Aylesbury revival, but despite some frantic play, United didn't show enough control to break down the resistance from the visiting ten men.
