Defeat at Ware on Saturday saw Paul Batchelor make 3 changes to the starting line up; the injured Charley Tuttle was replaced by Jake Bewley, with Ben Peters and Finlay Reeves dropping to the bench, replaced in the starting line up by Ayo Akinbobola and Remel Larwood, the latter returning after missing the Ware game through suspension.

The game was a special occasion; skipper Jack Wood playing his 670th match, overhauling Cliff Hercules' long standing club record. Before the game he was presented with a bottle of champagne to mark the occasion, along with a bouquet of flowers to his partner Carla, in lieu of some formal presentations to be made before the game against Hitchin on Sat 22nd November, when it is hoped a large crowd will be in place to celebrate his achievement.

The Ducks made a good start, Fabian Garcia collected the ball down the left and cut inside Panny Boxer and fired a shot across goal, which smashed against the post and rebounded quickly to Larwood, who couldn’t adjust in time as the ball arrived, this first-time effort clearing the cross bar.

Just past the quarter hour, Akinbobola escaped down the flank and fired in a powerful shot from 20 yards which was saved by Donnabhan Green; the follow up saw Benji Kakembo receive the ball 25 yards out, but his effort was straight at the keeper, who made a comfortable save.

In the 22nd minute, the Ducks lost the ball on the left; it was passed infield to Stephen Cawley who cut infield and shot from 20 yards, forcing Jack Hopwood into a good save at his near post.

The Ducks continued to press forward, dominating the possession, Kakembo won the ball on the left and passed infield to Garcia, who fired in a powerful shot from 25 yards which was saved by Green at his near post.

Four minutes from the break, the visitors took the lead against the run of play; A long ball down the right was collected by Bailey Stevenson, who did well to control the ball and find Cawley ghosting into the 6-yard box, sidefooting home past Hopwood. 1-0 Welwyn

The Ducks could easily have equalised on 44 minutes, Kakembo again doing well down the flank, before passing to Garcia 2 yards outside the penalty area, but his effort was narrowly wide of the post, with Green beaten. One final chance in what had become end to end action saw visiting skipper Layne Eadie pass forward to Charlie McDonald who slid a ball across to Cawley, who shot wide form 12 yards.

Half-time: Aylesbury 0-1 Welwyn

Into the second half and the visitors changed their shape to press higher up the pitch and negate the opportunities to pass the ball out from defence. Three minutes after the restart, a clearance was collected by Cawley 30 yards out, who crashed a shot over Hopwood, but off the crossbar, before being cleared away to safety.

From the next attack the ball was won in midfield and fed through to Cawley whose shot from 15 yards was well saved. The Ducks were struggling to gain a foothold in the half, next up, Bradley Gothard won a header on half way, which found Ed Corbit on the right; he squared the ball to Cawley, but his shot from the edge of the penalty area was too high to trouble Hopwood.

The pressure being applied by the visitors paid off in the 70th minute. A corner from the left by Eadie was met by the unmarked Panny Boxer at the far post to double the lead. 2-0 Welwyn

Two changes in the 80th minute saw Larwood and Rocko Tamplin replaced by Finlay Reeves and Liam Batchelor-Morgan, in an attempt to inject new pace and fresh legs into the team. At the same time Woody deployed himself further forward, looking for a way back into the game for his team. With 5 minutes remaining, Garcia was fouled 20 yards out, giving Bewley a chance to strike a free kick which was dipping late, but just cleared the cross bar.

The substitutes combined down the right in the 89th minute, Batchelor-Morgan finding Reeves, who saw his low cross cleared as far as Garcia, who sent the ball back into the 6-yard box, where, after a bit of a scramble, it was cleared for a corner. Bewley took the corner deep to the far post where Wood headed the ball into the 6-yard box, where Luke Martin was on hand to force the ball over the line with his knee. 1-2

It was all out attack from the Ducks in search of an equaliser, which came in fine style with 97 minutes on the clock. Garcia did well to win the ball in midfield, before passing wide to Reeves; the youngster cut inside Eadie and fired in a shot from 15 yards which Green saw bounce off his body and land in the far corner of the net to cue celebrations from the Ducks players and fans. 2-2

Given the circumstances and the occasion, it was quite fitting that Woody had popped up to assist the first goal, but also that 17-year-old Reeves scored his first goal in green, at the same age as his skipper had made his debut all those years ago! Thoughts now turn to the away match at Leverstock Green on Saturday, as the Ducks aim to build on the point gained tonight.