1 | ||
2 | ||
3 | ||
4 | ||
5 | ||
6 | ||
7 | 12, 82m | |
8 | ||
9 | 15, 88m | |
10 | ||
11 | ||
BENCH | ||
---|---|---|
12 | 7, 82m | |
14 | ||
15 | 9, 88m | |
16 | ||
17 | ||
MANAGEMENT | ||
M |
1 | ||
2 | ||
3 | ||
4 | ||
5 | ||
6 | ||
7 | ||
8 | 12, 22m | |
9 | 15, 75m | |
10 | ||
11 | ||
BENCH | ||
---|---|---|
12 | 8, 22m | |
14 | ||
15 | 9, 75m | |
MANAGEMENT | ||
M |
United's line-up showed five changes to the team which had beaten Bath City at the weekend, including a new forward partnership of Nathan Graham and debutant Chris Marsh. It was Marsh who had the game's first effort, hammering a shot over after the ball broke kindly for him.
Soham came even closer a minute later when they rattled the woodwork, a curling cross-shot excellently tipped on to the bar by the reinstated Jack Sillitoe.
After just five minutes Aylesbury were gifted the lead. A harmless looking backpass from Aaron Turner led to Lea Jordan calamitously miscuing his clearance 'Paul Robinson style', and he could only watch helplessly as the ball rolled behind him into the empty net. 1-0 Aylesbury
It was just reward for a good start by the travelling side, Matt Butler had headed a Mead cross wide seconds earlier, but Soham weren't without a threat of their own, Scott Carter lashed a volley just wide on ten minutes.
Aylesbury suffered a blow when Liam Smyth was forced out of the match after landing awkwardly on the same knee that kept him out of action for the whole of last season. Mark Jones replaced him in the middle of the park, and it can only be hoped that Smyth's injury isn't too serious.
Smyth's injury aside, things seemed to be going well for the Ducks. They had the lead and it looked only a matter of time before the advantage was increased, as they continued to create a host of chances.
Mead was getting forward well down the left, and he crossed for Maynard who could only lift a shot over the bar. Maynard was off target again five minutes later when he placed his effort wide with the whole goal to aim for, after Graham had cut the ball back to him.
At the other end a rare Soham effort came from a free-kick, swung in menacingly, but headed just wide of the goal.
United were able to get in behind Soham's defence time and time again in the first half, but were guilty of squandering some good chances. Marsh got in for a one-on-one and elected to go for goal, but found Jordan on hand to thwart his effort. Graham was played through himself five minutes later, but he didn't have a finish and dinked the ball wide.
Graham threatened again, heading wide from another telling cross by Mead, and in a carbon copy of his earlier effort, Marsh was in behind the defence but Jordan saved again from close range.
Soham rounded off the first half chances, Darren Jimson played through after a half-clearance by Carl Kavanagh, but all he could muster was a tame effort which was easily held by Sillitoe.
Half-time: Soham 1-1 Aylesbury
Aylesbury were disappointing after the interval, making a sluggish start to the second half as their hosts took the game to them. Jimson rounded Sillitoe seconds after the restart, before screwing a shot into the foot of the post.
Rather predictably, the missed chances of the first half were to cost United, as Soham made their early pressure pay with an equalising goal. Aaron Turner found Jimson in the area, and his fierce shot took a deflection, wrong-footing Sillitoe who couldn't get enough behind the ball and it bundled off him into the net. 1-1
The Ducks regrouped after the goal, and set about trying to re-establish their lead. A fantastic delivery from the right picked out Graham, who headed wide of the post. The new front two then combined well, Graham releasing Marsh who fired an effort to the right of the target.
The chances continued to come and go, Graham firing over having been put clean through once more, and the same player headed another Mead cross over the bar this time.
Hawkins replaced Marsh as Aylesbury sought a more physical approach in the closing stages, but he didn't have the time to get into the game as he would have liked.
Stuart Maynard shot wide having been played clean through, and Kavanagh was desperately unlucky not to score from a corner having done everything right, his header dropping just the wrong side of the post.
The home side could well have sneaked a win in the last minute when a great effort from Jimson was turned onto the bar by Sillitoe.
Aylesbury's frustrations in front of goal continued right up until the final whistle when Maynard's toe poke was just about dealt with by Jordan, it really was just one of those nights in front of goal when nothing from United was going in.
Subsequently Soham were the happiest team at the final whistle, in what might well be viewed as two points dropped by Aylesbury given the number of chances wasted over the course of the game.