Following their Southern League cup exit on Tuesday evening, Aylesbury United returned to play at the ASM Stadium for the first time in 3 weeks. One change to the starting line up saw Gavin Hinds-Cadette restored to right back after being unavailable for the midweek match, with Reece Cameron dropping to the subs bench, allowing Ollie Hogg to take up a more familiar position in the midfield.

Starting with a strong wind behind them, the Ducks had their customary bright start, dictating the play especially down the left flank. In the fifth minute Ollie Hogg found Jake Bewley overlapping, but his low cross was just in front of the onrushing Bruno Brito and Lea Coulter.

The Ducks took the lead in the 11th minute; Jack Wood won the ball on half way and played a fine ball into the path of Bewley; this time his low cross was perfectly placed for Coulter to tap in from the 6-yard line. 1-0 Aylesbury

The lead was to last just two minutes, as the visitor’s top scorer Mark Bitmead equalised; after getting free down the right he shot from 15 yards to see Jack Sillitoe parry the ball. Fortunately for the striker, the ball fell back into his path and this time he despatched the ball past the home keeper. 1-1

A worrying sight for the Ducks fans saw Ollie Hogg go down needing treatment in the 20th minute, resulting in his substitution by Greg Williams, making his first appearance since suffering an injury in training a month ago. Happily, what looked as if it could have been a recurrence of his recent hamstring injury for Hogg was later explained as him just feeling ill.

Three minutes after the substitution, Bewley produced another fine delivery which Brito controlled well on his chest, but could only direct his volley wide of goal. Brito was in the action again in the 32nd minute, this time though a misplaced pass by the Portuguese striker set Ashford away on the counter attack. Bitmead’s pass found strike partner Dan Fleming in the right channel, but his shot was blocked at the near post at the expense of a corner. Two minutes later, Fleming had another opportunity, but Sillitoe was quickly off his line to smother the ball at his feet.

Bewley, who was having a fine first half was released by Brito and crossed to Coulter; the striker controlled the ball well and turned, but his shot cleared the bar.

As half time approached the Ducks had a golden opportunity to retake the lead. Bewley’s deep in swinging corner from the right found skipper Wood at the far post, but his firm header rebounded off the bar. As the ball was delivered back into the box Jordon Frederick had a shot deflected wide for a corner. The final action of the half saw another Bewley cross met by the head of Coulter, but he could only direct the ball wide with his strike partner Brito perhaps better placed behind him.

Half-time: Aylesbury 1-1 Ashford

Starting the second half with the conditions in their favour, the visitors soon put the home defence under pressure. A hurried clearance by Bewley saw the ball fall to Tommy Brunton, but he could only shoot wide of goal. In the 52nd minute, Sonny French misplaced a pass in midfield, allowing Bitmead to break away downfield. This time his shot at his near post was well saved by Sillitoe. This was followed shortly afterwards by good work from Jack Beadle, holding up the ball and passing to Max Herbert, who shot into the side netting, when many of the travelling fans had believed he had scored.

Just before the hour mark, another misplaced pass, this time from Frederick allowed Brunton time to find Fleming, but the striker’s shot was just wide of Sillitoe’s goal. By now, the Ducks were finding it hard to retain possession for any sustained period, with the visitors dictating play. A long ball forward saw Bitmead control the ball expertly on the right; his low cross was saved at the near post by Sillitoe at the expense of a corner. In the 68th minute, Bitmead was again the focal point of the attack, driving forward and finding substitute Conor Moody on the edge of the penalty area, but he could only shoot wide.

In the 75th minute, Reece Cameron, on as a substitute for Coulter, did well down the right and saw his low cross evade keeper Tobin, but the ball rebounded away from any of his team mates before being cleared to safety by the visitors.

Buoyed by this near miss, the Ducks attacked again. Williams played the ball into the path of Brito, breaking through the middle, but just as he looked ready to pull the trigger and shoot, a superb tackle from Samad Kazi tracking back took the ball off his foot.

With 10 minutes remaining, Brunton found Mummery on the left side of the box, whose shot was saved at his near post by Sillitoe. Bitmead took the resulting corner and picked out his skipper Russell Canderton who was unmarked at the far post. His header was saved by Sillitoe, but rebounded back to Canderton, who like his team mate Bitmead in the first half, made no mistake at the second attempt to give his side the lead. 2-1 Ashford

It was to be the decisive moment of the match and condemned the Ducks to a 10th home defeat of the league season. Next up is another home match, next Saturday, against Egham Town.