After taking their winless run in all competitions to 6 games with a 4-1 home defeat by title-chasing Berkhamsted on Boxing Day, Aylesbury United bounced back to finally return to winning ways with an ultimately comfortable 3-0 away win over Leverstock Green in their Pitching In Southern League Division 1 Central clash at Pancake Lane.

That defeat by Berkhamsted plus results elsewhere saw the Ducks go into the game in 8th place in the table, 5 points behind 7th placed Welwyn Garden City with 6th placed Hadley a further 4 points ahead - albeit with both Welwyn and Hadley having played a game more than Aylesbury.

Meanwhile, Leverstock Green went into the game on the back of a 1-0 away defeat by Stotfold on Boxing Day, which was their 2nd straight defeat out of a total winless run of 3 games since a 3-1 away win over fellow stragglers Kidlington on 11th December.

That defeat by Stotfold plus results elsewhere had left Leverstock in 20th place out of 21 in the table 2 points behind 19th placed Kidlington with 18th placed Northwood a further point ahead, albeit with both Leverstock and Northwood having a game in hand over Kidlington.

The first chance came Aylesbury's way in just the 2nd minute when, from Ben Peters' low forward ball from the halfway line on the right towards the penalty area, Leverstock defender Rio Beach's short back-pass towards keeper Liam Gauthier was chased down by Liam Batchelor-Morgan before Gauthier came out to smother.

Leverstock's first chance came deep into the 12th minute when Kajetan Halatyn's poor clearance from the edge of his own box fell to Nathaniel Connolly 30 yards out on the hosts' right. He took a touch to control before sending a low forward ball to Ademide Baruwa, who ran into the box and to the byeline before having his cross blocked by Ducks keeper Jack Hopwood for a throw in.

Another opportunity came the hosts' way in the 16th minute when Connolly picked up a loose ball 35 yards out and ran forward a little before sending his right foot shot high over the bar.

Then at the other end, just before the end of the 17th minute, Haziz Kone's corner from the left to the far post found Jack Wood, who headed the ball back in for Luqman Kassim whose header from 6 yards lacked power and was held above his head by Gauthier.

The Ducks went close deep into the 20th minute when Batchelor-Morgan ran down the right before sending a low ball across the box to Kassim outside the left hand corner of the box. He took a touch to control and cut to his right to beat Callum Neal before having his right foot shot from 15 yards tipped away to his left by Gauthier for a corner.

Then in the 31st minute, Leverstock went close when Jamie Breen ran down the right to the byeline before pulling the ball back low for Baruwa, but Brandon Green got in a great tackle to block Baruwa's shot for a corner.

The hosts went close again in the 35th minute when Dan Pett's deep cross found Rawn Seale, who sent his header wide.

Another chance came Leverstock's way in the 43rd minute when Seale made a powerful surging run down the left before having it halted by a great tackle from Wood before the ball was cleared.

The first half had been lacklustre in difficult conditions with neither side having really threatened to score and so the teams went into the break with a blank scoreline.

Half-time: Leverstock Green 0-0 Aylesbury

The first chance of the second half came Aylesbury's way in the 47th minute when Jake Bewley's low forward ball on the left found Kassim, who turned his man beautifully and ran on the byeline before eventually having his cross cleared for a corner.

From Kone's flag kick from the left to the far post, Wood's header from 8 yards was chested off the line by Connolly before being hoofed clear.

Then at the other end deep into the 51st minute, the hosts went close when Connolly's through ball down the middle found Keanu Fleming, who ran on before having his right foot shot from the edge of the box showed away to his left by Hopwood for a corner. From the resulting flag kick from the right, Oliwier Fusiek sent his header over the bar.

The Ducks made a double change deep into the 65th minute when Sonny French came on to replace Green and Tom Cove came on to replace Peters. Meanwhile, Leverstock made a change of their own deep into the 66th minute when Adam Morley came on to replace Neal.

The hosts went close right at the end of the 67th minute when Fleming's cross from the right found Seale at the far post, whose downward header from 8 yards straight at Hopwood was held by The Ducks' keeper.

Aylesbury took the lead in the 71st minute when Kone's corner from the left to the near post found Halatyn, whose header across goal fell to Wood at the far post whose low right foot shot from 15 yards through a crowd of players took a slight deflection on its way into the net. However, it was Wood's goal. 1-0 Aylesbury

Leverstock made their second change in the 74th minute when Ryan Carruthers came on to replace Breen.

Then right at the end of the 75th minute, it was 2-0 when Batchelor-Morgan picked up a loose ball on the halfway line on the right and ran forward 15 yards into the inside right channel before feeding Kone. He took a touch to control and ran on into the box before crossing low for low for Halatyn to fire his right foot shot from 6 yards into the middle of the goal. 2-0 Aylesbury

Leverstock made their third change deep into the 76th minute before the restart when Paul Ogboro came on to replace Connolly.

United went close to extending their lead just before the end of the 82nd minute when Kone's low ball through the middle from midway between the halfway line and the edge of the box found Halatyn, who ran down the left and cut in before having his right foot shot from 20 yards tipped away to his left by Gauthier.

The visitors went close again in the 84th minute when Kone's corner from the left was headed on at the near post by Halatyn with the ball falling to Wood, who sent his left foot shot from 6 yards over the bar as he was leaning back. It was 3-0 in the 87th minute when Will St Clair-Burton ran forward from just inside his own half down the right before sending a low forward through ball to the on-running Kassim. He ran on and cut inside Beach before firing his low right foot angled drive from 15 yards into Gauthier's right hand corner. 3-0 Aylesbury

The Ducks made their third change in the 88th minute when Ashis Rai came on to replace Batchelor-Morgan; meanwhile, Leverstock made a double change just before the end of the 89th minute when Callum Moore came on the replace Baruwa and Dan Isaac came on to replace Fusiek.

Then in the 2nd minute of added time, United went close when a Leverstock clearance fell to Bewley 40 yards out on the left of middle and he ran forward before having his left foot shot from 25 yards superbly tipped away to his left by Gauthier for a corner.

What proved to the last chance of the afternoon came Leverstock's way deep into the 4th minute of added time when Carruthers' corner from the left found Moore, whose header from 10 yards was cleared off the line by Kone.

Then after an eventual total of 4 minutes 48 seconds of added time, the final blast of referee Luke Scott's whistle brought the game to an end and confirmed that The Ducks' winless run was over.