After a good run of form over the last couple of weeks, the ‘Mr. Hyde’ side of this Aylesbury team reared its ugly head for this clash with eighth-placed Haringey Borough, resulting in United’s heaviest home defeat of the season. A scorching temperature and dusty pitch on top of the typical end of season feel, with both sides have nothing but pride to play for, produced a mostly disappointing game with plenty of huffing and puffing, but little in the way of quality until the visitors suddenly found themselves romping to victory inside the last twenty minutes.

There was only one change to the Ducks side which had taken three points from Dunstable last weekend, and it was an enforced one as the unavailable John Mulholland was replaced at the back by the returning David King.

The game got off to a slow start, with the only half-chances in the first fifteen minutes coming via corner kicks, Rakim Richards firstly heading over from Demetri Stratis’ corner, before Danny Jones’ set piece a couple of minutes later found its way out to Warren Garcia, who blazed high over the bar from 25 yards. The game continued in this vain for much of the first half, with both sides restricted to shots from distance as they struggled to create anything clear cut. Garcia had another attempt from 20 yards but scuffed wide, while Haringey defender Guy Koffi forced Jack Sillitoe into his first comfortable save of the afternoon with a strike from the edge of the area.

Craig Townsend looked to add to his goal tally of seven for the season with a couple of efforts as the game passed the half-hour mark. Firstly, Brian Sealey saved easily after Townsend headed Hateley Mercer’s deep cross towards goal. A minute later, Sealey was forced into an outstanding stop, tipping the ball round the post as Townsend’s stunning effort from the edge of the area looked to be curling wickedly into the corner. That strike was as good as the first half got, with Mercer heading Jones’ cross well wide in the only remotely noteworthy attempt on goal in the final ten minutes before half time.

David King shot wide from 25 yards seven minutes into the second half, but with neither side looking likely to break the deadlock any time soon, Ducks manager Tony Joyce made a bold move in the hope of making something happen. With half an hour remaining, Joey Acheampong and Mickey O’Farrell replaced Jones and Lea Coulter as Aylesbury switched to an out-and-out 4-3-3 formation, with the two subs joining Ben Baines up front. It was a gamble which on this occasion did not pay off.

On 66 minutes, the best chance of the game so far fell to Borough right back Rakim Richards as he found himself with an open goal via Theo Charalambos’ inswinging free kick from the left, but he somehow conspired to blast the ball over the ‘Buttles End’ stand when it was surely far easier to score. Five minutes later, Mercer’s cross-cum-shot narrowly evaded the heads of Townsend and Paul Edgeworth at the far post, but moments after that the Ducks were stunned as David Boal’s through ball sent Daniel Ailey clear, and the Haringey striker powered home past Sillitoe to give Borough the lead with only 18 minutes remaining.

Aylesbury almost bounced back quickly as Garcia’s corner was headed just over by Townsend; arguably United’s best chance of the match. Six minutes later it was effectively game over as Haringey made it 2-0 with the best move of the afternoon. Boal played in Charalambos who got to the byline and pulled the ball back to Ailey, who struck the ball past Sillitoe again and in off the far post for his brace.

Another long-range effort from Garcia was all that the Ducks could produce in response during the final ten minutes, and Haringey rubbed salt into Aylesbury’s wounds with a third deep into stoppage time. The influential Theo Charalambos curled the ball beautifully past the despairing Sillitoe from an improbable angle wide on the left, compounding a bad day at the office for the men in green and white.

So, a disappointing note on which to end the final home game of the season, but perhaps we have been spoiled at Bell Close in 2010/11; this was only Aylesbury’s fourth league defeat at home this season (compared to twelve last season!) and their first in over four months.

Thanks to Leon O'Sullivan for this report