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A defensive horror-show cost Aylesbury dear as they slumped to a heavy defeat by Soham Town Rangers in their first home game of the season.

It was once again a changed United side which took to the field, with injury keeping out the previous weekend's central defensive partnership of Ansell and Barrett, and Troy Bantleman and Adrian Smith's unavailability meant debuts for Anthony Lewis and Marlon Graham at the back, and strikers Luke Mason and Dean Thomas.

After the early capitulation at Biggleswade, no doubt manager Byron Walton's words to his team would have been to ?keep it tight' in the opening stages, yet instead his side found themselves two goals behind with just eight minutes on the clock.

Yet it was the Ducks who had the game's first chance, Daddy Moses striking a powerful free-kick from the edge of the box which had to be well tipped wide by Soham's promising young keeper Jamie Chamberlain.

With their first attack of the game the visitors had the lead. A harmless looking ball in from the left found Deakan Napier in all kinds of space and although his first effort was blocked on the line by Carter, he prodded home the rebound. 1-0 Soham

Things went from bad to worse for Aylesbury when the pacey Dubi Ogbonna caught out the defence and ran clean through before making a 20-yard lob over the stranded Carter look easy. 2-0 Soham

Soham's quickfire double had left United reeling, but Ashleigh James tried his luck from outside the area with an effort that fizzed wide.

Ogbonna cracked a half-volley high and wide of the target and the game continued to yield half chances for both sides, Aylesbury's Calvin Thomas cutting inside but his low shot caused no problems for Jamie Chamberlain.

The visitors' attacking pace continually caused problems, and they immediately launched a swift counter-attack which ended with a low square ball picking out Charles Libam in the box but his first time shot was straight at Carter.

Two minutes later the Ducks were again denied by Chamberlain; Mason doing well in attempting to lift the ball over the keeper having been put through, but Chamberlain did a good job of making himself big and made a great save.

It continued to be end to end stuff and Soham continued to make the most of Aylesbury's struggling defence. Ogbonna headed wide, then the unmarked Libam stooped to head a cross in from the right which Carter did well to claw away.

Mason was having a lively debut and he nearly capitalised on some hesitancy in the visiting defence, striking a fierce shot which was clearly deflected wide, only for the officials to award a goal kick to the annoyance of the home crowd.

For the second week in a row United conceded a third first half goal despite appearing to be working their way back into the game. Amongst more sub-standard defending a throw-in was flicked into the path of Michael Simpson who produced a well executed overhead kick which seemed to catch Carter out and he could only watch the ball fall fly over his head into the net. 3-0 Soham

The Ducks refused to let their heads drop and kept looking for a way onto the scoresheet and Dean Thomas was the next man to go close, hitting a curling effort which flashed past the far post.

Another good move five minutes later then saw Calvin Thomas find Montgomery who in turn played a great ball in to release Moses who drilled a shot into the side-netting from the left of the area.

In terms of overall play and chances created, the teams were neck and neck as half time arrived, leaving Aylesbury to ponder what might have been had they heeded their manager's words.

Half-time: Aylesbury 0-3 Soham

Soham had the first chance of the second period when a corner kick came all the way across to Reed but he saw his shot blocked in the area by one of his own players.

In a game that really did have everything except an Aylesbury goal, there was controversy when Moses was fouled on the edge of the area and with United convinced they'd won a penalty kick, the referee deemed the offence right on the very outside edge of the box. The resulting free-kick was taken left-footed by Chris Dean but blocked by a defender.

Just before the hour mark the visitors were reduced to ten men when Reed showed blind stupidity in cynically fouling his man on the touchline deep inside Aylesbury's half having already been shown a yellow card.

Aylesbury made a double substitution with Lewis Creser and Matt Kimani taking to the field, and the latter, formerly with Arlesey Town, proved a particular menace with his tricky dribbling and general play from his left-sided position.

Moses went close again when a good ball in from Montgomery was headed over the bar, then a low ball in from Kimani found James but his effort was blocked in the area.

Kimani himself went close when he stole in at the back post to get on the end of Mitchell-Coop's raking cross, but he headed wide, the chances coming thick and fast for Aylesbury.

With Aylesbury unable to convert one of the number of chances they created they chanced tact and tried to get Soham to do it for them! A teasing cross in from Kimani resulted in Coleman only a couple of yards wide from putting through his own net.

Unfortunately for the Ducks, the defence hadn't sured up since the first half, and Soham caught them napping again when a ball from deep found Furnell who headed past Carter without a defender anywhere near him. 4-0 Soham

Still Aylesbury refused to lie down in their quest to find the net. Dean Thomas had a couple of efforts, one over the bar and one dragged wide whilst Creser also had a similar low effort go well wide of goal.

The Ducks were simply having no joy in front of goal, Dean Thomas eventually having another effort deflected wide after the ball bobbled around in the area having been run in by Moses.

He went closer still in the final minute when, having beaten Chamberlain to the ball, shot for goal but as it trickled agonisingly towards the line Scott Johnson got back to clear his lines in the nick of time, to the despair of all those behind the net willing the ball in.

Montgomery volleyed wide from a corner to leave give Aylesbury a higher ?attempt at goal' count than Soham, but what matters is who takes the chances, and the visitors were able to do just that.

Given time it will most definitely come for United, who once again showed plenty of attacking promise. But for now the team went off to lick their wounds and prepare for a midweek trip to Burnham.