Three days after playing second\'in\'the\'table Hitchin Town, the Ducks returned to the Meadow to face bottom\'of\'the\'table AFC Dunstable. The visitors had suffered a very turbulent week, with the resignation of manager James Townsend and his coaching staff. In addition, the first\'team squad was decimated, with Tyler Dunnell asked to step up and put together a young squad for the game, all 17 players from the youth team having been registered two days before the match. After a worry over the condition of the pitch following a heavy late\'morning shower, work by club volunteers forking away the surface water saw the pitch passed fit for play.

Batch chose to ring some changes with the starting XI. Ex Buanga missed out through injury, replaced at right\'back by Lee Stobbs; Hayden Beadle replaced Sonny French in midfield; and Frankie Bircham came in for Reece Cameron.

The Ducks started well against their young opponents. A good cross from Stobbs on the right was headed down by Jack Masheder, falling to Wil Turner. He played the ball square to Beadle, who mis\'hit his shot, the ball falling to Bircham 12 yards out, but his effort went wide of the goal.

In the 15th minute, Fabian Garcia spread the ball wide to Luke Martin on the right, who played a cross into the penalty area, where Garcia arrived to get his head to the ball but could only direct his effort just over the bar.

Just shy of the half\'hour mark, skipper Jack Wood played a ball into the right channel for Turner to chase; the youngster beat full\'back Alex Copas to the ball, crossing to Garcia 12 yards out, who turned and sent his shot over the bar.

In the 34th minute, a short\'corner routine involving Turner and Stobbs saw the latter cross into the penalty area, where Jake Bewley, on his 450th appearance for the club, headed goalwards, only for Jack Brady to make a good save.

The Ducks did make their dominance count in the 36th minute: Wood played another ball into the right channel for Turner, who got to the byline and crossed low to the near post, where Rocko Tamplin got ahead of Tyrelle Joseph to tap the ball home. 1-0 Aylesbury

Four minutes before the break, Christian Swaby found Bewley 35 yards out. He lined up a shot which was blocked by Joseph but rebounded to Bircham, who skied his effort from 25 yards.

The Ducks extended their lead in added time when, after patient play around the edge of the penalty area, Garcia saw his shot from 20 yards well saved by Brady; however, the keeper was unable to push the ball to safety, allowing Bircham to follow up and fire past him from 10 yards. 2-0 Aylesbury

Half-time: Aylesbury 2-0 AFC Dunstable

In the 55th minute, a defence\'splitting ball inside Copas from Wood, saw Turner run on to the ball and attempt to go round Brady, but the keeper did well to push the ball out of his path and away to safety.

Three minutes later, Turner turned supplier again, finding Tamplin in space. His first effort was well saved by Brady, and when the ball rebounded back to him, he lacked a little composure, sending the second effort over the bar.

The lead was extended in the 71st minute. Following another short\'corner routine, French, on as a substitute for Beadle, crossed to Wood at the far post, who headed back across goal, the ball landing kindly for Turner, who smashed a left\'foot volley from 8 yards past Brady. 3-0 Aylesbury

Four minutes later, another corner routine saw Bewley find Finlay Reeves on the edge of the penalty area. He stood up a cross which was headed on by Cameron, reaching Wood at the far post, who played the ball back to Swaby 5 yards out to side\'foot home. 4-0 Aylesbury

The visitors chose to give all their substitutes minutes on the pitch, meaning the 17-year old Brady was replaced in goal by Harvey Ryan, a year his junior. The young keeper made a great save soon after coming on: a throw\'in from Bewley on the left to Cameron saw the striker hit a powerful shot from 35 yards, but Ryan did well to save it and claim the ball after it bounced away from him.

Five minutes from time, another Bewley corner was flicked on by Cameron at the near post, with Bircham on hand a yard out to tap the ball home. 5-0 Aylesbury

The final nail in the coffin was applied in the 86th minute. Wood did well to get free down the right and crossed low into the six\'yard box, where the unfortunate Joseph could only divert the ball past Ryan at the near post. 6-0 Aylesbury

That proved to be the final action of the match. The Ducks had done a professional job, but real credit must go to the young visitors, whose squad average age was just 16 1/2 years old, who wore their badge with pride and competed bravely until fatigue inevitably set in, with four goals conceded in the last 20 minutes. They will learn and grow from the experience, and we wish them and their club well in the remainder of the season.

Next up for the Ducks is a trip to former landlords Leighton Town next Saturday, who have been knocked off top spot by Hitchin Town today.