loading...

A much changed Aylesbury side went out of the Errea Cup at the hands of league strugglers Berkhamsted Town after extra time and a penalty shoot out.

The Ducks made six changes to the team that had won at Malvern the previous Saturday and new signing James Faulkner was handed a debut, and looked a useful acquisition throughout.

But Aylesbury's unfamiliar line-up looked just that: unfamiliar with each other, as they failed to gel in a lacklustre first half.

Faulkner, looking to make an immediate impact, came inside but shot wide of the goal after just two minutes but the early excitement proved to be a false dawn.

On 24 minutes Berko went close to taking the lead when Tony Field hooked a shot towards goal that flashed just past the post with Jack Sillitoe beaten.

Broadwater's biggest crowd of the season were witnessing far from a footballing feast, and Graham Hall blazed well over the bar to sum up the first half.

Half-time: Berkhamsted 0-0 Aylesbury

Just like Saturday's game, the second half was a marked improvement (although from rock bottom it wasn't difficult!) and the game recommenced with a flurry of goals.

After just two minutes of second half action Field was allowed to drift in from his left sided position and shoot for goal, his effort taking a big deflection on its' way past Sillitoe. 1-0 Berkhamsted

Berkhamsted's lead lasted just five minutes though when Nick Leach continued his love affair with the Errea Cup - scoring his 2nd goal in two games in the competition when he prodded the ball home from close range at a corner kick. 1-1

With their confidence boosted, Aylesbury began to look for a second goal and they nearly had it when Mealor's cross was missed by keeper Underwood but as Andy Shed turned it back goalwards it was scrambled off the line.

Faulkner saw another effort go over the bar and then at a corner kick Underwood again lost the ball, this time the ball hacked away off the line at the last moment before it went in for an own goal.

Both sides had good chances to snatch a winner inside the last five minutes of normal time when at one end a Berko player struck the post with a shot, and then at the other Leach's near-post header just missed the top corner.

Full-time: Berkhamsted 1-1 Aylesbury

The Ducks were by far the better side in the first half of extra time, James Costello picked out Gallant on the edge of the area who fired a dipping effort over the bar and Faulkner struck an overhead kick too high as they couldn't make their chances pay.

Faulkner went close again when he shimmied and narrowly missed the far post with his placed effort. Two minutes later Gallant had another effort, this time a volley that flew just wide.

All the good work was nearly undone by a defensive slip which let Greg Walsh run clean through, but Sillitoe came to the rescue by racing off his line to make a smart stop.

Aylesbury ended the first period of extra time with another near-miss when this time Gallant provided the cross, and although Taylor missed his header Luke Bartlett nearly put through his own net but Underwood claimed the ball instead.

Half-time in extra-time: Berkhamsted 1-1 Aylesbury

The second period of extra time was less eventful as both sides ran out of steam. Sillitoe was booked early on for apparently handling the ball outside his area, although the badly faded lines made it difficult to judge exactly where the area was.

Faulkner had one further effort go over the bar, before the debutant could have won it for Aylesbury right at the death. O'Grady fed Henney down the right and his low cross was met by Faulkner who just couldn't make enough contact to beat Underwood and it was easily held.

Extra-time: Berkhamsted 1-1 Aylesbury

The penalty shootout saw all takers comfortably dispatch their kicks - Henney, Faulkner and Gallant for Aylesbury, Hall, Field and Richardson for Berkhamsted - until the fourth round of kicks.

Nick Leach scored his and then Jack Sillitoe thought he had made himself a hero by saving from Mullins. Sadly the referee saw an infringement, and despite going the same way and getting agonisingly close, Mullins squeezed home at the second attempt.

And heartbreak followed when Mealor's kick crashed off the bar leaving Jack Copson hit home the winning kick - leaving Berko to party like they'd won the league.