Aylesbury made it three wins in a row without conceding a goal in the process, as they overcame struggling North Leigh in fairly comfortable fashion.

Manager Dave Tuttle opted for the same lineup which had seen off Kings Langley in midweek, only to be forced into a late change by the late arrival of Hafiz Kone who was replaced in midfield by Will St Clair-Burton. Striker Kamil Zielinski was available again to take a place on the bench.

The home team were a very young side but clearly technically skilled, yet they found no way through United’s excellent organisation and at the end of the day found themselves rooted to the bottom of the table as teams around them picked up points.

The opening stages were a scrappy affair as both sides struggled on a difficult pitch, with the closest thing to goalmouth action a rising drive from defender Aaron Addy which was always going over, whilst Tom Cove flashed in a couple of dangerous crosses for Aylesbury.

On the quarter hour mark Luqman Kassim showed his tricky dribbling as he cut inside from the right but saw his shot blocked.

Seven minutes later and the Ducks were ahead.

A free kick was played into the box from deep inside his own half by Charley Tuttle, where it came off a defender to Tom Cove. He hung up a cross to the far post where Jack Wood was waiting unmarked to simply nod home. 1-0 Aylesbury

Aylesbury looked to up the quality and a move reminiscent of Tuesday’s quality goal against Kings Langley had their lead almost doubled as a flowing attack ended with Kassim finding Kajetan Halatyn whose shot was blocked by a defender.

Just past the half hour mark and the advantage was extended. Another free kick delivery from Tuttle was only half cleared as far as Ben Stallard, who chested the ball down before sending a lobbed volley in over the keeper’s head and underneath the crossbar. 2-0 Aylesbury

Halatyn then had a great chance to put the Ducks out of sight when he took a clipped pass forward, rolled his defender to go one-on-one with the keeper but the ball got somewhat stuck in the pitch and he was unable to generate the power to beat Marriott in goal.

A rare effort from North Leigh saw Calvin Njoroge pick up Jack Wood’s headed clearance from a corner kick, but his effort from range was always skewing high and wide of the target.

Four minutes afterwards and Jack Hopwood was called upon to make his only save of the game. United conceded a free kick just outside the box having played themselves into trouble, which player-manager Michael Hopkins curled around the wall where it bounced awkwardly forcing Hopwood into an unorthodox save.

A minute later and Aaron McCreadie – recently returned from National League side Salisbury – shimmied and went for goal but his drive flew wide of the target as the half – and North Leigh’s brightest spell of it – came to an end with Aylesbury’s two-goal cushion intact.

Half-time: North Leigh 0-2 Aylesbury

Aylesbury started the second period with a good chance for Wood, who swept over the bar when yet another free kick into the box was headed across goal for him, but the assistant’s flag was raised anyway.

The Millers then fashioned an opening when a passing move ended with Kyle Chester jabbing the ball straight at Hopwood, but Aylesbury fashioned a better chance in similar style as Kassim slipped the ball inside to Halatyn who slipped at just the wrong moment allowing Marriott to gather easily.

It was the Aylesbury attacking duo’s last involvement of the game as they were then replaced by Kamil Zielinski and Adrijus Lapacinskas in a double substitution.

Soon afterwards Ben Stallard went close direct from a corner kick that crept just past the far post. North Leigh failed to heed the warning as he repeated the trick nine minutes later and this time did find the net to the joy of the green and white clad supporters behind the goal. Their joy was shortlived as the referee quickly blew to disallow the goal for an alleged foul on the goalkeeper. A very soft award indeed.

The hosts had made a triple substitution of their own and veteran Morgan Williams was giving a new focal point in attack. His flick on 73 minutes gave Mekhi Thomas a chance but he fired over the bar.

At the other end Lapacinskas’s raiding down the right was causing problems, and from one low cross he found St Clair-Burton who dragged a shot wide of the target.

The trick was repeated to give Aylesbury a third goal ten minutes from the end. A ball over the top sent Lapacinskas galloping awy down the right, and his low ball across the box picked out fellow substitute Ben Peters to guide the ball into the corner. 3-0 Aylesbury

The defence continued to hold firm for the closing stages, with a late North Leigh free kick being headed wide the only major concern to a third clean sheet for Hopwood and his defence, well marshalled by the superb skipper Jack Wood who, throughout the match, had swept away any breaches when North Leigh did attack.

It was a thoroughly deserved with for the Ducks who once again defended resolutely and took their chances when they came, with three good goals. Aylesbury next turn their attentions to a local derby at Leighton Town as they look to keep their run going.