Aylesbury sunk to a new low point with their heaviest defeat of the season so far, falling to a 6-1 mauling at Woodford United.
It took four goals in the first half and two in the second to put Aylesbury six behind before they finally stirred and grabbed their goal back through debutant James Nash late in the day.
Once again an early goal gave the Ducks an even bigger challenge before things had even got going. Tom Fountain returned a corner kick back into the area where ex-Aylesbury striker Glen Hawkins was waiting to pounce and volley in from close range on just two minutes. 1-0 Woodford
Aylesbury were missing eight players through injury, illness and unavailability ? which certainly didn't help matters ? but just too many of those on the pitch looked out of their depth.
On four minutes debutant keeper Josh McAdoo did well to get a hand to Nicky Gordon's cross-cum-shot and turn it wide.
Unfortunately he didn't do so well three minutes later when he was caught off his line by Gordon three minutes later, who struck an effort over the keeper and in off the bar. 2-0 Woodford
If ever there was a disheartening way to start a match, then this would have been it, and at two-down in less than ten minutes it was game over as Aylesbury looked unable to string two passes together let alone mount an attack.
McAdoo made a good stop to deny Hawkins this time after he had turned Nash in the box and gone for goal, the ball turned behind for a corner kick.
Hawkins made no mistake this time though, getting ahead of his man to head home at the near post for his second of the game. 3-0 Woodford
With the Ducks looking so susceptible to any kind of set piece, Woodford were having a field day and looked capable of scoring from any kind of corner or free-kick ? so it was little surprise that five of their eventual six goals came from set plays.
Gordon was denied again by McAdoo who was off his line quickly to block after Hawkins had laid the ball back to him.
The game then entered something of a lull as the driving Northamptonshire rain continued to fall, but five minutes before the break the Reds had their fourth.
A free-kick again found Hawkins who teed up Lewis Travers, and his low shot hit the leg of McAdoo and trickled into the bottom corner of the net. 4-0 Woodford
Half-time: Woodford 4-0 Aylesbury
Former Ampthill Town keeper McAdoo had made a number of good stops in the first half, but in the second period he seemed to lose his way completely and looked shellshocked as the siege on his goal continued.
Three minutes after the break a deep, inswinging free-kick caught the keeper in two minds and as he froze on his line the ball dropped to Luke Carnell who was amazed at the time he was gifted to bundle the ball home. 5-0 Woodford
They could have added another within seconds when the ball was returned after a half cleared free-kick but the two unmarked players at the far post could only contrive to turn the ball over the bar.
On 52 minutes at last came an Aylesbury effort at goal, Tyrone Taylor cutting in from the right flank and driving an effort for goal which actually went out for a throw-in on the opposite side.
The home side narrowly missed again when Tommy Kinch curled in a vicious delivery which whistled just past the upright.
Woodford added their sixth on 63 minutes through yet another free-kick, which was headed down across goal where captain Aaron Parkinson was waiting to tap into the net. 6-0 Woodford
Whether the home side eased up after that, or whether Aylesbury had finally turned up, was unclear, but the remainder of the game was very different to anything that had proceeded it as the Ducks suddenly started putting some pressure on their opponents.
Jamie O'Grady, one of the few players to stand out, broke down the right and fired in an inviting cross which Jordan Oxley just couldn't quite connect with having burst from midfield.
A minute later Nash cracked a fierce effort which brought a blinding save out of Jack Goode, tipping the ball onto the post, before Taylor's follow-up shot was hacked away off the line and it looked like the Ducks weren't going to trouble the scoresheet after all.
The Reds were soon back causing mayhem in Aylesbury's box, and McAdoo completely missed another free-kick delivery, before Pearman's shot was cleared off the line.
Ross Harris crashed a header against the bar from a corner kick, before Woodford had a seventh ruled out when Parkinson headed down to substitute Oli Manoocheri who was deemed offside as he put the ball away.
Three minutes from time the Ducks did get the goal their brief spells of pressure just about deserved. Amongst some defending reminiscent of Aylesbury's own, Nash headed home Chris Dean's corner kick. 6-1
There were still further chances at both ends as Hawkins headed wide his one true chance of a hat-trick, before O'Grady had a cross-cum-shot turned wide and Taylor flashed a shot across the face of goal.
But in the end it was another harsh 90 minutes of football for Aylesbury to digest, and with promotion challengers Slough next on the agenda, things don't look like getting any easier.
