Thanks to three Hitchin goals in the last twelve minutes, Aylesbury returned from their trip to Top Field on the back of another heavy defeat as their woes continued.
Whilst the result definitely went the right way in terms of number of chances on offer, the scoreline doesn't tell the whole story. For a fifteen minute spell at the start of the second half the underdogs had their promotion chasing opponents on the back foot and had they converted one of a number of chances then the game could have had a totally different feel to it.
As it was, with the game at 1-0 at that point, Hitchin weathered the storm and immediately scored a second and it was all over.
From the outset the match was played at a high tempo and in the first half hour the Canaries fashioned chance after chance without finding the net, through a combination of good goalkeeping yet again by young Sillitoe and wasteful finishing.
The first shot came after four minutes, the ball coming in to Zak Burke whose low shot was no danger. In the build up to that move Ashley Harewood had taken a knock to the face and whilst he was patched up the Ducks were forced to play the next eight minutes or so with ten men.
Burke was one of those most responsible for Hitchin's failings in front of goal and on 9 minutes he scuffed a shot badly wide after referee Mr Kelly had played a good advantage following a foul by Nash in midfield.
The Hitchin pressure continued with a number of dangerous crosses and balls into the box which Aylesbury were just about coping with.
Burke was becoming an increasing influence and he cut inside Ashleigh James, returning to the side after injury, and struck a powerful shot through a crowd of players that Sillitoe did excellently to turn around the post.
Seconds later a ball in from the right was touched back by Harry Hunt to Jamie Arlick but he could only volley well over the bar, before Tony Fontenelle followed suit five minutes later having been set up by the determination to retain possession of Luke Donnelly.
The pressure finally told with the opening goal arriving midway through the half. A fine through ball released Arlick who beat the offside trap but could only finish against the bar when one-on-one with Sillitoe. It looked like Aylesbury had had another lucky escape, but the Ducks have been learning all season that you get no luck at the bottom, and the ball rebounded down and into the net off the following in Ieuan Lewis. 1-0 Hitchin
Hitchin pressed for a second and nearly had it four minutes later, only to find Sillitoe in the way again as, after some great work between the two strikers, he first foiled Hunt before smothering Arlick's follow-up.
Arlick stooped to head Fontenelle's cross over the bar, veteran Carl Williams hit a well struck effort wide of the target and Burke had another effort blocked in the area as the chances kept coming without providing a second goal.
Sillitoe had to be alert to tip a whipped cross over the bar, before he made another good save on the 40 minute mark, getting down well to turn another shot from Burke wide of the post.
Heading towards the break, Aylesbury were able to regroup and on three minutes from time Martin Bennett was forced into action for the first time when Gary Wharton used his pace to break, before cutting inside and going for goal with a left-footed effort which the keeper was able to match.
On the stroke of the interval Bennett produced an even better stop to preserve his side's lead. Wharton was again at the thick of things, his shot on the turn blocked in the area but falling into the path of Harewood and as he fired for goal Bennett flung himself at the ball and managed to turn it behind.
Half-time: Hitchin 1-0 Aylesbury
The ?mini-revival' seemed to boost United's spirits and they certainly started the second half in buoyant mood, and for a good fifteen minute spell were on top of the game. Hitchin looked nervous and were reduced to long-ball football as Aylesbury pressed hard for an equaliser.
With two minutes gone Jamie O'Grady broke down the right and his ball in eventually resulted in both Wharton and Harewood having shots in the area blocked as Hitchin defended their lines well.
The positive start continued as the home side struggled to get going, as Nash fired well over after a corner was squeezed back to him before Bennett denied Taylor with a smothering save after Wharton's shot had spun out into his path.
Aylesbury had been unable to make the most of their dominant spell, and they paid the price when Hitchin scored a second just past the hour. A swift counter-attack ended with the ball breaking to Lewis who swept it into the back of the net to put some clear daylight between the sides. 2-0 Hitchin
The Ducks still had a couple more chances to bring themselves back into the game, Wharton meeting a Nash delivery but unable to make clean contact and the ball rolled wide. Four minutes later the same player struck a fizzing left-footed effort which had Bennett at full stretch but just missed the target.
A string of injuries and substitutions on both sides meant the second half wasn't quite as free flowing as the first. Tony Joyce brought on Dan Parsons for his debut and he looked a useful addition on the right of midfield.
Hitchin continued to pose a threat and after Lewis and substitute Jeff Hammond linked up well down the right, the latter delivered a teasing cross which had to be cleared behind by O'Grady who just missed hammering the ball into his own net.
United lost Kevin Ayodele to injury for the closing stages and it proved to be a big blow as they struggled for defensive pace late on.
Hitchin took control of the game with a third on 77 minutes when Newby was dispossessed in midfield before a slide rule pass released Arlick who finished well past Sillitoe. 3-0 Hitchin
It was Arlick again two minutes later as, in keeping with their season, United capitulated. A deep free-kick was headed back across goal where Arlick was waiting to pounce and head into the net. 4-0 Hitchin
Hammond was proving to be a willing runner since his introduction, with his pace causing fresh problems for United's tiring backline and he nearly added a fifth for his side when he got on the end of a flicked-on throw-in but lobbed the ball over the bar with Sillitoe stranded.
Four minutes from time Hammond did get his name on the scoresheet when he took full advantage of hesitancy in the Aylesbury defence, nipping in ahead of Sillitoe and finishing through his legs. 5-0 Hitchin
There was still time for the Ducks to save some face and score a deserved goal. Wharton's shot was blocked behind and from Newby's corner kick Ansell rose virtually unchallenged to head into the net. 1-5
Wharton had another effort held by Bennett after a good move, whilst at the other end Pepper and Arlick both drilled shots wide of the target before the game was finally brought to a close.
In the end the widely predicted big loss had materialised, but there were plenty of positives for Aylesbury to take, especially with the massive six-pointer against Barton Rovers now on the horizon.
