With the summer break behind them, the FA Cup started the competitive season, taking Jack Wells' new look Ducks to Gloucestershire to face Hellenic League opposition in Fairford Town. Such has been the squad overhaul that only four of today’s squad played for the team last season, with stalwarts Jack Wood and Jake Bewley joined by David Lynn and Tyriq Hunte, the other returnee Jack Moriarty being unavailable to play.

The match was a repeat of the fixture at the same stage of the competition 2 seasons ago, which the Ducks won 2-0 at the Meadow. A good start saw Jack Empson cross from the right touchline to Owen James, whose first time effort had keeper Ben Mitchell beaten, however, the ball rebounded to safety off the near post.

The Ducks were seeing quite a lot of the ball in the opening exchanges, with Dave Pearce drifting off his marker and finding space to collect the ball; he created a chance for Ollie Jovanovic, with a defence splitting pass setting the striker free on goal, but his effort from the edge of the penalty area lacked power and was comfortably saved by Mitchell.

The home side’s tricky winger Ben Lodge was causing problems down the right flank and his low cross into the 6 yard box was half cleared but only as far as Ellis McSharry, but his shot from the edge of the penalty area was well saved by James Callan. The keeper came to the rescue again in the 26th minute, as a cross fell to Danny Way 25 yards out, his shot being turned around the post for a corner by Callan.

Four minutes before the break Way tested Callan again, as the Ducks lost the ball in midfield, allowing him to get a shot away which Callan was again equal to.

The final opportunity of the first period fell to the hosts, as Lodge and skipper Jamal Lawrence combined on the right to set up Kai Mahon free on the edge of the penalty area. Not for the first time, the Ducks were indebted to skipper Wood, who typically threw himself into the path of the shot, deflecting it over the crossbar.

Half-time: Fairford 0-0 Aylesbury

The second half saw Rocko Tamplin introduced at the expense of Empson, in an attempt to use his pace to get the play up the field quicker. The half started well for the Ducks, with a mistake by McSharry letting in James on the left side of the penalty area; however, his shot from 15 yards on the angle was well saved at his near post by Mitchell. From the resulting corner, the ball was headed down as far as Bewley 12 yards out, but his shot was sliced over the bar.

Ten minutes into the second period Tamplin got his head to a defensive throw in and found Pearce in space; he teed up Jovanovic 25 yards out, but his shot was too high to trouble the keeper. That was his last taste of the action, as he was replaced by the 'second' Owen James just before the hour mark.

In the 64th minute the hosts had a great opportunity to break the deadlock, as Lodge rolled away from David Lynn and shot from the edge of the area, but his effort was wide of the far post when he will feel he really could have done better. In the 70th minute Bewley delivered a free kick from the half way line which was expertly controlled by Derek Feyi on his chest, before swivelling and volleying a shot just wide of the far post.

The game was much more open and end to end in the second half, although neither keeper was seriously tested until the closing stages. The Ducks opened the scoring in the 88th minute, when a Pearce corner from the left was met by Wood, soaring above Will Davidson to crash home a powerful header. 1-0 Aylesbury

With just a few minutes left on the clock, the Ducks task was to defend sensibly and repel any attacking threat, which for the best part they did well, but whether it was tired legs or tired minds, they couldn’t prevent Lawrence dragging his team back into the game with a stunning goal. The ball was moved across midfield before it reached the home skipper, who took aim from 30 yards and fired a shot into the top corner of Callan’s goal to draw his side level. 1-1

The final whistle was blown shortly afterwards to confirm that the match will need to be replayed. The match will take place on Wed 9th August at Chesham United to see which team will be facing Clevedon at home in the next round, after they beat Wantage in their match today.