Despite an enforced 3 week break after the last match, a victory at Hadley, the Ducks were able to select an unchanged starting XI for this match at high flying Hertford Town, who were on a good run of form with 4 wins in their last 6 matches.

The hosts started well, controlling the possession, trying to penetrate a well organised Ducks defence. After just 5 minutes, Billy Mardell-Smith picked up the ball in the centre circle, and went on a driving run away from challenges of Ken Feyi and Ayman Dahdouh, before shooting from the edge of the penalty area, but his effort was wide of the far post. Three minutes later, Deimar Cardoso Queni found Mardell-Smith 25 yards out, who made his way into the penalty area and had a shot from 15 yards which deflected off Jack Wood, leaving James Callan to make a comfortable save at his near post.

In the 12th minute a Hertford corner was cleared and fell to Feyi, he passed to Brayden Daniel who saw Tom Cove breaking forward; he rounded goalkeeper William Kiers and shot, but saw his goal bound shot cleared.

In the 19th minute George Andreou got round Keegan Bloom and crossed to Cardoso Queni who rose well 6 yards out, but Callan was equal to his effort and tipped the ball over the crossbar. On 26 minutes, Morgan Mahoney gathered the ball on the half way line, pushed forward and shot from 25 yards, but his effort was initially saved by Callan, with Jake Bewley on hand to clear his lines.

The Ducks took the lead in the 37th minute in fine style; a high press saw Hertford lose the ball on the edge of their own penalty area, Daniel slipped the ball to Feyi, who moved it into the path of Cove, who lashed a shot inside the near post to open the scoring. 1-0 Aylesbury

Sadly, as has happened too often this season, a Ducks goal was followed shortly after by an equaliser; just two minutes had passed when Mardell-Smith found Brian Garzon just outside the penalty area, who wrong footed Bewley and fired home from 18 yards. 1-1

Half-time: Hertford 1-1 Aylesbury

Soon after the start of the second half Garzon found Sudayisi Sendege, who spotted Andreou on the overlap on the left wing; he crossed to Cardoso Queni whose header from well saved one handed by Callan at his near post. Despite this, the Ducks continued to defend well, keeping a good shape and frustrating the efforts of the opposition.

In the 55th minute a long ball from player manager Ben Herd to Sendege was intercepted by Bloom, who made good ground into the Hertford half, before unleashing a shot from 25 yards which rose to high to trouble Kiers.

From the next attack, the hosts took the lead; Sonny Coughlin-Brown collected the ball wide on the right, beat Charley Tuttle and crossed to the far post where Sendege got ahead of Bloom to plant a header past Callan. 2-1 Hertford

Not for the first time this season, Callan kept his side in the game in the 67th minute with an excellent save; after a patient build up, Coughlin-Brown cut inside and fed the ball to Mahoney in space on the edge of the penalty area, before firing in a strong shot that the Ducks custodian did exceptionally well to get a fingertip to and divert it onto the post.

With 10 minutes on the clock, the Ducks had a strong shout for a penalty, when a cross from Bloom saw Wood pushed in the back by Mahoney, but referee Lukas Wood adjudged there was no foul; the ball fell to Hayden Beadle on the edge of the penalty area but his shot was too high.

An equaliser did come in the 84th minute, and a most unfortunate one it was for Kiers. A clearance from the Hertford box found Daniel 40 yards out; he played a hopeful ball into the penalty area which seemed to be a regulation take for the keeper, but he took his eye off the ball and it skipped past him and into the net. 2-2

A minute later and Daniel had another great opportunity, when Cove saw him on the overlap but his cross/shot was deflected for a corner. Daniel was having a strong end to the game, two minutes from time he collected the ball on half way and drove forward before shooting from 25 yards, but over the bar.

The last incident of the game saw a bizarre red card awarded to Dave Tuttle, who stuck out a foot to control the ball, but saw it deflect away; referee Wood decided that it was a deliberate act to prevent the home side restarting play and sent the Ducks manager from the pitch. He hadn’t got much further than the corner flag before the referee blew his whistle to end the game.

So, a valuable away draw in the hunt for points to draw away from the foot of the table; next up is a tough encounter with 4th placed Waltham Abbey on Tuesday evening, with the Ducks hoping to build on the result today and gather more points.