A strong opening and closing fifteen minutes sandwiched what was otherwise an average performance, as Aylesbury were held to a 2-2 draw at Rothwell Town.

Nathan Graham returned to the scoresheet for the first time since January with two well taken goals, the second an excellent finish after a well worked move.

The bright start resulted in an early goal. Mealor had already threatened by shooting wide inside 90-seconds, before Graham gave the Ducks the lead on five minutes. Shed brought the ball forward before playing in Mealor whose fierce shot was only beaten away by Tom Smith, and despite the presence of two Rothwell defenders Graham made himself first to the loose ball and headed in. 1-0 Aylesbury

Swonnell had a left footed shot drift wide from a short free-kick laid to him, but the momentum soon began to turn in the game and Rothwell were increasingly threatening.

A forward was allowed space to come inside and get a shot away which had to be turned over by Beames. The resulting corner picked out the unmarked Kattus and Rothwell were level, Beames given no chance from his powerful header. 1-1

Mealor revelled all afternoon in his left-midfield slot and he could have given his side the lead again when Chris Aslett's lofted ball fell his way, but his strong shot was blocked en route to goal.

Ten minutes later he was at it again, this time a headed effort after patient build up involving Graham and Jones, but the final effort was straight into the hands of Smith.

Some good play by Rothwell at the other end then resulted in a shot being blocked out for a corner, and from the resultant kick Catos nearly scored an identical effort to the equaliser.

Graham had two chances before the break to re-establish the lead, a looping effort cleared away after Smith had been beaten to the ball. Then he latched onto a throw-in and eventually hit a weak effort that Smith easily claimed.

Half-time: Rothwell 1-1 Aylesbury

Aylesbury started the second half in the ascendency and Shed came agonisingly close to scoring after beating Smith to the ball on the edge of the area, but his shot rolled all the way across the vacant goal.

Mealor placed an effort wide of the target before Rothwell began to get a grip on the game, just as they had done in the first period.

Rothwell wasted a dangerous free-kick on the hour mark, the first effort rebounding off the wall before the follow up from Ritchie-Smith did exactly the same.

Beames was called into his first save of the game soon after, getting down to hold onto a low shot. He made an even better save three minutes later, denying the unattended Jon Stead who had executed a superb volley from a right wing cross. Unfortunately for Beames and Aylesbury Adam Cunnington had followed up to score against his old side. 2-1 Rothwell

Aylesbury managed to raise their game again going into the last fifteen minutes of the game, and substitute Carl Kavanagh produced the shot of a centre half when a corner kick dropped to him in the area as he smashed the ball wide.

But it was another substitute Danny Nicholls who played a big part in the equaliser, as he passed to Nathan Graham who played a slick one-two before thumping the ball into the top corner to mark his return to form in emphatic fashion. 2-2

Only one team looked likely to force a winner now, as the Ducks poured forward in the last ten minutes. It was that man Mealor again who nearly did just that, striking a superb volley which shaved the post after the ball came across to him.

Rothwell had a chance to snatch a winner presented to them right at the death when Beames mis-cued his kick having come out of goal, but he made amends by diving to save the eventual shot.

An improved performance from Aylesbury then, not enough to see off a team struggling at the wrong end of the table though, but good to see Nathan Graham back on the scoresheet.