A five-goal second half saw Aylesbury eventually rack up a big win at Harefield United after a testing encounter which had a rather different look to it at the interval, following a first half in which the Ducks were fortunate not to be behind.
It was a remarkable showing after the interval - especially considering that Aylesbury had played a gruelling extra-time fixture just two days earlier ? which saw in-form striker Lea Coulter net a hat-trick and goals from Paul Edgeworth and Ben Baines.
There were a few changes to the Vase game team with Jack Wood (injured) and Warren Garcia (unavailable) replaced by Jamie O?Grady and Carl Clay respectively whilst Will Smith was handed a start in place of Justin Gordon.
In a lively start to the match Aylesbury had a couple of early efforts as O?Grady released Coulter in the first few seconds but his shot was held by Andrew Hagger in goal, before a minute later Kean also fired straight at Harefield?s number one.
The Hares then rattled the woodwork as a shot came in from Chris Day across goal hit the far upright, but Aylesbury quickly turned it to their advantage as they broke with pace and Coulter?s attempt was flicked wide by a defender.
Jack Sillitoe had to make a good save to keep out a low, well guided effort in the 8th minute before he then plucked Dan Campbell?s header out of the air comfortably.
The eventful start to the game wasn?t sustained as Aylesbury could only muster a couple of long range efforts from Robbie Kean, the second of which had to be smartly parried away by Hagger.
Hertford looked the more likely to score and on 25 minutes a great piece of skill from John Powes brought him the space to deliver a teasing cross which was headed over from close range by Luke Hughes.
That was closely followed by a fine defensive block from Lewis Christon to deny Campbell after he was played in by Powes? clever pass.
Day went close again but couldn?t steer his effort on target and it was nicked behind for a corner and on the stroke of half-time Daryl King struck a sweet volley which just missed the top corner, as Aylesbury were happy to make the interval on level terms with some regrouping to be done.
Half-time: Harefield 0-0 Aylesbury
After their lethargic first half showing, nobody could have predicted what was to follow in the next 45 minutes. From the outset the Ducks had the Hares on the back foot as firstly Will Smith rolled the ball to Baines who turned his man superbly but couldn?t beat Hagger with his low-shot.
There was an element of good fortune to Aylesbury?s opener, which arrived three minutes later, but they all count. Hagger?s weak clearance struck one of his own players before rebounding to Coulter positioned 20-yards from goal and he produced a cool, curling finish past the stranded keeper and into the net. 1-0 Aylesbury
The goal spurred the Ducks on in search of a second and Clay?s superb dipping effort was tipped over the bar by the keeper before Mulholland?s header from the resulting corner kick was well saved as Hagger just about atoned for his part in the goal.
Attempts on the Aylesbury goal were a rarity in the second half, but the home side came close to levelling just past the hour mark when King?s poor free kick was redelivered for Hughes who could only toe poke the dropping ball over the bar.
That marked the start of a spell of Harefield pressure which saw Jack Stanton flick a free-kick wide of goal and then, following Mulholland?s aerial misjudgement, a few shots rained in on goal with Samir Hadi going closest with a shot which flashed across goal, but Aylesbury were defending well and getting their blocks in when it mattered.
The greens quickly turned up the heat again with Baines? persistence seeing him take the ball away from a defender to go one-on-one by Hagger saved well. Coulter then did brilliantly in riding three challenges amongst some desperate defending before his shot was turned away.
Just like Hertford on Sunday, Harefield then lost their most impressive centre back to injury and with centre-forward Dan Campbell taking up defensive duties they crumbled.
Mulholland was next to go close with a header cleared off the line, before the match?s only moment of controversy saw Hagger somehow remain on the pitch. Townsend had played in Coulter running clean through only to be unceremoniously hacked down just as he was rounding the keeper and ready to pull the trigger. The referee deemed it only a yellow card offence, assumedly deciding there were covering defenders in place, despite the goal being unguarded and Coulter about to fire the ball in.
It mattered not as seconds later Coulter did have his and Aylesbury?s second. Some great trickery in the box from Kean saw him dance past three challenges before the ball broke to Coulter who made no mistake. 2-0 Aylesbury
It looked like the Ducks were far from finished as Baines? quest for an overdue goal continued with a fine left-footed shot that had to be tipped over. Edgeworth then volleyed an effort high and wide before Coulter had a shot, then a rebound header both blocked on the line after a neat move involving O?Grady and Edgeworth.
The third arrived from the captain?s boot as Smith delivered a pinpoint cross from the left. In one swift move Edgeworth controlled and made space for the shot, which he lifted superbly into the net on the half-volley. 3-0 Aylesbury
A huge cheer went up five minutes later when Baines ended his ?drought? with a perfectly placed shot which snuck inside the post past the despairing dive of Hagger to make it four-nil to the Ducks. 4-0 Aylesbury
The visitors still weren?t done and Coulter completed his hat-trick in stoppage time to take his incredible tally up to 8 goals in 10 days. Kean?s industry down the right ended with him crossing for Coulter to bury the ball at the far post. 5-0 Aylesbury
There was even time for a cameo from manager Tony Joyce whose only involvement was to strike a late free-kick into the wall, but it was soon party time after a superb second half display, another five-goal haul and that elusive clean sheet to boot.
