A remarkable fourth straight win by Aylesbury ensured that the race for the playoffs would go right to the last game of the season thanks to this 2-0 win at a showery Cinderford Town.
What's even more impressive is that not only was this United's third game in six days, but also that their journey time to get to the game was in excess of two hours each way.
So when Aylesbury sprung out of the traps in the way they did Cinderford had every reason to be taken by surprise.
The Greens, buoyed on by a vociferous travelling support who almost matched the home crowd in numbers, could have been three-up in ten minutes. Firstly Ben Stevens slotted wide a near post corner from the right, before Leon Gutzmore just failed to get a proper contact on Mealor's cross after Gutzmore's flick had initially set the left-midfielder on his way.
Five minutes later Gutzmore went close again having found himself clean through, but his shot from outside the area crept wide having looked goal bound.
The well deserved early opener came after eleven minutes, although the foul leading up to it - awarded for manhandling on Richard Pringle - could well have been awarded inside the area.
Not that it mattered, as Daniel Mead repeated his trick of Monday night by scoring direct from a free kick. Once again the diminutive full back left the goalkeeper with egg on his face as the set play went in off a combination of the post and Matt Bath's desperate attempts to keep it out. 1-0 Aylesbury
Cinderford nearly got an instant equaliser when Darryl Addis was played in moments later, but his shot across goal was the home side's only effort of the first half.
Mead tried his luck from another free kick, this one from the opposite side of the goal, but his effort deflected off the wall and out for a corner.
Gutzmore worked hard to retrieve an apparently lost cause on 24 minutes, pulling back a cross from the byline which Stevens mistimed his header when unmarked three yards out, the ball trickling harmlessly wide.
The chances continued to fall the visitors' way though as another dangerous Mead delivery was this time met by Nick Leach who got the faintest of touches to turn the ball against the post. Pringle then volleyed wide with his first ambitious effort of the night.
Ten minutes before the break and Aylesbury had a commanding, and richly deserved, two-goal advantage when top-scorer Pringle met a right sided corner kick with a typically powerful header. 2-0 Aylesbury
There was still time for Matt Butler to try a rare shot at goal, but he was never likely to double his goal tally for the club and Bath could easily catch the ball.
Half-time: Cinderford 0-2 Aylesbury
Given their achievements, the long journey, and the sheer number of games played in recent times, Aylesbury can be forgiven for loosening their grip on the game slightly in the second half. They certainly weren't as dominant, yet Cinderford never seriously looked like they could turn the game around.
That said, they twice rattled the woodwork, twice from corners - the first of which came after 56 minutes as everybody stood and watched the ball bounce back off the upright before Aylesbury reacted and hoofed to safety.
Matt Bath denied Pringle's effort to extend Aylesbury's lead on the hour mark, after Gutzmore flicked on a Stevens' throw and Pringle's header was tipped over.
Five minutes later Cinderford were defending desperately again, Pringle's downward header from a corner cleared off the line. Then at the other end hit the crossbar this time, once again from a corner kick.
In almost identical fashion another Pringle header from Smyth's corner was scrambled off the line, as the Forresters appeared to abandon marking and place their entire defence in the goal instead!
As the game wound down, 27-goal Richard Kear finally had a chance, although more through luck than judgement as a pot-shot ricocheted through to him, but his finish was rushed and Vincent was able to make his first 'save' of the match.
Mark Wiltshire replaced a struggling Stevens in the last five minutes, and Pringle tried another audacious effort to finish the match off and leave United's travelling supporters to celebrate their win.
Having played 41-games the Ducks, almost unbelievably, go into number 42 against Brackley Town still with a chance of making the playoffs. Whatever happens on the day, the players should be justifiably proud of their achievements this season, and this amazing end to the season.
