A late change to the starting line up, when keeper Bonnie Craven was taken ill overnight, could have derailed the Ducks efforts but stand in Twinkle Dean performed admirably and kept the visitors at bay.

Aylesbury probably should have taken the lead after eight minutes when Leigh Reed played Suzie Cole into space but the winger’s shot rolled narrowly the wrong side of the post

The Ducks had a let off four minutes later when in their first attack Chinnor hit the crossbar from a corner but the United pressure finally paid off when Charlotte Knight found Cole in space and this time last year’s topscorer elected to round the keeper and slid the ball home

The impressive Knight almost scored on her debut with a speculative long range shot before the visitors had a massive slice of luck with an undeserved equaliser when a cross from the right fooled Dean in the Aylesbury goal and the scores were level

Leigh Reed almost hit straight back with a looping half volley but the interval gave United the chance to regroup

After the break it was virtually one way traffic in reality and it only took three minutes for the lead to be restored

Cole seemingly able to waltz down the wing at will did so again and crossed for the diminutive Charlotte Knight to head home

Five minutes later Aylesbury had their own slice of luck when an ambitious effort from Reed completely flummoxed the Chinnor keeper and the ball bounced over her head and into the empty net to increase the margin, but it was certainly deserved in the context of the contest

Kerry Naisbitt and Suzie Cole again had chances later in the game before Knight saw a shot saved and a second go wide before the referee finally blew the final whistle

A deserved and hard fought victory which gives United a base to start building for the campaign ahead and for the time being sees them atop of the Thames Valley League table