After a blank Saturday, enforced by the Division having an off number of teams again this season, the Ducks returned to action with a match against the current in-form team Barton Rovers, who arrived at the Meadow having gained 19 points from their last 7 matches, including notable wins against fellow high fliers Berkhamsted and Flackwell Heath.

Four changes to the starting line up from the disappointing result at Thame saw Liam Batchelor-Morgan, Haziz Kone, Morrison Hashii and Kamil Zielinski miss out, being replaced by a fit again Charley Tuttle and Tom Cove, Ben Peters and Sonny French.

The visitors almost made a dream start, catching the Ducks cold in the first minute, when a ball forward to Matthew Moloney was played square to Taylor Rhiney just inside the penalty area, but Kian Henry got across to deflect his shot over the crossbar. Three minutes later a clever pass forward by Jake Bewley found Luqman Kassim on the left; he turned away from Ryan Neufville and curled a shot goalwards, only to see his effort deflected wide.

The first period settled into a midfield battle, with neither side able to create any meaningful chances, before French found Kassim wide on the right in the 35th minute; he cut inside full back Cameron Hyde, but shot over the bar from 25 yards.

Rovers took the lead shortly afterwards, a ball into the penalty area from the right saw Jack Wood collapse to the ground under a heavy challenge from Moloney, who controlled the ball and slid home from 12 yards, despite the cries of 'foul' from the Ducks players, which went unheeded by the referee. 1-0 Barton

The visitors, buoyed by their goal, took the ascendancy, a long ball forward by skipper Martel Powell found John Shamalo, who shot from the edge of the penalty area, but saw his effort deflected wide for a corner. From the corner, Moloney met the ball well and scored with a header from 6 yards, but this time the referee had spotted a foul and ruled out the effort.

Five minutes before half time, a ball over the defence found Rhiney, who lobbed Remy Mitchell to score, but the celebrations of the visitors were again short-lived, as the flag was raised for offside. However, a legitimate second goal wasn't far away, as 3 minutes before the break Shamalo controlled the ball well, pulled away from Bewley and fired past Mitchell from the edge of the penalty area. 2-0 Barton

Half-time: Aylesbury 0-2 Barton

Into the second half and the visitors carried on from where they had finished the first period, scoring a 3rd goal soon after the restart, to pretty much put the game to bed. Shamalo collected the ball on the left, beat Tuttle and crossed to Rhiney, who steered the ball past Mitchell from 12 yards. 3-0 Barton

Four minutes later, Neufville and Shamalo combined well down the right before the ball was played inside to Alfie Warman, whose shot was deflected towards Mitchell, who made a comfortable save.

Just before the hour mark, the Ducks made a triple substitution, with Henry, Peters, and Ben Stallard making way for Batchelor-Morgan, Will St Clair-Burton and new signing Ashis Rai. Rai was soon into the action, taking a corner from the right which was met by Jack Wood, but his header was just wide of the upright.

Two minutes later, Rai won the ball in midfield and found Kassim wide on the right. He cut inside Hyde, but shot high and wide of the far post.

The Ducks came close to reducing the arrears in the 68th minute, when a Tuttle free kick from 25 yards cannoned off the near post with keeper Charlie Warren helpless.

With 15 minutes left on the clock a cross from the right flank was headed out by Charlie Milton, but only as far as Kassim, but his shot from 20 yards was too high. Five minutes later a cross from the left was chested down by Tuttle, but only as far as substitute Jemale Olayinka, but his shit from 10 yards was well parried by Mitchell. Soon after, Kajetan Halatyn made a driving run through the heart of midfield and fired in a shot from just outside the penalty area, but his goal bound effort was deflected wide for a corner.

Good work by Rai and Halatyn saw the ball crossed to Kassim on the edge of the penalty area, but as so often this evening, his effort was off target.

As the clock ticked into added on time, the visitors had a good opportunity to extend their lead, when substitutes Markel Cousins and Saul Williams combined, before Williams saw his shot from 18 yards drift wide of the target.

In the final minute of added time the Ducks did get a consolation goal; French got on the ball in the penalty area and saw his shot blocked; the ball fell first to Kassim who also saw his shot blocked before St Goerge-Burton steered the ball home to notch his first goal in the green and white. 1-3

The final whistle was blown soon afterwards, with the Ducks left to rue another disappointing performance, one in which the visitors had shown greater sharpness in front of goal, to continue their fine run of recent results. Next up is a trip to lowly Kidlington on Saturday, a chance to bring to an end what has been a disappointing run of league results through November.