Aylesbury went into the Buckinghamshire derby at Chesham United with a full strength side for Danny Nicholls to choose from. Matt Hayward and Liam Folds had both recovered from calf injuries to resume the central defensive partnership, and Greg Williams retained his right-back role which has seen him flourish recently.

The game was slow to come to life, although a Drew Roberts effort trickled wide early on, and veteran John Lawford fired a shot well over before fifteen minutes had passed.

The tricky Leon Callender battled to win the ball, but then wasted his good work by placing a shot wide. Some neat play down the left between Daniel French and Roberts resulted in the latter failing to get hold of his effort properly, and the ball bobbled through to Jamie Jackson in goal.

Chesham began to get a foothold in the game, and were starting to dominate proceedings. Paul Edgeworth was in the right place to head an inswinging corner off the goal-line, and Jack Rashid had to be alert to to smother the ball at the feet of Lawford.

A screaming left-footed volley from Shaun Byrne whistled past the post, before the home side deservedly took the lead.

Another good delivery from a corner kick caused havoc, and was flicked on with the outside of Danny West's boot, and Callender was waiting to tuck the ball home at the far-post. 1-0 Chesham

Three minutes later John Lawford should have doubled the home side's lead. Excellent play from Callender saw him cut back from the byeline and deliver a dangerous ball, which Lawford toe-ended over the bar.

Aylesbury made their former striker rue his missed effort by equalising soon after. A corner found its way back to kicker French, who delivered a great cross to the back post where Matt Hayward nodded the ball back across for Gavin Jaggard to fire home. 1-1

Andre Scarlett fired a shot well, and Jackson made a fantastic save to deny Edgeworth's header before the whistle was blown for half-time.

Half-time: Chesham 1-1 Aylesbury

As has been the case so often during the Nicholls reign, the Ducks came out from the break fired up and quickly had a goal. An excellent jinking run from Drew Roberts resulted in him wriggling free and firing a low shot past Jackson. 2-1 Aylesbury

Jackson made another good save to deny French, after the winger's effort took a deflection off Simon Sweeney and hung in the air for an eternity. Jaggard then glanced a corner wide of the post, as Aylesbury stepped up the search for a decisive third.

Chesham were still a threat themselves though, and a flowing move presented an opening for Callender. As the ball was squared to him a goal looked a certainty, but the ball was well kept out by the legs of Rashid.

Substitute Colin Baker had a shot from outside the are held by Jackson, and Callender failed to hit the target again, shooting over the bar on the end of a mazy dribble.

In the closing stages French became more and more involved. Four minutes from time he broke into the box from the right, but saw his low shot beaten away by Jackson. His free-kick in the last minute was chested down by Edgeworth, then brilliantly bicycle-kicked towards goal. Unfortunately the goal-of-the-season effort was just the wrong side of the post.

Matt Hayward showed all his experience right at the end, making a superb last-ditch tackle to retrieve the ball from Lawford when he was about to shoot.

The final whistle soon followed, and a vital win for Aylesbury which lifts them to fourth in the table.