When Aylesbury met Maidenhead in the Berks & Bucks Cup they were a division apart. Maidenhead were struggling in Division One, but were celebrating their 125th year in existence and were determined to reach the County Cup Final for the first time in twenty five years. The Ducks were ninth in the Premier Division and with games in hand over most of the teams above them still had an outside chance of the Championship.
Despite a poor first half, the match certainly lived up to expectations and was eventful to say the least. Just before the break Mark Harrison put his side ahead with a free kick which was nearer the halfway line than the penalty area but after the interval things really came to life.
Michael Danzey headed home a John Caesar cross after sixty-six minutes before United keeper Gary Phillips was then forced to limp out of the game. Allan Pluckrose took over between the sticks and when the stand-in keeper felled Paul Dadson in the box and Harrison converted the resultant penalty the Ducks seemed up against it.
But salvation was shortly at hand, as a Danzey header struck the crossbar and fell kindly for John Caesar. The former Marlow frontman made no mistake crashing the ball home from close range to send the tie into extra time.
The home side failed to take advantage of their weakened visitors and six minutes into the extra time period Caesar was fouled in the area by Francis Araguez. United's regular penalty taker was temporary goalie Pluckrose, so play was briefly delayed as the normal left back trotted up the pitch.
He struck his kick well but Magpies keeper Trevor Roffey was equal to the effott and saved leaving Plucky with a long sprint back to his own goal.
Things turned ugly when Gary Smith took out former Duck Gary Attrell and was fortunate to stay on the pitch. Dadson missed an open goal late on, and Kevin Davies had a long range shot well saved just before the final whistle.
