In the first of two festive derby games it was Neil Selby's turn to waste two gilt-edged chances late on to deny Aylesbury the win they just about deserved against high riding Chesham at The Meadow on Bank Holiday Monday 27th December.

Left sided midfielder/winger Bobby Hightonm, just released by Stevenage Borough, made his debut for Aylesbury.

It was the Green & Whites who took a shock lead after 11 minutes when a Phil Mason free kick was headed across the goalmouth by Scott Honeyball and Gary Crawshaw hooked the ball past goalkeeper Tynan Scope, signed on loan from Bristol City and making his debut for Chesham due to an injury (appendix operation) to Delroy Preddie.

With Cliff Hercules now returned and partering Scott Honeyball in the centre of defence, Aylesbury looked much tighter than in recent games and Chesham got little reward for their efforts, notably a couple of dives for a penalty which were rightly ignored by referee Mr Ward, and a shot from Terry Bowes which went over the bar.

On 53 minutes a mix-up between Chris Boothe and Scope on the edge of the box gifted Selby the ball. But Scope recovered and tipped over Selby's first time angled drive. Bowes 'shoot on sight' policy paid off on 59 minutes, curling a low 20-yard drive past Gary Phillips to make it 1-1. Ten minutes later a point blank effort by Boothe was superbly parried by Phillips for a corner which Chesham wasted.

Aylesbury, as they had done at St. Albans, survived the pressure, and always looked dangerous on the break and should have taken all three points. On 79 minutes Crawshaw set-up Selby who turned and blasted inches wide of the target, and in the last minute following a cleared corner, Scott Honeyball returned in a nearpost cross and the unmarked Selby headed just over with Scope scrambling across his line.

Dave Gamage