1 | ||
2 | ||
3 | ||
4 | ||
5 | ||
6 | ||
7 | 15, 55m | |
8 | 14, 68m | |
9 | ||
10 | 12, 55m | |
11 | ||
BENCH | ||
---|---|---|
12 | 10, 55m | |
14 | 8, 68m | |
15 | 7, 55m | |
16 | ||
17 | ||
MANAGEMENT | ||
M |
1 | ||
2 | ||
3 | ||
4 | ||
5 | ||
6 | 15, 87m | |
7 | 12, 31m | |
8 | ||
9 | 14, 80m | |
10 | ||
11 | ||
BENCH | ||
---|---|---|
12 | 7, 31m | |
14 | 9, 80m | |
15 | 6, 87m | |
16 | ||
17 | ||
MANAGEMENT | ||
M |
The Ducks made the journey without unavailable duo Paul Edgeworth and Zack Reynolds, and with Shaun Owens having broken his hand at the weekend a squad which had seemed so plentiful earlier in the month now required Tony Joyce to shore up the bench for the first time. Into the starting lineup came Lea Coulter and Ben Baines.
Aylesbury made the perfect start with a first minute goal, and having amassed a three-goal lead in the first sixteen minutes their win was never seriously in doubt.
Steve Hatch got the ball rolling, with the game having barely got underway, as he strode forward and fired in an accurate, bottom corner bound shot from 25-yards that crept under the slow to react Liam Watson. 1-0 Aylesbury
The Ducks were clearly in confident mood now and a flowing move saw Joey Acheampong and Hatch combine to pick out Lea Coulter, who hammered a shot over the bar, but it wasn't long before the second arrived.
Jesse Waites produced one of many superb set piece deliveries of the night, his free kick from the left was begging to be put away and so it was, skipper Jack Wood only having to divert the path of the ball to have Watson easily beaten. 2-0 Aylesbury
The hosts had plenty of threat in their pacey attack, and they threatened for the first time a minute later when David Manu, scorer of a memorable goal the last time the sides met at Berkeley Fields, threaded the ball through to Raheem Sterling-Parker who cut inside but shot straight at Sillitoe. Then, midfielder Louis Stead struck a well hit volley that flew just past the upright from a half cleared cross.
It was Aylesbury who were to add to the scoring next though, with a special goal. Acheampong did well to lever down a deep free kick into the path of Coulter, who met it with a perfectly executed overhead kick that dropped in off the post. 3-0 Aylesbury
Already the game was dead and buried, as the hosts were only able to muster a long shot from Anthony O'Connor that sailed over, and then a dangerous cross from the same man which did at least have to be punched away by Jack Sillitoe.
The Ducks squad was stretched further as Steve Hatch had to limp off having taken studs to the knee and was replaced by Greg Williams, and at this point Greenford tried hard to force their way back into the game, but with Bill Morgan and Jack Wood reunited at the back for the first time the defence was being superbly marshalled.
At the other end, however, Aylesbury seemed to be able to break through a leaky home defence at will, and Baines was twice denied by Watson at close range - the second a superb smothering stop after a long throw had fallen at the feet of the striker, with the resulting corner met by Baines but headed wide at the far post.
In stoppage time Acheampong had the ball in the net, but was rather harshly, but predictibly, penalised having been adjudged to have held off his man too strongly in turning and dinking the ball into the net, and the Ducks had to be content with just the three first half goals.
Half-time: North Greenford 0-3 Aylesbury
Early in the second period Waites tried for a near carbon copy of Jack Wood's earlier goal, but this time Michael Dart was alert to the danger and just beat the visiting captain to the ball.
Waites was the creator again four minutes later when his ball in from the left was lost by Watson before hitting Coulter and going behind, and Waites then tried his luck himself with a shot that looped up off a defender before grazing the outside of the post.
The corner kick was played in to Coulter who saw a shot blocked, and as Aylesbury looked for number four a deep free kick saw Coulter and Baines link up, the former teeing up the latter who lashed a shot over.
North Greenford made a double substitution, which helped them into their best spell of the match, and seconds afterwards a square pass found Stead who smashed a wayward shot over the bar.
In a rare clear sight of goal, a cross from the right was headed over by Sterling-Parker, whilst substitute Lucas Williams found the youngster, who in turn found Stead but again his shot missed the target and went way over the bar.
It was a wide open second half, and just before that Aylesbury had gone close when Acheampong's fine turn and cross was deflected behind, with Jack Wood completely unmarked at Waites's corner but only able to guide the ball wide.
Greenford went on to fashion several good opportunities, but on every occasion took too long to pick an option or elected to pass rather than shoot, and it looked like Aylesbury were going to keep their cleen sheet intact.
That wasn't to be the case as the hosts weren't to be denied, launching a swift counter attack in the 84th minute right back Marvel Ekpiteta suddenly found himself with the ball just inside the area and produced a fine dinked finish over Sillitoe. 1-3
Instead of rousing North Greenford into an unlikely comeback, the goal instead spurred Aylesbury to add to their own tally, as number four arrived three minutes later.
Substitute Stacey Field crossed towards Coulter, who made enough contact with the ball to beat Watson and send the ball heading over the line, where David Manitou only succeeded in smashing it into his own net. 4-1 Aylesbury
There was still time for another fabulous goal, Stacey Field making his long awaited return to the scoresheet with a first goal since February, curling home a wonder strike from 30-yards that left Watson floundering. 5-1 Aylesbury
It was the iceing on the cake of an excellent night for Aylesbury, who now face another away trip to Royston Town, which is always a tough fixture for the Ducks.
North Greenford United
Aylesbury United
Aylesbury FC
Royston Town
Barton Rovers
Bedworth United
Bedford Town
Uxbridge
Daventry Town
Marlow
Godalming Town
AFC Hayes
Leighton Town
Kettering Town
Northwood
Rugby Town
St Ives Town
Potters Bar Town
Hanwell Town
Chalfont St. Peter