A solitary second half goal from Bruno Brito saw Aylesbury return to winning ways as they edged past relegation-threatened Histon at The ASM Stadium.

The Ducks were good value for their win, and indeed could have added more had a host of earlier chances not gone begging against visitors who arrived on a good run of form that had seen them close the gap at the bottom of the table after five matches unbeaten.

After an early penalty shout against Ryan Kinnane had been waved away, the Ducks had a fine chance to make the breakthrough after just five minutes. Gavin Hinds-Cadette played the ball forwards to Brito who in turn helped it on for Lea Coulter who was clean through but thwarted by the advancing goalkeeper.

Two minutes later and Josh Baines – making his first start since Boxing Day in place of injured Tre Mitford – planted an effort over the bar having linked up with Sonny French before making room for a shot.

The pressure continued, Histon unable to get a handle on the Portuguese string-puller Brito throughout the game. His fabulous through ball splitting the defence allowing Coulter another run on goal but he could only stretch to toe poke the ball goalwards and whilst it beat Sam Roach it dropped agonisingly wide.

A rare goal attempt from Ollie Stanbridge then ricocheted behind before Coulter was in the thick of things once more as he arrived at the far post to get on the end of Baines’s searching cross but made poor contact with his header which was easily claimed.

Midway through the half and the catalogue of missed chances was further added to by Coulter who hammered a shot over having been played in by French who had done well to get away from the shirt-tugging of the vastly experienced Dan Gleeson.

Baines twice failed to test Roach with half chances – a shot from outside the edge of the area which was easily held, and then a powerless header after a neat move involving Hinds-Cadette, French and Coulter set him up.

Four minutes from the break and yet another clear cut opening came and went, this time for French who drove at the defence before a slick one-two with Jordon Frederick set him into the box with a shooting chance that was put wide.

For all their dominance and chances in the game to that point, Aylesbury still nearly left the field trailing. Histon had only previously forced corner kicks, yet with one of their few attacks a raking cross in from the left saw Jack Wood do superbly to just beat Ben Yeomans to the aerial ball.

The resulting corner was met by an acrobatic effort from Ross Munro in the six yard area, but it was deflected wide to ensure parity remained at the interval.

Half-time: Aylesbury 0-0 Histon

The second half started with United back on top, and the unlikely source of Hinds-Cadette’s left foot nearly produced the opener when he curled the ball just past the upright when Baines levered down Brito’s crossfield pass into the fullback’s path.

Histon’s best chance of the game arrived shortly afterwards. A neat move down the left ended with a square ball inside found Matty Allan unmarked who slotted wide with the whole goal to aim at.

Ryan Kinnane twice saw efforts cleared off the line in the space of seven minutes as United continued to knock on the door. First, he met Bewley’s corner only to see the ball scraped away at the last, where it was returned to Baines whose well struck shot was turned away in style by Roach.

Another save by Roach then saw him touching the ball over from Lea Coulter’s powerful rising drive after French had provided the set up. The corner this time saw Brito flick the ball on at the near post for Kinnane to fire a shot that was again blocked on the line.

A Baines turn and shot went just wide and after a superb saving challenge by Max York, Aylesbury finally found the net.

Bewley’s corner routine broke down, and when the ball was returned into the area two players were unable to get clean contact on their shots, but Brito calmly found the far corner of the goal as the ball fell at his feet, for his 10th goal of the season. 1-0 Aylesbury

It was Bewley himself who went close to adding a quickfire second when a corner kick was only cleared as far as him, curling the ball just beyond the upright with his weaker right foot.

The closest the Stutes came to an equaliser was on 79 minutes when a move of incisive passing put Allan clean through on goal, Zaki Oualah quickly off his line to make a smothering save in what was his only meaningful stop of the game.

As the game drew to a close, both sides forced corner kicks before, in stoppage time, Histon had a good chance to load the box at a free kick, but the Ducks defence held firm to the end to complete a well deserved win.