Aylesbury’s woeful league form was stretched to six successive defeats as they were beaten 2-1 at home by Waltham Abbey, who completed a double over the Ducks in their first season as league opponents.
Max Hercules scored an excellent goal on his return after a spell on the sidelines, but there were few other bright spots to illuminate another turgid United performance.
One was the appearance of striker Curtis Brown who looked eager to make an impression; the youngster having scored 18 goals this season for Winslow United and having already attracted the attentions of Luton Town where he had a lengthy trial.
As the game got underway, the Abbotts were left wondering how they hadn’t converted one of two gilt-edged chances in the first two minutes – the first seeing a ball in from the right met by the unmarked Klajdi Cani who headed wide, before from a corner kick Darnell Goather-Braithwaite was afforded similar kind of space and headed against the bar.
The Ducks didn’t dwell on those two huge let-offs, and instead registered their first attacking threat on six minutes when Jack Wood clipped a ball into Mark Riddick who in turn chested it down to Dave O’Connor who could only volley high and wide.
Hercules then made a familiar raid down the left flank before finding Jaedon Phillips with a low ball across the box, but he was unable to beat the giant 6’ 10” frame of Simon Jorgensen as he stretched to poke it goalwards.
The opening goal arrived after 21 minutes, and very similar in fashion to the first minute chance. Stand-in left back Harry Jones was robbed of possession, and as the ball was worked to the right flank vacated by his absence, a flighted cross picked out Cani to easily head home. 1-0 Waltham Abbey
Half chances were all that followed for either side as the game entered something of a lull, but as the half entered its final ten minutes it was looking like the Ducks would do well to get to the break at ‘only’ a goal down.
First, Christian Adu Gyamfi did well to hold the ball up before playing in the arriving Goather-Braithwaite who somehow skied his effort out of the ground. Then, Adu Gyamfi himself had seemingly all the time in the world inside the area but saw his effort well blocked by Davis.
The course of the game then changed with something of a goal out of nothing. There had been a warning moments earlier when Hercules’s free kick was flicked narrowly wide by the head of Phillips, and maybe that renewed a sense of purpose within Aylesbury.
Hercules, as so often, it was who took up the mantle of saviour when he picked up a half clearance just outside the box, took a touch and time to steady himself before bending a sublime equalising effort around Jorgensen and into the bottom corner. 1-1
Suddenly it was United who didn’t want the half to end, and Hercules linked up well with Sonny French to set up a difficult shooting opportunity that French took first time but missed the target with.
Half-time: Aylesbury 1-1 Waltham Abbey
The second period started with the away side going close from a free kick that Rob Clark placed narrowly over the bar after a nudge by Anthony Ball on the edge of the box.
Brown entered the fray in place of Phillips and was soon in the thick of the action when Ball fed him down the right and his early shot flew across goal.
The two combined again seconds later with Brown this time setting up Ball who placed his effort wide when he might have done better.
Waltham Abbey then had a spell back in the ascendancy with Goather-Braithwaite drifting past the defence before driving in a low shot, which Davis parried clear, whilst Clark should have done better when seizing on a misplaced pass, but firing over.
Another quick break by the visitors ended with O’Connor cautioned for bringing down an attacker in full flight. The resulting free kick from Clark was well turned behind by Davis, but from the resulting corner kick player/joint manager Billy Holland was gifted a free header six-yards out which he wasn’t going to turn down. 2-1 Waltham Abbey
On another night Goather-Braithwaite could have had a hat-trick, as he was slid in for a third good chance of the game, but sliced his shot wide and couldn’t hide his frustration as he kicked the advertising hoardings behind the goal.
Aylesbury tried their best to create something in the closing stages, but for the most part were snuffed out by their visitors. Gavin James did set up Ozobia late on but his low shot was turned wide by Jorgensen.
In the sixth minute of injury time the chance United craved came along, unfortunately it fell to the wrong man was the ball was moved around quickly – probably the best chance from open play Aylesbury had created all night – but Dave O’Connor in the centre forward position slotted wide. And that was that.
Another disappointing night for United, they will once again hope for improved fortunes when next up they face league basement side Colney Heath.
