| 1 | ||
| 2 | 16, 60m | |
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 | ||
| 6 | ||
| 7 | 14, 79m | |
| 8 | ||
| 9 | ||
| 10 | ||
| 11 | 12, 60m | |
| BENCH | ||
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 11, 60m | |
| 14 | 7, 79m | |
| 15 | ||
| 16 | 2, 60m | |
| 13 | ||
| MANAGEMENT | ||
| M | ||
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | 17, 80m | |
| 4 | 15, 48m | |
| 5 | 16, 83m | |
| 6 | ||
| 7 | ||
| 8 | ||
| 9 | ||
| 10 | ||
| 11 | ||
| BENCH | ||
|---|---|---|
| 12 | ||
| 14 | ||
| 15 | 4, 48m | |
| 16 | 5, 83m | |
| 17 | 3, 80m | |
| MANAGEMENT | ||
| M | ||
















After the comfortable win against relegation threatened Enfield on Saturday, Batch chose to field an unchanged starting lineup for the visit of Ben Williams' Thame United.
The visitors came into the game on a fine run of form, having won their previous 3 games and started well; a long throw from Callum Hall on the left was headed down in the penalty area by Kian Henry to Harry Alexander, whose shot from 15 yards was too high to trouble Jack Hopwood.
On the quarter hour a fast break saw the ball moved out of defence to ex-Duck Brayden Daniel on the left. He made good ground towards the penalty area and crossed to Louis Walsh 10 yards from goal, but he placed his shot wide.
Two minutes later, a cross from the right was headed down by Henry, only as far as Alexander, who shot just wide.
Despite being on the back foot, the Ducks took the lead a minute later; a back pass to Matt Crowther in the visitors' goal was mis controlled by the keeper, allowing Lee Stobbs to steal the ball and pass back to Rocko Tamplin. He looked up and lobbed the ball into the unguarded net from 35 yards. 1-0 Aylesbury
Eight minutes later the Ducks extended their lead, a ball forward by Jake Bewley found Stobbs 30 yards from goal; he travelled forward towards the penalty area and sent a shot past Crowther from 25 yards. 2-0 Aylesbury
In the 37th minute Curtis Brown collected the ball on the right, driving forward unchallenged before shooting from 25 yards, but he couldn’t beat Hopwood.
A minute later, a ball wide to Daniel saw the winger beat Fabian Garcia on the left before crossing to Walsh 12 yards out, whose shot was cleared off the line by Jack Wood, to concede a corner. The corner kick was played short to Daniel, who made his way to the edge of the penalty area and shot. Hopwood saved his effort, but the ball fell to Luke Tingey, unmarked 15 yards out, who made no mistake, to cut the arrears. 2-1
On the cusp of half time Walsh collected the ball 25 yards out and held off Henry before shooting, but Hopwood was able to make a comfortable save.
Half-time: Aylesbury 2-1 Thame
Into the second period, a ball forward to Finlay Reeves saw him tackled by Dan West, the loose ball falling to Sonny French, who shot from 25 yards, but Crowther tipped his effort over the bar.
The running battle between Henry and Walsh which had seen both players pulling each other all over the park took a bad turn for the Ducks in the 52nd minute, as Henry was adjudged to have pulled the shirt of the Thame striker in the penalty area, the first time either had been penalised for that offence all game. Walsh stepped up to take the penalty and saw Hopwood make a good save down to his right, but he was first to the loose ball and tapped in the rebound to draw the scores level. 2-2
A corner in the 55th minute saw the Ducks come close to regaining the lead, Bewley's inswinging delivery from the right hitting the near post before being smuggled away by a defender. A 3rd goal for the home team did materialise in the 57th minute, when a ball forward was controlled well by French, who cut across the penalty area before planting a left foot shot inside Crowther's post from 20 yards. 3-2 Aylesbury
On the hour, the Ducks made a double change, with Tamplin and Garcia making way for new signing George Cleveland and Liam Batchelor-Morgan. Five minutes after joining the fray, Batchelor-Morgan made a fine run down the right flank before passing to Stobbs; he crossed to Reeves who saw his goal bound shot blocked by West.
The Ducks were so close to extending the lead a minute later, a long ball forward by Hopwood was flicked on by Reeves into the path of French, who ran onto the ball and lobbed Crowther from 20 yards, but saw his effort go narrowly over the crossbar.
The Ducks who were in the ascendancy, continued to put pressure on the Thame defence; in the 72nd minute Cleveland combined well with Reeves, who saw his shit from 25 yards deflected over the bar.
A minute later, a free kick taken by Crowther saw Frankie Bircham deflect the ball into the path of Daniel, who went round Batchelor-Morgan and shot into the side netting from 15 yards.
In the 84th minute, Brown played the ball down the left to Daniel, Hopwood came out of his goal to challenge for the ball, but the winger was able to get a cross into the penalty area, where it was blocked for a corner by Henry, with the Thame players shouting for a penalty. It mattered not, as from Jack Tutton's corner delivery, substitute Leo Galpin rose highest to head past Hopwood to equalise. 3-3
The Ducks didn't let their heads drop and had a great chance just a minute later. A long throw from Reeves was headed down by Galpin to French 8 yards out, but his shot was narrowly wide of the near post with Crowther stranded.
Three minutes into added on time a foul by Batchelor-Morgan on Alexander on the left touchline saw Tutton play a dangerous free kick into the penalty area; West met the cross but could only direct his header straight at Hopwood. The final chance, deep into added on time came as a result of a foul on Reeves by West as he cut across the pitch, 20 yards out in the middle of the pitch. Reeves took the free kick himself, but it hit the onrushing wall and was cleared, upon which referee Matt Rendell blew the final whistle to signal the end of an entertaining and competitive match between the rival teams.
The Ducks would probably have taken a point before the game, but given the performance, a win appeared to be within reach; not to be unfortunately, but with players now fit and available, the squad looks to have more depth as the final 7 matches of the season lie ahead, starting with a trip to Top Field to play Hitchin Town, the first visit there since December 2009.