Aylesbury's playoff hopes were dealt a huge blow by Barton Rovers, as the village side inflicted a 3-0 defeat on the disappointing Ducks at Sharpenhoe Road.
With their widely reported large playing budget, Barton are a team who should have been challenging for the playoffs themselves, but instead are struggling for anything more than mid-table mediocrity ? something United may have to settle with unless there is a considerable improvement in the remaining games.
The goal-less first half was reasonable from the away side's perspective, the Ducks were solid at the back and James Faulkner was his usual lively self going forward.
It was United's number 9 who had the first effort of the game when he acrobatically met a cross from the right, but it was easily held by Martyn Patching in goal.
Barton had the better of the chances though, none more so than on ten minutes as a Fraser Toms free-kick beautifully picked out Leon Hibbert who somehow powered a free header over the bar from five-yards.
Former Luton star Tony Thorpe quickly got in on the act, but he could only fire high and wild having been played in from the right by Steve Sinclair.
Faulkner went close again when he flicked a header just wide of the target from Mealor's free-kick. He turned provider six minutes later, showing great persistence to win the ball back from Anthony Fontenelle before setting up Ross Taylor whose shot lacked power and direction.
He was at the heart of the action again towards half time. Mark Jones played a great through ball and as Faulkner turned his marker Chris Wild he was dragged down. He would have been one-on-one with the whole goal to aim at, and there was a strong case for referee Mr Law to show the offender a red card, but Wild escaped with a caution. The resulting free-kick was hit wide by Mealor.
Half-time was blown and it was so far so good for the Ducks, who had the majority of the chances whilst keeping their hosts at bay.
Half-time: Barton 0-0 Aylesbury
Barton had the first chance after the break, Robbie Kean dribbling through but shooting over the bar.
And optimism amongst the large numbers of travelling fans was increased when Andy Shed got into a good shooting position but dragged well across goal after neat build up involving Mealor, Faulkner and Jones.
Unfortunately that feeling didn't last as Barton began to increase the pressure. Toms found himself clean through but delayed his shot too long and Mealor got back to make a fantastic recovery challenge.
Five minutes later Barton were ahead. A quickly taken free kick found Toms on the left, and his low cross was twice scrambled away ? eventually put behind for a corner. Aylesbury paid the ultimate price for going to sleep as the corner was flicked on and headed in by the towering Hibbert. 1-0 Barton
The goal seemed to knock the Ducks back, and whether suffering from a lack of match sharpness, confidence or simply belief, their performance in the second half was very poor and Barton's lead never genuinely looked in danger.
United did have the next attempt though, and it was about as threatening as anything else they produced, Sam Swonnell heading powerfully over the bar after a short corner routine was cleared to him.
Going into the last twenty minutes and debutant keeper Jon Beames made his first save of the game to deny Thorpe after a defensive mistake had left him one-on-one. He was in action again soon after when Hibbert pinged a shot from 20-yards which Beames parried wide.
Sadly, Aylesbury's new keeper didn't have the best of games, with Tom Vincent watching on from the bench. Helpless for the first goal, he might have done better in getting down to keep out Barton's second ? which came on 85 minutes. Steve Sinclair allowed to roam forwards with the ball and fire a low shot across goal which nestled slowly inside the far post. 2-0 Barton
Nathan Graham and Mike Feely had both been added to the mix for the closing stages of the game, but the closest United came to threatening their hosts was a looping header from Nick Leach was well fielded under pressure by Patching.
In the last seconds of the game Beames and Aylesbury's misery were compounded when his attempted pass out of goal only found Gary Sippetts, who was able to walk the ball around the stranded keeper and become the second ex-Chesham player of the afternoon to score. 3-0 Barton
Although rather flattering on Barton, the scoreline reflects just how bad Aylesbury were in the second half, with attacking threat virtually non-existent ? United players just didn't seem to know what to do with the ball in the final third, whilst at the other end the defence continue to concede sloppy goals.
It's not a mix that will lead the club into the playoffs. It's not all over just yet, but now three points away ? with fifth placed Stourbridge having a game in hand ? it certainly looks a tall order. With the Ducks so inconsistent and the teams around them finding form, are we destined for another season of ?so close' and ?what ifs'?
