A Steve Hatch double gave Aylesbury a first win over Bedford Town since 2001 sent the lowly Eagles, relegated from the Premier Division last season, spiralling to third from bottom whilst the Ducks firmly established themselves in the top half.

United were made to work hard for the win, twice letting their visitors equalise before Shaun Owens marked his first start for the club with the decisive goal midway through the second half.

Owens appearance was one of several changes to the side that had thrashed Marlow 5-1 in their last competitive game, with Bill Morgan and Lea Coulter unavailable, Jake Bewley not fully recovered from the injury that had seen him limp out of that match, and Zack Reynolds having joined Hemel Hempstead Town earlier in the week, so also coming into the team were Ryan Freshwater, Jesse Waites and Joey Acheampong.

The first thirty minutes of a largely scrappy game were uneventful; particularly from an Aylesbury point of view as they could barely muster a shot at goal.

It was Bedford who threatened first when Aaron King strode forward in the first minute but could only produce a terrible long shot that went out for a throw in.

The King brothers were at the centre of most of the visitors’ good work, and it was Neil King – the former Ducks youth teamer – who had a twelfth minute free kick which was driven into the box and flicked just wide by a Bedford head.

A clever flick from Aaron King then released Rob Parker, whose shot outside the block was charged down by Jack Wood.

Bedford should have been ahead on 23 minutes when Aaron King’s low free kick went straight through the wall, and cannoned back off Jack Sillitoe who then somehow kept out Scott Cross’s point blank follow up header with a superb reflex save to tip the ball wide.

Some passing football allowed Parker another attempt at goal on the half hour mark, but his rising drive was always going over.

So it was very much against the run of play that Aylesbury took the lead, with their first shot of the game. Paul Edgeworth produced a sublime piece of control to bring down a long ball, and it rolled neatly into the path of Hatch who fired a first time drive that arrowed straight into the corner with Lee Crockett a spectator. 1-0 Aylesbury

The shortlived lead lasted just seven minutes, as the Eagles brought themselves level from the penalty spot after Lee Grace was rather harshly penalised despite appearing to win the ball with his tackle. Cross made no mistake, sending Sillitoe the wrong way to restore parity. 1-1

Suddenly the game had come to life, and Hatch was teed up for another effort that Crockett had to beat away.

Heading into stoppage time, and it was Aylesbury who restored their advantage with the best move of the half. Waites threaded the ball through to Stacey Field who in turn passed low and hard into the six yard box where Hatch had timed his run perfectly to side foot it into the net. 2-1 Aylesbury

Half-time: Aylesbury 2-1 Bedford

Again, the lead lasted no time at all, as the Eagles were on level terms just three minutes after the restart. Daniel Burke was allowed to bring the ball all the way out of defence before sliding in Tom Liversedge who fired home from a tight angle through Sillitoe and into the net. 2-2

Aylesbury were making more of an attacking impact in the second half than they had for most of the first, and a speculative effort from the confident Hatch was just about held by the shaky looking Crockett, before Hatch again went close when he turned a shot wide after Crockett could only punch Shane Wood’s long throw down to him.

The Eagles had a good chance when the ball was worked inside to Cross but he shot straight at Sillitoe, and he was made to rue that waste as United took the lead for a third time four minutes later.

Field’s cross was the left was only half cleared to Edgeworth, who was able to outmuscle his opponent before finding Owens in the area who stabbed home his first Aylesbury goal. 3-2 Aylesbury

With twenty minutes remaining, plenty of Bedford attacks followed, with Sillitoe diving on a training ground free kick routine almost straight away.

The pressure was almost unrelenting in the final ten minutes, but the Ducks defence stood firm with Shane Wood and Jack Sillitoe both in particularly fine form to repel anything the visitors created.

A deep free kick was cleared back as far as Cross, who cut back onto his left foot but couldn’t beat Sillitoe, who saved. In stoppage time substitute Josh Winters was put through on goal but his shot from a narrow angle was also well saved by Sillitoe.

This lead to successive corners which amounted to nothing, and Aylesbury were able to celebrate the win. It may not have been entirely deserved on balance of play, but the Ducks won’t care about that as they continue their upturn in form.