Following the disappointment of going out of both the FA Cup and Southern League Cup in the last 7 days, the Ducks were faced with another knockout game this afternoon, with Chipstead from the Isthmian League visiting in the FA Trophy. After resting a few first-choice players for the midweek match, manager Ben Williams found himself short of 3 players who started against Ebbsfleet; Jamie Jellis and Ollie Hogg due to illness and injury and Ezra Anthonio-Forde who has joined North Leigh. Into the line up to replace them came Sonny French, Ben Seaton and Lee Stobbs.

Before the game skipper Jack Wood was presented with a trophy to mark him passing the 500 appearance mark for the Ducks. His team made a good start, threatening another early goal which has become something of a trademark this season; a free kick was cleared to Stobbs on the right, who crossed deep to Jack Wood at the far post. His header across goal was met by Jordan Jenkins, but keeper Matthew Kerbey clutched the ball underneath the crossbar.

The visitors almost took the lead against the run of play; a free kick taken by Jeremy Boakye was deflected and wrongfooted Archie Davis, only for the keeper to make a good adjustment to make a good save.

In the 18th minute a good long clearance from Davis was misjudged by Michael Olerewaju, allowing Max Hercules to run on and claim the ball. As he burst into the penalty area he was brought down from behind by Simeon Dennis, at the concession of a penalty. Hercules claimed the ball himself, but Kerbey made a good save to his left.

Four minutes later and the visitors took the lead. A long ball forward was well controlled by Andy Somo, he attempted to find strike partner Kieran Lavery, but the pass was blocked, falling back to the striker who hit a fine curling shot inside the far post with Davis totally unsighted by his defenders. 1-0 Chipstead

Straight from the kick off, Hercules was fouled by Boakye; Seaton swung in the free kick, finding the head of Jenkins, but his effort was narrowly wide of the far post. A pass forward from French found Ty Deacon, but as he advanced towards the penalty area, he was clipped from behind by Jensen Grant, receiving the first yellow card of the game for his troubles. Jake Bewley stepped up and took the free kick from 25 yards, but his effort was too high to trouble Kerbey.

Despite the score line, the Ducks were threatening with each and every attack and Kerbey was by far the busier keeper. He was called into action on the half hour, a good cross was met by the head of Deacon, which was collected by French who in turn found Stobbs, whose shot from 15 yards was well saved.

Two minutes later good interplay between Bewley and French on the left saw the latter fire in a shot from 30 yards which was saved, before Bewley followed up with a shot which Kerbey was grateful to see deflected wide for a corner.

The visitors had a great chance to double their lead when a free kick by Boakye was headed down by Jenkins, who slipped as he stretched to complete the clearance, allowing Olerewaju to get a shot away on the turn which flew narrowly wide of the far post.

Five minutes before half time, Hercules beat substitute Marco Correira, on as a substitute for the injured Olerewaju, and crossed to the near post where Ty Deacon met the ball with a firm header which was gratefully clutched by the keeper.

The final action of the half saw Somo have a chance to double his tally, but his shot from the right side of the penalty area flew across goal and away to safety. The score line didn’t really reflect the balance of play, with the Ducks fans hoping that they wouldn’t rue the missed chances.

Half-time: Aylesbury 0-1 Chipstead

They started the second half well, and 6 minutes in the scores were level. Harry Jones did well to dispossess Lavery on the right side and moved forward before finding Deacon in the middle of the park; he looked up and found the run of French bursting past the centre backs, who dinked the ball past the advancing Kerbey to draw the scores level. 1-1

Hopes were high in the home camp that this could be the springboard to further goals to close out the game, but it wasn’t to be. Chipstead responded well and took the game to their hosts, dominating the attacking exchanges in a reversal of fortunes and the pattern of play from the first half.

In the 55th minute, Lavery collected the ball from a throw in on the left and moved infield before firing in a goal-bound shot which was well blocked by a combination of Jenkins and Wood. The skipper had a good chance to give his team the lead in the 65th minute, latching on to a ball into the box after a free kick had been cleared and firing a shot from 15 yards which was deflected narrowly over the bar. From the resulting corner, Kerbey fumbled as he attempted to claim the cross, with Wood on hand to head home, but referee George Enever awarded a dubious free kick for a foul on the keeper, who could consider himself lucky.

Straight from the restart the visitors attacked again; Kofi Anokye-Boadi gathered the ball on the left and advanced towards goal, firing in a shot from 15 yards which Davis saved well. Two minutes later, Somo created another chance for his team, making a powerful run down the left and crossing to Anokye-Boadi; he unselfishly cut the ball back to Dennis who saw an advancing Davis make a splendid save from his shot to keep the Ducks level

With 15 minutes remaining Hercules and Bewley combined well again on the left, with a cross flicking off Deacon’s head and falling to Stobbs, whose volley was slightly mis-hit and straight at Kerbey. 10 minutes from the end the visitors were awarded a free kick, 20 yards out on the right of the goal. Karn Miller-Neave took the free kick, but his shot rebounded away off the wall, to be collected by Somo on the left side. The striker turned and crossed to the far post, where the diminutive Miller-Neave rose highest to get a header away, only to see Davis make a great save, tipping the ball over the bar for a corner.

The game ran out of steam slightly in the last 10 minutes, with neither side able to create any more clear-cut chances, with the match ending all square after 90 minutes and the need for a penalty shoot-out. With mixed memories of shoot outs last season, one a loss in the FA Cup, the other in the exact same stage of the FA Trophy last season a success, combined with our record from the spot this season being a disappointing, there was anxiety and nerves from the crowd.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be today as the visitors ran out 4-2 winners. So, 3 cup games in a week and 3 defeats, which is a disappointing return. However, we should look back at the FA Cup run, which brought in much needed and un-budgeted for prize money and look ahead to catching up on some of the rearranged league matches, starting on Tuesday evening at Wantage, where no doubt Ben will have lifted the spirits in the camp and look to have the team firing again.