On the back of their best start to the league season in living memory after a strong performance at Biggleswade FC, Aylesbury United hosted newly promoted Leverstock Green, looking to build on the 3 points gained at the weekend.

Two enforced changes, with Charley Tuttle and Luqman Kassim both missing out after sustaining injuries on Saturday, replaced by Ben Peters, who had played well as a substitute against the Waders and the returning Jake Bewley.

The Ducks started well, in the 4th minute Kamil Zielenski held the ball up well on the right, before picking out the run of Ben Stallard on the edge of the penalty area, but his shot was deflected narrowly wide.

A goal wasn’t long in coming and again it was Morrison Hashii, the hat trick hero from Saturday who made the breakthrough in spectacular fashion just a minute later. He picked up a loose ball on halfway and shrugged off a challenge from Ademide Baruwa before chipping visiting keeper Alfie Bonfield from 35 yards. 1-0 Aylesbury

In the 15th minute, Liam Batchelor-Morgan was caught in possession trying to play his way out of defence; the ball was played to visiting skipper Dan Pett, whose left foot shot from 18 yards was just wide of Hopwood’s goal.

Two minutes later, Hashii almost doubled the lead, getting on the end of a cross into the box by Bewley to flick the ball goalwards, where Bonfield made a sharp save.

A fine ball threaded through the defence saw Luke Beckwith free on goal, but Jack Wood got across to cover and saw the shot well saved by Hopwood.

Two minutes later Bewley made a good interception before finding Hashii; he picked out Will St Clair-Burton who shot from 30 yards but his effort was high and wide.

Just past the half hour, Gary Connolly picked the ball up on the half way line and made ground unchallenged before passing to Nat Connolly, but his shot from 25 yards was wide of target.

Five minutes before the break, Kwai Marsh-Brown collected the ball on half way and went on a mazy run, beating 3 or 4 defenders before firing in a 30 yard shot that was narrowly wide of Bonfield’s post.

Half-time: Aylesbury 1-0 Leverstock Green

The half time team talk in the visiting dressing room provoked a reaction from the visitors, which was augmented by the early introduction of strikers Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica and Guiseppe Delgaudio, offering a more physical threat in their front line.

In the 63rd minute, good work by Ethan Mooney saw him beat Bewley on the right before crossing low into the penalty area, where Delgaudio saw a first time shot fly wide of the goal. The pressure continued as Pett took a corner which was met by Josh Dooley, but his effort was saved on the line by Hopwood.

The introduction of Jamie Breen in the 70th minute gave the visitors another attacking outlet on the left and he posed problems for the Ducks defence with his ball control and crossing, but the defence held firm, resisting everything that was being thrown at them.

As the game entered the 8 additional minutes that referee Charlie Bullock had indicated, Hopwood did well to save with his feet after good work by Breen.

In a rare attack for the Ducks in the second period, the Ducks almost doubled their lead; Zielinski played a fine crossfield pass to Hashii, who cut infield before backheeling the ball into the path of St Clair-Burton, but his shot from 20 yards was narrowly wide of target with Bonfield beaten.

A free kick taken by Pett in the 96th minute was punched out by Hopwood, but only as far as Baruwa, who saw his lob from 20 yards just clear the crossbar.

The match ended after 11 added on minutes, a valuable 3 points for the Ducks, although it has to be said, a draw was probably the least the visitors deserved after a strong second half performance.

Next up for the Ducks is a trip to Northwood FC on Sat 24th Aug, before meeting another promoted side, Flackwell Heath at Chesham on Tue 27th Aug, as the Ducks look to keep up the good early season league form.