Stacey Field’s eighth Aylesbury United hattrick gave the Ducks a first home league win of the season, although it was the 94th minute before the third finally went in and the correct degree of comfort finally given to the game.
Against the league’s 18th placed side, United boss Tony Joyce took the calculated risk of rotating his squad, so out went Ben Baines, Paul Edgeworth and Jason Blackett and in came Zack Reynolds, Dom Petrucci and Joey Acheampong.
It was between the sticks that proved the biggest talking point though, with Alex Tokarczyk injured in the warmup thrusting young Ben Grasso into a starting and, at times, starring role, Grasso being the first player to progress from the new Aylesbury United Juniors setup.
The game was slow to ignite, but Grasso was soon in the thick of the action when off his line quickly to block a Jeffrey Kalejaiye shot outside the area with his chest, and then making a good diving save to deny Anthony O’Connor five minutes later.
Although they had a number of offensive set pieces, Aylesbury had generally created little in the first quarter of the match, and finally had their first meaningful effort when Joey Acheampong ran down the right and cut back for Liam Smyth to have a shot blocked on 21 minutes.
The Ducks then had to defend strongly from successive Greenford set pieces as Grasso punched one and then made another good block to keep out Tommy Cameron’s effort at close range after the ball had fallen to him in the box.
Field gave the visitors a warning of his quality when his weaving run ended with a low shot flashing all the way across goal and wide, but just a minute later his stunning strike gave the Ducks the upper hand.
Referee Mr Mellor played a good advantage as Acheampong was hacked down from behind, the ball rolling back for Petrucci to hit a fine pass to Field who controlled on his chest and unleashed a fabulous dipping 25-yard half volley which proved unstoppable as it sailed into the net over Lee Pearce. 1-0 Aylesbury
Aylesbury continued their ascendancy and Field nearly doubled the advantage when he beat Pearce to a forward pass, but his shot didn’t quite have the legs to carry it over the line allowing the defence to sweep clear.
Trying hard to press home their superiority, United couldn’t make the most of a run of four set pieces in three minutes before Richard Armstrong played Field through for another good chance but his shot was gathered in by Pearce.
At the other end Greenford’s impressive winger O’Connor intercepted a clearance but lashed a shot over, whilst his fellow wideman Wayne Jackson, making his first appearance of the season, also volleyed too high.
Half-time: Aylesbury 1-0 North Greenford
The visitors threatened straight from the restart, as Jackson stepped up to curl a left footed free kick against the crossbar and a poked shot at goal was turned away by the latest Grasso save.
Instead, it was the Ducks who were to extend their lead with a clinically taken goal. Lee Grace released Field with a searching pass, and he ran on and found the bottom corner with great conviction. 2-0 Aylesbury
Once more, the provider had been fouled in the build up, the referee playing another good advantage, and this time the perpetrator Jackson was booked.
A second goal should have meant for a comfortable conclusion to the match, but a lapse in concentration allowed the visitors to pull a goal back just three minutes later. With Aylesbury’s defence unable to clear their lines, the ball was chipped in from the right and Cameron volleyed home at the far post. 1-2
With Aylesbury reeling, they were then given a perfect chance to resurrect their two-goal cushion when Acheampong was taken out in the box. Regular penalty taker Keith Williams handed the ball to Field for his hattrick, but the Ducks number ten spurned the opportunity with a dreadful penalty blazed high over the bar.
The greens seemed hell-bent on making life difficult for themselves and with more composure Greenford could have levelled when a long ball deceived the defence, but Kalejeiye fired over as it ran through for him. Jackson then saw a shot blocked after a corner was half cleared to him.
A training ground corner kick routine on 69 minutes had Aylesbury defending well again as the ball was sent towards goal from the edge of the box, whilst a throw in was flicked across goal where it dropped just wide moments later with Grasso a spectator.
Either side could have scored the next goal, as at one end substitute Jason Blackett came close when he soared to meet Grace’s left wing cross but saw his effort scraped off the line having beaten Pearce.
Then, Grasso did superbly to tip away a low O’Connor cross, before Blackett volleyed wide from Field’s flick on and a Smyth shot flew over the bar as play switched ends again.
The last moment of danger passed in the 86th minute as a corner kick from the right was met with a header which floated just wide, and from that point on the pressure was one-way as Aylesbury closed the game out strongly.
A brilliant ball from substitute Greg Williams set Field away again but Pearce made an equally brilliant save to turn away a fierce shot when one-on-one. Daniel Jones had also entered the fray and his pass to Blackett saw the striker roll past David Taylor before running the entirety of the half and draw another good save from Pearce.
In the fourth minute of stoppage time Field signed off before a three-game suspension by finally claiming his, and Aylesbury’s, third goal. Jones clipped it forward and Field did the rest, running through and finding the net with another composed finish. 3-1 Aylesbury
At last the game was settled in the manner that it should have been some time ago, the deserved two-goal cushion back in place and securing a result that lifts Aylesbury up to 8th in the table.
