After crashing to a 0-3 away league defeat by Marlow in their previous game on 12th August which had taken their winless run in all competitions to 16 games since a 1-0 home league win over Northwood on 19th February, Aylesbury United finally ended their long barren run with a great 4-1 away win over Milton Keynes Irish in their Pitching In Southern League Division 1 Central clash at Manor Fields, Milton Keynes on Saturday.

Aylesbury had gone into the game in 17th place out of 22 in the table as the 3rd placed of 3 teams on 1 point, with both 15th placed Leverstock Green and 16th placed Northwood ahead of The Ducks on goal difference.

Meanwhile, MK Irish had gone into the game on the back of a 0-2 home defeat by Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division side Arlesey Town in the Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round the previous Saturday, sitting in 20th place, as the 3rd placed of 5 teams all without a point, with only 21st placed Rayners Lane and bottom side Thame United below them with an inferior goal difference.

Although the sides had played each other in a pre-season friendly in each of the previous 3 seasons, this was the first league meeting between them with MK Irish being promoted into the league earlier in the summer

The hosts made a positive start in the opening exchanges, patiently keeping possession before firing long balls to their wingers in positive positions; however, the first chance of note came Aylesbury's way in the 11th minute when Brandon Green had his low right foot shot from 30 yards held at his right hand post by Irish keeper Tom Ladyman. Then at the other end a minute later, a cross from the right was headed out by Ducks defender Kian Henry to Ben Shepherd but the home captain's right foot shot from 25 yards was straight at Ducks keeper Jack Hopwood.

Then right at the end of the 14th minute, Aylesbury took the lead, when Hayden Beadle's pass from 35 yards out in the middle found Liam Batchelor-Morgan wide on the right; he took a touch to control before looping a cross to the near post where Remel Larwood got in front of Oliver Kalek to fire an acrobatic first time right foot volley from 10 yards past Ladyman into his top left hand corner for a sublime strike. 1-0 Aylesbury

Then at the other end in the 18th minute, Clinton Zawe ran down the right towards the edge of the box and outside Charley Tuttle before going down inside the box under challenge by the Ducks defender. Referee Alfie Finch-Critchlow said penalty, although from this reporter's view from the press box, Tuttle appeared to get the ball. However, a penalty it was and when the fuss had died down, Kelvin Osei-Addo stepped up to fire the resulting spot kick low to Hopwood's left with the keeper going the other way for the equaliser deep into the 19th minute. 1-1

The hosts went close to going in front just before the end of the 23rd minute when Henry's misplaced pass out of defence through the middle was picked up by Shepherd, who fed Owen Brooks on the left hand edge of the box. He squared infield to Ryan Smith but he fired his first time left foot shot from 15 yards well high and wide when he perhaps could and should have done better. Another chance came the hosts' way in the 25th minute when Ryan Smith's great looping cross from the left to the far post found Osei-Addo, whose downward header from 8 yards beat Hopwood but Jack Wood was in the right place to be able to clear the ball off the line. Then just into the 38th minute and against the run of play, United went 2-1 up when Henry's long ball found Jed Layman on the left and he ran outside Zawe before squaring infield to Larwood 15 yards out. He let the ball run to the unmarked Sonny French, who fired a low left foot shot from a central position into Ladyman's left hand corner. 2-1 Aylesbury

What proved to be the last chance of the first half came the Ducks' way in the 43rd minute when Beadle's ball found Fabian Garcia on the right, who took a touch to control and after having his first cross blocked by Ryan Kelsey, he recovered before passing infield to Larwood. He took a touch and cleverly beat 2 or 3 men as he cut diagonally into the right of the box before firing his right foot angled shot from 15 yards into the side netting at Ladyman's left hand post.

Half-time: MK Irish 1-2 Aylesbury

The first chance of the second half saw Aylesbury go 3-1 up just before the end of the 49th minute when French picked the ball up on the edge of the centre circle in his own half before sending a low forward diagonal ball to Garcia on the right. He took a touch to control before pulling the ball back for Beadle to fire his first time right foot shot from 18 yards at the right front edge of the box into Ladyman's top right hand corner in off the post for a superlative strike, which wouldn't have looked out of place in a World Cup Final. 3-1 Aylesbury

The Ducks made their first change in the 51st minute when returnee Rocko Tamplin came on to replace Batchelor-Morgan, having re-signed the previous day. The next chance came Aylesbury's way right at the end of the 57th minute when, after a heavy touch by MK's Oliver Kalek in midfield, Larwood won possession on the edge of the centre circle in the United half before passing low to his left to Beadle. He ran on into the left of the box before squaring back to Larwood but Kalek got across to block Larwood's right foot shot from 15 yards for a corner. Irish made their first change in the 58th minute when Kyle Boyce came on to replace Kelsey. Another chance for Aylesbury to extend their lead came just into the 63rd minute when French's long aerial diagonal ball from 40 yards out in the middle found Tamplin outside the right of the box and he took a touch to control before firing his right foot shot straight at Ladyman at his left hand post when a cross looked to have been a better option.

The visitors made their second change right at the end of the 64th minute when Kacper Kloc came on to replace French. Then right at the end of the 68th minute, MK went close when Shepherd's cross from outside the left hand edge of the box found Dean Dummett at the far post, who sent his header from 8 yards over the bar. However, referee Alfie Finch-Critchley pulled the play back for an MK free kick outside the left hand edge of the box. From the resulting set-piece, Shepherd' free kick to the far post was cleared by Henry. Both sides made a change at the same time with first Harry Guess coming on to replace Dummett for MK Irish just before the end of the 70th minute and then just into the 71st minute, London Brookshaw came on to replace Garcia for Aylesbury.

A flurry of substitutions then took place with no chances of note in between. First of all, deep into the 72nd minute, Ben Peters came on to replace Green for The Ducks with Emmanuel Gbejuade coming on to replace Osei-Addo for MK at the same time. Then in the 79th minute, Michael Richardson came on to replace Shepherd for MK before Aylesbury made their final change just into the 82nd minute when Prince Madu came on to replace Layman, taking up an unfamiliar place leading the attacking line. Irish made their final change just before the end of the 86th minute when Billy O'Dowd came on to replace Nathan Smith.

Then 3 minutes 36 seconds into added time, it was 4-1 when Tuttle's low ball on the left from 20 yards inside his own half found the on-running Larwood just inside the MK half and he took a touch to control before passing infield to Beadle, who ran on before crossing low to the far post for the in-running Tamplin to tap his low right foot shot from 6 yards past Ladyman into the middle of the goal. 4-1 Aylesbury

After an eventual total of 4 minutes 15 seconds of added time, the final blast of referee Finch-Critchley's whistle brought the game to a close and confirmed The Ducks' long winless run was over. It was a dominant performance by The Ducks which resulted in an emphatic win for Dave Tuttle's side, who will be hoping to make it back to back wins when they host Flackwell Heath at The Meadow, Chesham on Tuesday night (26th August) with a 7.45pm kick off.