Aylesbury got back to winning ways and notched up a seventh unbeaten match as they came out of a tricky fixture at Haringey Borough with all three points and a 3-1 win.
With both sides level on points at the start of play, United?s cause wasn?t helped when their already decimated defence was hit with the injury-enforced absence of Lea Coulter, meaning Tony Joyce had to start a match for the first time of the season. There was also a change in goal as Ricky Perks came in on loan from Slough Town to cover for the suspended Jack Sillitoe.
Perks had a fine debut and made two crucial saves, one of which was simply brilliant point blank stop, which ensured the Ducks were victorious.
The two teams were undoubtedly strongest when going forwards which lead to an entertaining game with plenty of chances as both looked susceptible at the other end.
Haringey were on top from the kickoff and could easily have taken the lead inside five minutes when Townsend cleared off the line from a shot at a corner kick which had been allowed to come all the way across the area. A free-kick from Theo Charalambros then flew well over the bar.
Gradually the Ducks began to come alive and Ben Baines had an early sighter which went wide from distance. His dangerous cross nine minutes later had to be punched away ?superman? style by Jamaine Edwards before Townsend?s shot from the redelivered cross was well blocked on the edge of the box.
The end to end nature of proceedings continued as Borough came again in the 18th minute. John Mulholland did well to divert Marvin Walker?s flighted pass away from a waiting attacker, but in doing so very nearly put through his own net. Walker?s own effort moments later was ambitious as an understatement and ended up somewhere near White Hart Lane?s more famous footballing arena.
Edgeworth missed the target for Aylesbury with an early half-volleyed effort, and he had another similar chance eight minutes later when but this one went all the way across goal and wide after Baines had played him in.
Another good chance for Haringey came from another corner kick, which again wasn?t dealt with properly and caused mayhem in the box ? the ball eventually being hooked goalwards before it was finally cleared.
Much of the remainder of the first period belonged to the Ducks, and Baines saw a shot on the turn blocked at close range, Jack Wood had a flicked headed attempt held by Edwards, and Leon Gordon went close with a shot from the edge of the box after good linkup between Townsend and Edgeworth set him up.
There was a timely reminder of the threat the home side posed though when a cross from the right found Luke Bryan unattended but instead of scoring he somehow hooked the ball away from goal in what proved to be a good defensive clearance.
After another wayward Edgeworth effort, Aylesbury finally made the breakthrough two minutes before the interval. Haringey couldn?t clear their lines and Walker?s pocket was picked by Townsend, who moved the ball quickly into the path of Leon Gordon who showed great composure to pass the ball into the net beyond Edwards. 1-0 Aylesbury
Half-time: Haringey 0-1 Aylesbury
Aylesbury made a sluggish start to the second half and after nine minutes found themselves pegged back. A ball played in from the left found Jamie Brandon in all kinds of space and he took his finish well to level the scores. 1-1
It took until the hour mark before United had their first opening of the second period, when Mulholland brought the ball out of defence before spraying a delightful ball into the path of Baines but he was just beaten to it by the advancing Edwards.
The game then returned to being tit-for-tat as Haringey attacked next with Luke Bryan curling an effort in at goal which had to be turned wide by Perks, then for Aylesbury Justin Gordon wasted a free-kick straight at Edwards much to Mulholland?s annoyance.
The Ducks re-took the lead in the 66th minute with Ben Baines grabbing his second ?freak? goal in three days. Carl Clay?s well placed free-kick delivery was headed against the post by Leon Gordon, the ball rolling along the goal line where Baines was waiting to knee the ball into the net as Borough desperately tried to clear. 2-1 Aylesbury
Haringey had an immediate chance to level but when an attacker was presented with the whole goal to aim at he could only sky his finish.
Edgeworth?s woes in front of goal continued as he could only head over from 6-yards from another excellent Clay free-kick.
Perks then made himself an instant Aylesbury hero with a blinding point blank save to deny Harry Honesty?s header from Brandon?s cross, the keeper instinctively thrusting out a hand to keep the ball out.
Substitute Jimi Emefuna was making a nuisance of himself since coming onto the pitch, and he had two efforts in quick succession with a shot on the turn that was blocked, then his header from a cross skimmed just past the upright.
Ricky Perks was on hand again to make his second excellent save of the afternoon, this time to deny Bryan after Andreas Loizou's ball forward had caught out Mulholland and bounced over him, but Perks was off his line quickly to make himself big and make the save.
The two saves went a long way to helping the Ducks to the win, but it was made safe in the 88th with another bizarre goal. Joey Acheampong had come on for his debut, and the Jimi/Joey strike partnership was causing problems to the tiring defence.
Acheampong got his debut goal via a defensive clearance which he closed down, the ball coming off his foot and looping over the backpeddling Edwards and into the net. 3-1 Aylesbury
Still Aylesbury weren?t done as Jack Wood had another good chance late on as he was played in but his attempted lob went over the bar from close range.
In the end the Ducks had got the result they just about deserved after an excellent game between two attack-minded sides. Haringey is a tough place to come ? as high flying Hillingdon Borough would vouch for ? so all in all an excellent win for Aylesbury.
