What had appeared to be heading for another routine 4-0 home defeat certainly didn?t end that way, as the sides shared three goals in the last five minutes for a dramatic ending and a 5-2 final scoreline.
It was the first time Aylesbury had scored two league goals since their first (and so far only) 3 points of the season at Beaconsfield. Granted it wasn?t a difficult feat to achieve, but this was a marked improvement on the 6-1 drubbing at Woodford United a week earlier.
Slough named ex-Ducks Robbie Kean and Paul Edgeworth in their starting line-up, with another in Dwain Clarke on the bench. It was Edgeworth who stood out though, controlling the midfield and demonstrating a fierce shot that I for one could barely remember him possessing during his days as a green.
The visitors were handed a typical head start with a goal inside ten minutes. A short corner was worked back to Robbie Kean who crossed for the waiting Nathan Bowden-Haase who couldn?t miss from 5-yards. 1-0 Slough
Immediately from the kick-off Rebels keeper Ricky Perks had to be alert to tip over a fierce drive from Ashley Harewood, which certainly woke the crowd up, and moments later it was followed by an Ayodele effort which was blocked wide.
In reality though, if it hadn?t been for a lack of clinicism on Slough?s part coupled with some blinding saves by Sillitoe, the score could easily have been 4 or 5 in the first half.
On 13 minutes the Aylesbury stopper did well to keep out a dipping volley which was hit by Dean Harper from a full 40-yards, Sillitoe tipping the ball over.
Chris Herron missed the target with a volley which flew went wide across goal, before Sillitoe was at it again with a quite superb flying save to deny Buchanan?s shot from Sinclair?s cross, then Kean struck an effort straight at the keeper from outside the area.
The attempts kept coming and on 25 minutes Buchanan wasted a glorious chance having been presented with the ball by United?s defence, but he went for an ambitious volley instead of a simple volley and cannoned the ball over.
Five minutes later Edgeworth worked himself a shooting opportunity amongst some weak defending, but he spooned his shot over the bar. He tried to turn creator soon afterwards, cleverly touching the ball back to Herron whose powerful shot was beaten away by Sillitoe.
Edgeworth had another effort blocked in the box, the rebound falling to Kean whose shot ricocheted off a defender?s head and behind for a corner as Aylesbury were hanging on.
The Ducks were doing a good job of it though, and going into the last five minutes were looking set to go in only the one goal behind, and as the half drew to a close they even fashioned a few half chances for themselves.
Newby picked out Taylor on the edge of the box and he got up to strike an acrobatic shot which was straight into the waiting arms of Perks.
Seconds later, Harewood beat his man and drilled a high effort which had to be tipped over by Perks.
Unfortunately, disaster struck, and Slough effectively killed the game off with a late first half goal. A free-kick into the box saw three Aylesbury defenders get sucked into the ball, and as it was worked into Buchanan he had the freedom of Bedfordshire to turn and pick his spot. 2-0 Slough
Half-time: Aylesbury 0-2 Slough
That was that in terms of the result, but the Ducks still attempted to take the game to Slough after the break. Newby had an early snapshot go wide, before Harewood was released by Miah but with a clear run on goal just didn?t have the confidence to get his shot away, instead trying to turn back inside by which time Slough had bodies in place to block.
The resulting corner was headed over by Ayodele, from which Slough countered, Herron releasing a Sinclair who closed in on goal before firing a low shot all the way across the target and wide.
The Rebels hammered another shot over the bar from a left wing cross, before Edgeworth followed suit with a swerving, dipping effort which crashed over the bar with Sillitoe a mere spectator.
At times it seemed like the visitors were out for a stroll in the second half, but they got their third on the 65 minute mark. A dinked cross from the left picked out Bowden-Haase, who had no problems converting his second of the afternoon. 3-0 Slough
The balance of the play continued to lie with the visitors, and Sonner turned and fired wide with a left-footed effort. Sillitoe?s only mistake of the match followed that when he completely missed his punch, leading to a manic scramble and the ball was eventually swept away.
At the other end, Harewood was again presented with a decent chance, but elected not to run in on goal and held it up for the arriving Nash who could only fire over the bar.
It was Nash?s last action of the game as he was replaced by Jordan Oxley, with Darren Woolard also coming on ? making his debut up front ? replacing Miah.
Slough also brought on their own debutant with Clarke coming onto the field against the side where he probably spent the best spell of his career.
With another high quality passing move, the Rebels added a fourth. Neat link-up down the left eventually released Danny Murphy in the area, and he drove home a well placed effort giving Sillitoe no chance. 4-0 Slough
With less than ten minutes to go, it looked all set for another 4-0 home defeat, but there was more drama to come.
On 85 minutes Harewood?s low, driven shot, fell kindly for Woolard who fired calmly into the corner of the net to become the second Aylesbury player in two games to score on his debut. 1-4
Slough weren?t having any of it though, and soon reinstated their four-goal advantage with a fifth. Buchanan waltzed his way into the box, around a couple of challenges, before crashing home a high shot. 5-1 Slough
There was still time for another, as on 90 minutes Harewood despatched a perfectly placed free-kick after a handball awarded on the edge of the box after Joe Oxley?s shot. 2-5
It at least gave Aylesbury some joy, and perhaps a little bit of confidence to work with going into the game against Bedworth United.
