Following the disappointment of losing their opening day fixture against Potters Bar just 48 hours earlier, the Ducks were looking to bounce back at Beaconsfield. Two changes to the starting line-up, with Ellis Hercules coming into central defence, meaning skipper Jack Wood had to move to right back in place of the unavailable Gavin Hinds-Cadette. With Ollie Hogg sidelined with a hamstring injury incurred in the first match, Lea Coulter made his seasonal debut in midfield.

The match started in warm evening sunshine, with the home side settling quickly and playing nice possession football, moving the ball around quickly and accurately, without necessarily threatening the goal. The first opportunity came in the 12th minute, when a cross from the right found the head of James Harding, but Zaki Oualah made a comfortable safe.

The Ducks were beginning to come more into the game by this stage and the next opportunity fell to Bruno Brito. A deep cross found Taylor Collins in the area, his header down found Jordan Frederick, who in turn laid the ball into the path of Brito, unfortunately his shot was too high to trouble home keeper Sam Bunting. Frederick was becoming more influential at the heart of the midfield and he was next to try his luck. A long ball from Jack Wood found Brito, whose touch laid the ball into the path of Frederick. Fortunately for the Rams, Josh Gibbens made a desperate lunge as he was shooting, enough to take the pace off the shot resulting in an easy save for Bunting.

The industrious Rams right back Marcos Ushiro-Lumb was quite often the outlet ball for the home side; it was he who created the next chance, wrong footing Jake Bewley and whipping in a delicious cross which Ryan Kinnane did well to clear under pressure from Harding.

On 25 minutes, a foul by Kinnane on Aaron Minhas saw a free kick awarded 30 yards out in a central position. Up stepped Jack McKnight to strike a fine free kick which was arrowing towards the top corner, until Oualah leapt to touch the ball over the bar; a fine save. The last action of the half saw the impressive Lea Coulter try his luck from 35 yards, with Bunting scrambling across his goal, happy to see it go narrowly wide of his right hand post.

Half-time: Beaconsfield 0-0 Aylesbury

The Ducks started the second half much more positively, denying the home team time and space on the ball, with Taylor Collins particularly impressive, chasing every loose ball and denying the home defence time to pick their passes. The home side almost took the lead in slightly fortuitous circumstances, an Aylesbury pass ricocheting off the referee and into the path of Oliver McCoy, who outpaced Kinnane and lifted the ball over Oualah as he raced from his line, but could only place his shot wide of the far post.

From the very next move, the Ducks took the lead; good work on the left by Bewley saw him cross into the box. The ball was half cleared, only as far as Frederick on the edge of the box who hit a sweet volley into the bottom corner of the net. 1-0 Aylesbury

Not content to rest on that success, straight from the kick off Frederick won the ball back and played it to Reece Cameron down the right. He advanced to the edge of the penalty area and fired a shot in which Bunting could only parry as far as Brito, whose follow up shot was deflected narrowly wide of the far post.

The Ducks had now taken quite a hold on the game; next it was Collins’ chance to come close. A long ball forward by Kinnane over the heads of the defence saw the striker snatch at a volley and clear the bar. More good work by Bewley down the left then saw Collins unable to make a meaningful touch on a cross, but substitute Alvin Rajaram retrieved the ball and crossed to Cameron who again couldn’t find the target. Ten minutes later, Rajaram again picked out Collins at the far post with a fine cross, but Bunting kept his side in it with a good save low down by his near post.

As so often, the one goal lead proved not to be enough; in the 75th minute saw good work down the left flank result in a deep cross which appeared to be deflected away from Bewley’s attempt to clear, falling nicely for McKnight to pick his spot and place the ball past Oualah to equalise. 1-1

While the goal had come pretty much against the run of play, it certainly instilled more energy and confidence into the home team, McKnight winning the ball on the edge of the penalty area and shooting narrowly wide. Two minutes from the end of normal time, another deep cross from the left found McCoy 10 yards out with the goal at his mercy, however his shot was weak and easily saved by Oualah.

Just as it seemed that the match would end even, one last chance came the Ducks way in the 5th minute of added on time. A foul on halfway resulted in a long free kick by Wood being knocked down to Kinnane 8 yards out. Showing admirable composure for a defender, he controlled the ball, swivelled and shot past Bunting to seal the win. 2-1 Aylesbury

With little time to play after the restart, the Ducks players and fans were soon celebrating their first win of the season, on balance a well deserved victory against a young side who tried hard to play football. Indeed had the finishing been a little more clinical, the result could easily have been more comfortable.

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The second report comes from George Stokes, via his football blog which is available here: https://georgecstokes.wordpress.com

Aylesbury United bounced back from a 3-1 loss to Potters Bar Town on the opening day of the season to pick up their first points of the new Evo-Stik Southern Division One Central campaign with a dramatic 2-1 win away at much changed Beaconsfield Sycob.

After a quiet first half, Jordan Frederick’s second half effort more than made up for a drub first 45, as his volley on the edge of the box nestled into the bottom corner.

The impressive Jack McKnight levelled the game up for the hosts after the ball found him at the back post midway through the second half. The control and finish showed all the qualities of the man who controlled the midfield for Sycob throughout.

But it was United who had the final laugh. A ball in from a free kick on the right hand side with seconds to go found Ryan Kinnane, who controlled and finished to snatch all three points for the visitors.

Both sides started the game cautiously, as both looked for their first win of the season. The home side had the better of the chances in the first 45, but couldn’t convert any of them as the two Buckinghamshire clubs went into the break level.

Oliver McCoy had a chance for Sycob just after the restart as his burst of speed took him away from two defenders, but, 1-on-1 with the keeper, he scuffed his shot just wide of the far post.

Despite this pressure, it was United who came out of the blocks stronger. It took just four minutes of the second half for Jordan Frederick to break the deadlock. The ball fell perfectly on the edge of the box for the midfielder, whose volley found the bottom left corner, leaving goalkeeper Sam Bunting with no chance of reaching it.

Aylesbury then began to take control of the game, with both Reece Cameron and Bruno Brito coming close moments after the opener.

But it was Beaconsfield Sycob who went onto get the second goal of the game. The ball was worked out to the left hand side for Matthew Peake-Pijnen, fresh off a move from Oxford City, who whipped the ball towards the back post, over the head of full-back Jake Bewley, only for McKnight to trap the ball dead and poke it past the onrushing Zak Oualah in the United goal to level the scores.

Both sides had chances late on to win the game, with Oliver McCoy coming close once again for the hosts.

But late it on it was Aylesbury United who would snatch the goal to take home all three points. A free kick in from the right hand side bounced around the box before Jack Kinnane controlled to turn and shoot and fire into the back of the net to grab a well deserved second.