After four wins in a row there was an almost a predictable inevitability to Aylesbury United coming unstuck against bottom of the table AFC Hayes with their worst performance of the season to date.
For their part, the Brook visited Bell Close rejuvenated after a 2-0 result against Daventry Town had given their first league win of the season, and looked far from a side destined to be relegation fodder.
Yet there was no disguising a Ducks display lacking in imagination and spark, with visiting goalkeeper Sam Mazurek barely tested in the second period despite the home side chasing the game following Ricardo Faux-James’s early goal.
Tony Joyce named seven changes to the side which had travelled to Wantage Town in midweek, and it was an uncharacteristic error from one of the returnees – Bill Morgan – that set up the winner when he failed to clear the ball under pressure from Faux-James, who ran on and clinically scored past Jack Sillitoe for his third goal of the season. 1-0 AFC Hayes
The visitors had already had a decent chance when Georges Ehui drilled in a free kick which came back off an Aylesbury defender to Jerome Ecclestone, but he got his shot all wrong and it flew high and wide.
Zack Reynolds was another of the reinstated faces, having chosen to play for the Ducks rather than kick his heels with Hemel Hempstead, and his low shot had to be held by Mazurek just before the goal whilst, five minutes after it, Jake Bewley’s free kick came back off the keeper with nobody able to get to the rebound.
As Aylesbury continued to struggle for headway, a couple of half chances came the way of the visitors with leading scorer Tobi Akinjirin slashing an effort wide and Ecclestone trying his luck again from range but only hooking the ball well over.
The Ducks then lost Paul Edgeworth to injury, but his replacement, Joey Acheampong, was quickly involved in creating a great chance for Field, but Mazurek somehow prevented his shot from crossing the goal line.
After some light enquiries in the assistant referee’s direction as to whether the ball had crossed the line, United had to content themselves with a corner kick, their first of ten of the afternoon. Although latter flag kicks were wasted, this one was well aimed to Steve Hatch who was jus unable to make clean contact with his header.
Aylesbury enjoyed a brighter spell as they ended the half on top, with Reynolds laying the ball square for Hatch who crashed a shot over, and then Jack Wood unattended in meeting Shaun Owens’s searching free kick but guiding the ball wide.
Owens then set Field away with a fine through ball, who turned inside his defender before going for goal and forcing Mazurek to turn the ball over the bar.
It lead to a further spell of pressure and sequence of five corners over the next ten minutes, which largely came to nothing.
As the scrappy first half came to a close, frustration was growing on both sides and Faux-James and Shane Wood were both cautioned for squaring up, with further handbags continuing all the way to the tunnel area as the teams retreated for the interval.
Half-time: Aylesbury 0-1 AFC Hayes
Home supporters hoping for a second half onslaught were to be left sadly disappointed as Aylesbury only seemed to run out of ideas against a strong and well organised defence, with centre half Charlie Goode using his height to good effect as too often United tried the aerial route.
Key men Reynolds and Owens – who had shown himself capable of pulling the strings in the first half – just couldn’t get in the game after the break, whilst Field barely had a kick.
Mazurek made a good save, his most notable action other than regularly charging from his goal to contest decisions, on the hour mark when Acheampong’s low cross was sent spinning towards the bottom corner having struck a defender, but was turned wide.
Hayes had the best chance of the second half seconds later, stemming from a Ducks corner which was headed out, setting up a quick counter. Lee Grace completely mistimed his attempted clearing header by jumping under the ball, giving Dwaine Thomas a one-on-one opportunity, but he slotted wide of the target.
Yet another corner saw a Hatch shot smuggled behind, whilst a long throw which Morgan volleyed wide was to be as good as things got for Aylesbury.
Substitute Maxwell Walcott was booked for a poor challenge in the air on Jack Wood which left the skipper dazed, and Mazurek took the yellow card count to five for the visitors when he entered the book in stoppage time for wrestling with Acheampong on the goal line.
The son of 70s Aylesbury goalkeeper Vince Mazurek had done his job and repelled everything which had come his way though, Jack Wood’s volley from an 84th minute corner kick the last of a disappointing job the Ducks had done of chasing the game.
A poor result to quickly move on from United’s point of view, the Ducks will be looking to get another run of form underway when they visit Hanwell Town on Tuesday night as a busy October continues apace.
