For the second time of the season Aylesbury lost out heavily to Woodford United, losing 4-0 at Bell Close. It was a match similar to the sides? previous meeting two months earlier whereby the Reds didn?t create many openings, yet took full advantage of every opportunity presented to them.
Aylesbury had made a decent start to the match and appeared to be playing the ball around nicely in the opening stages, but they missed the presence of Ashley Harewood throughout and in truth were to rarely show genuine threat in front of goal.
The visitors had the game?s first chance when Ross Harris sent experienced striker Howard Forinton away but he elected to shoot early and didn?t get hold of the shot properly, proving an easy claim for Jack Sillitoe.
Forinton has been prolific since returning to the non-league game after his professional career, and he soon opened the scoring three minutes later when a free-kick into the area was headed on and fell to him three-yards out where the chance proved unmissable. 1-0 Woodford
Just five minutes later and Forinton had a second goal for his side. A needless free-kick conceded in midfield ended with Glen Hawkins (Aylesbury?s top scorer last season) cutting the ball back from the byline where Forinton delightfully swept the ball first time into the net. 2-0 Woodford
With fifteen minutes gone the Ducks already had a mountain to climb, but they stuck to their task and put their visitors under some pressure.
Joel McCormick showed some flashes of skill on his full debut, and he laid the ball back for Montgomery to lash a shot goalwards which was beaten away by Finlay.
Kevin Ayodele was then denied by the alert stopper who was off his line quickly to smother at his feet after the defender-turned-winger was released by a through ball and there was another effort to come as Tyrone Taylor struck a shot on the turn which was caught by Finlay.
Woodford?s goalkeeper was to be kept busy and he made a good save on 25 minutes to keep out a nonchalant flicked effort from Silvestri at close range as the Aylesbury man turned Ashleigh James? low drive goalwards.
The pressure continued but the Reds? defence just weren?t going to be penetrated, as they first blocked from Ayodele?s volley, then deflected Silvestri?s follow-up over the crossbar.
The pairing of Forinton and Hawkins was proving a genuine threat up front and it was Hawkins who nearly added to his side?s scoring when he was allowed to get on the end of Travers? cross and go for goal, Sillitoe just about doing enough to keep the ball out.
A minute later it was Forinton going for goal but he missed his chance of a hat-trick by blazing well over the crossbar having got to the ball ahead of Sillitoe.
The first half ended with a good effort from Ayodele, but again Aylesbury found Woodford?s defensive ranks in place to see it away, the shot taking a deflection and hitting the foot of the post ? although Finlay would claim to have had it covered.
Half-time: Aylesbury 0-2 Woodford
The second half was something of a non-event as far as Aylesbury are concerned, as before they had even had time to contemplate a comeback Woodford had put the game out of reach.
Another silly free-kick conceded in midfield was punished in the harshest way possible as ex-Aylesbury youth teamer Neil King delivered a peach of a free-kick which was gratefully received and headed into the net by another ex-Duck Chris Jackson. 3-0 Woodford
With the game well and truly wrapped up, it looked set to be a long forty-minutes plus to play out for Aylesbury and so it proved.
There were half-chances for Keith Newby ? who hit a free-kick straight into the wall ? before Rickelle Christian had a floating shot easily held, then James Nash fired tamely straight at Finlay, all in the space of two minutes.
Tony Joyce introduced youngster Lewis McBride for a half-hour debut run out, and he showed glimpses of pace and an eye for a pass but didn?t see enough of the ball to make a genuine impact.
McCormick nearly managed to pull a goal back out of nothing for Aylesbury when he seemed to arrive from nowhere on the end of a ball into the box, but in attempting to take the ball round Finlay the Woodford keeper did just enough to put him off and the chance was gone.
Ten minutes from time and the scoring was completed when Sillitoe, in a moment to forget for him, was put under heavy pressure at a corner kick and could only punch the ball into the net for an own goal. 4-0 Woodford
Tyrone Taylor had a low shot saved by Finlay in the final moments of the match, but he summed up a forgettable 45-minutes by smashing a volley out of the stadium in the last few seconds of stoppage time as Aylesbury trudged off with Woodford completing their 10-1 aggregate scoreline for the season.
