Following a 2 week break from games, manager Glyn Creaser made 4 changes to the starting line up to face high flying Hayes & Yeading United. Into the starting XI came skipper Jack Wood, Ben Seaton and debutants Tre Mitford returning for a second spell with the club and starting against his former team, and MK Dons youngster Connor Furlong.

The hosts sitting 5th in the table at the start of the day began strongly, with Toby Little prominent down the left flank. In the 2nd minute his cross was met by top scorer Manny Duku and Ryan Kinnane, with a corner the result. From the resulting kick, home captain Spyros Mentis sent a free header over the bar. Shortly afterwards, another fine delivery from Little was met at the near post by Duncan Culley, but his first time effort was well saved by Jack Sillitoe.

Culley was to prove a thorn in the side of the Ducks defenders throughout, and it was he who opened the scoring in the 8th minute. A clearance found Duku on halfway, who acrobatically flicked the ball into the path of his strike partner. He made ground into the penalty area and fell to the ground under what seemed the slightest of touches from Kinnane. Referee Andy Bennett considered it a sufficiently robust challenge to award a penalty, which Culley despatched with ease. 1-0 Hayes & Yeading

The Ducks fought back and two minutes later a cross from Jack Wood found Ben Seaton on the edge of the penalty area, however his volley was straight at Xavi Comas in the home goal. From the next attack, a long ball forward by Greg Williams found Mitford in the left channel. He outpaced Matthew Hall but his shot lacked power, Comas again saving comfortably. In the 16th minute, a Jake Bewley free kick was punched clear by Comas under pressure from Alex Collard, as far as Williams lurking just outside the penalty area; but the veteran midfielder couldn’t keep his shot down, the ball clearing the cross bar. Following the shot, both Comas and Collard stayed down and needed prolonged treatment as a result of the initial collision.

In the 23rd minute a pass from Luke Joyce-Dwarika found Scott Donnelly who lifted the ball to Duku, in behind the Ducks defence; fortunately Sillitoe was alive to the danger and was quickly off his line to block the shot, the ball being cleared by Collard.

On 32 minutes the lead was doubled; a long ball down the left side by Komal Llewellyn-Reid was collected by Duku, who showed good strength to shrug off Collard and advance into the penalty area, from where he slid a shot across Sillitoe and into the far corner. 2-0 Hayes & Yeading

Six minutes later, a driving Bewley run down the left ended with a low cross into the six yard box which was well cleared for a corner by Llewellyn-Reid at the expense of a corner, with Harry Jones well placed behind him. The last action of the half saw Furlong cut in from the left wing and find Wood forward in support of the attack on the edge of the penalty area. The skipper passed to Ben Seaton, who sidestepped a tackle and hit a dipping shot which Comas did well to tip over the crossbar.

Half-time: Hayes & Yeading 2-0 Aylesbury

Ten minutes into the second half and manager Creaser chose to strengthen his attacking options, with Sonny French replacing Seaton. Ryan Coyle also replaced Collard who was struggling with injury following a tackle in the first half.

Just before the hour mark and the Ducks had a great opportunity to reduce the arrears. French and Furlong combined well before the substitute hit a slide rule pass between the centre backs for Mitford to run onto; unfortunately his shot lacked power and was well saved by Comas at his near post.

Three minutes later Joyce-Dwarika passed to Mentis who spread the ball to Little on the left. His ball found Joyce-Dwarika who curled a shot towards the top corner, only to see Sillitoe make a fine diving save.

Shortly after Aylesbury made their final throw of the dice by bringing on Tyriq Hunte for Harry Jones, the home side made the game safe. A throw in was worked inside to substitute Andrew Ofosu whose flicked pass ricocheted off Jake Bewley into the path of Culley who made no mistake from 20 yards to score his second goal. 3-0 Hayes & Yeading

On 70 minutes, Furlong, who was having a fine game on his debut, played the ball through the middle where Matt Hall could only divert it into the path of Mitford, whose first time shot was narrowly wide of the post.

From their next attack the home side nearly added a fortuitous 4th goal. A corner from the right was half punched by Sillitoe and rebounded off Wood to go narrowly wide of the near post. Two minutes later and Furlong was again involved, this time playing a back heeled pass into the path of Bewley breaking down the left. His first time cross was met by the onrushing Ollie Hogg, but like Mitford he couldn’t keep his shot on target.

With 15 minutes left to play the hosts added the icing on their cake; a calamitous mistake in defence saw Scott Donnelly intercept an under hit pass from Kinnane to Hogg; he advanced 5 yards and hit a low swerving shot which bounced over Sillitoe’s outstretched hand to score the fourth. 4-0 Hayes & Yeading

The final Ducks chance came deep into added on time. French won the ball on the right edge of the penalty area and played a delightful back heel into Hunte who got the ball out of his feet well and hit a low shot which Comas again did well to save down by his post.

The referee blew the final whistle shortly afterwards, leaving the Ducks to reflect on a game where defensive fragility and errors again led to their downfall. All four goals could arguably have been avoided given better defending, while at the other end of the pitch more clinical finishing would surely have brought at least 2 goals. Plenty for the management to ponder on as they look forward to the visit of 6th placed Hartley Wintney on Wednesday evening.