After storming to an 8-0 home win over Hellenic League Premier Division side Brimscombe and Thrupp in the Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round the previous Sunday, Aylesbury United must have wished they'd have saved some of those goals as they were held to a 1-1 home draw by Barton Rovers in their Pitching In Southern League Division 1 Central clash at The Meadow on Saturday.

The Ducks had gone into the game in 9th place in the table as the second of 6 teams all on 3 points, with only 8th placed Ware ahead of Aylesbury on goal difference.

Meanwhile, Barton went into the game on the back of a 3-0 home win over Essex Senior League Premier Division side West Essex FC in the FA Cup Preliminary Round the previous Saturday, which had followed a 1-2 home league defeat by North Leigh earlier that week.

That defeat by North Leigh plus results elsewhere had left them in 7th place in the table, level on points with 6th placed Welwyn Garden City (but behind on goal difference) and a point above Aylesbury.

The first chance of note came Aylesbury's way in the 4th minute when Ben Seaton's long diagonal cross-field ball from the halfway line found Ezra Anthonio-Forde on the left outside the box. He took a touch to control and ran into the left of the box before Jay Palmer dived in to bring him down and Camden referee Charles Marland said penalty. However, Max Hercules' poorly struck spot kick (now just into the 5th minute) was easily saved to his right by Rovers keeper Kyle Forster.

Aylesbury went close in the 15th minute when Mark Riddick's diagonal through ball from middle to left found Hercules, who took a touch to control before passing infield to Anthonio-Forde who fired hisiw left foot angled shot from 15 yards past Forster's left hand post.

Barton's first chance came in the 17th minute when Charlie Smith's corner from the right was punched out by Ducks keeper James Weatherill to Bradley Bell wide on the left 25 yards out. He took a touch to control before crossing for Lewis Thomas to send his header from 12 yards past Weatherill's left hand post.

Then in the 18th minute, Barton took the lead when Christopher Regis picked up a loose ball on the left touchline 10 yards inside The Ducks' half and went on a run which saw him beat both Harry Jones and Jack Wood before firing his left foot shot from 20 yards into Weatherill's left hand corner. 1-0 Barton

The Duck went close in the 22nd minute when Anthony Ball's from just inside his own half on the right of middle went over Palmer's head to find Hercules on the left 25 yards out. He took a touch to control and ran at Palmer before cutting to his right and firing his right foot shot from 20 yards not far over the bar.

United had another chance just before the end of the 30th minute when Wood's through ball on the right found Jones who ran forward before sending a long cross-field aerial ball to Hercules 30 yards out on the left. He took it on his chest and took another touch to control before chipping infield to Anthonio-Forde, who laid it back to Sonny French who took a touch to control but totally miskicked his attempted shot and the opportunity went begging.

Barton thought they had scored deep into the 32nd minute when Luke Williams' cross from the left to the far post found Regis, who sent his header from 5 yards into Weatherill's left hand corner. However, the offside flag went up and the goal was disallowed.

The Ducks went mighty close right at the start of the 34th minute when Hercules' low pass out of defence on the right found Anthonio-Forde, whose low forward ball found Jamie Jellis who took a touch to control before seeing his left foot shot from 18 yards clip the angle of bar and post to Forster's right.

Barton went close right at the end of the 43rd minute when Smith's long diagonal ball over the top from left of middle just inside his own half found Paul Andrews 25 yards out on the left, who took a touch to control before firing his right foot shot well over the bar.

United went close a minute later when Weatherill's throw-out found Barton on the right 10 yards outside his own box, who took a touch to control and cut inside before firing his right foot shot from 15 yards on the left of middle over the bar.

The last chance of the first half came Barton's way with 11 seconds of normal time left when Smith's cross from the left to the near post found Nathan Frater, who took a touch to control before firing his left foot shot from 8 yards into the side netting.

Half-time: Aylesbury 0-1 Barton

The first action of note in the second half saw United equalise in the 50th minute when Jellis won a tackle with Williams 35 yards out on the right and took a touch before sending a low diagonal forward ball to Anthonio-Forde. He took a touch before sending a low diagonal ball to his left to Sonny French at the left front of the box who ran into the left of the box before firing his low left foot shot from 15 yards into Forster's right hand corner for his landmark 50th goal for the club. 1-1

Then at the other end just before the end of the 56th minute, Sam King's low cross from the left into the middle towards Bradley Bell saw Kuda Sangoya go straight through the Barton man to bring him down for a penalty. When the fuss had eventually died down, Regis stepped up to take the resulting spot kick but had his poorly hit penalty (now deep into the 58th minute) saved to his right by Weatherill.

United went close deep into the 60th minute when Weatherill's throw-out on the right found Ball 10 yards outside his own box who took a touch to control before sending a long aerial cross-field ball to Hercules on the left. He took a touch to control and played a one-two with Anthonio-Forde before seeing his right foot shot from 8 yards rebound off a defender to Jellis, whose first time right foot shot from 7 yards on the left was blocked 2 yards off the line by Andrews.

United went close again just into the 64th minute when French's ball from left to middle found Hercules, who took a touch to control before passing low to his right to Jellis. He took a touch to control and cut inside Williams before firing his left foot shot from 12 yards into the side netting at Forster's left hand post.

Barton made a double change in the 65th minute when Victor Osubu came on to replace Bell and Tofarati Adeofi came on to replace Martel Powell.

Then in the 69th minute, Osubu made a bad challenge on Sangoya but rather surprisingly wasn't even shown a yellow card by referee Marland, let alone a red when that might have been an option.

A good chance came Aylesbury's way in the 70th minute when Seaton's long ball forward was headed on by Deacon to Hercules, whose attempted chip from 15 yards over the advancing Forster was saved by the Rovers keeper.

United made their first change in the 74th minute when Jamie Rudd came on to replace Anthonio-Forde.

Then in the 76th minute, Barton went close when Smith's corner from the left found Andrews whose header from 12 yards was cleared off the line at his right hand post by Jellis for another corner. From this second flag kick from the left, Smith's delivery saw Regis send his header wide of Weatherill's left hand angle.

The visitors made their final change in the 79th minute when Alex Shapherd came on to replace Smith.

What would ultimately prove to be the last chance for either side came Aylesbury's way in the 82nd minute when, from Wood's long ball over the top from inside the centre circle in the Barton half, Forster came out but Andrews headed it before Forster reached it. The ball fell to Deacon whose first time right foot shot from 20 yards was blocked by Andrews, with the ball falling to Hercules whose first time right foot shot from 15 yards was deflected over the bar for a corner.

Barton's Adeofi was yellow carded by referee Martland deep into the 85th minute for pulling back French and after Palmer joined him in the referee's notebook in the 86th minute, the last happening of the game in the 7th minute of added time saw both Jellis and Frater yellow carded after a bit of handbags.

The final blast of referee Martland's whistle after a total of 6 minutes 54 seconds of added time brought the game to a close with both sides having to settle for a point each.