Aylesbury’s four-match unbeaten run was brought to a halt at Colney Heath, a team fast becoming the Ducks’ South Midlands League bogey side having beaten them in three out of four meetings.
Despite playing most of the game against ten men, United never truly recovered after conceding a goal with barely two minutes played.
It came in the softest of manners as a free-kick struck low from near the left touchline seemed to go through the defensive wall and into the net past the despairing Jack Sillitoe. 1-0 Colney
United continued to look shaky in the early stages, the home side forcing six corners in the first six minutes, with the final one met by Dave Corran who guided his header wide of the goal.
Sillitoe had to make a smart save to deny Aaron Clarke’s shot from the inside left position, before Aylesbury finally threatened with a header from Mulholland at a free-kick, although it wouldn’t have counted as the referee spotted an infringement.
It spurred the Ducks on to at least play some football, but it was they who were on the defensive having to work hard to keep Colney at bay.
In the 34th minute a flash point saw Ricky Perks and Joey Acheampong involved in an altercation, with Perks seeming to kick out at the Aylesbury man, and after much deliberation the referee produced the red car – much to the home side’s fury.
31-goal Ian Cooper should have done better with a rare sight at goal four minutes later but his shot on the turn was poor and easily gathered in by Sillitoe.
At the other end almost immediately Lewis Hallford – playing his last game for the club before heading North of the border to join Elgin City – saw a goalbound header cleared away en route to the target.
The half ended as it had started with an Eames free-kick, although this one was struck with more power and Sillitoe made a great plunging save to tip the ball away from just inside the post.
Half-time: Colney Heath 1-0 Aylesbury
With the wind, sun and slope factors all in their favour for the second period, the travelling Ducks fans were hoping for a response after a disappointing first half – and proceedings started well as Ben Baines bustled his way through the midfield before squaring for Stacey Field but he shot tamely straight at the keeper.
Even with the numerical difference, Aylesbury never dominated and Colney had another shot at goal when Eames tried his luck from range but dragged the ball well wide.
Nor were United getting any breaks in the box, Paul Edgeworth having a shot which struck two defenders and could have gone anywhere, but fell kindly for a home man to clear, which was typical of the afternoon.
Introducing Warren Garcia for Marcus Sawyer just before the hour mark, United pushed Edgeworth into the frontline in an attacking tactical switch.
Daniel Jones had a decent chance from a free-kick which he uncharacteristically blazed over the crossbar, before Field also failed to hit the target from the edge of the area having been played through.
With Aylesbury pressing hard for an equaliser, the match was an end to end affair in the last quarter. All too easily Cooper was able to set up Eames for a shot which struck a defender on its way through to Sillitoe.
Baines then had a shot deflected wide of goal by Edgeworth, before Acheampong wasted United’s best chance of the game. Getting on the end of a long ball, he cut inside two defenders but fluffed his lines with only Blackman to beat and produced a weak shot which trickled to the goalkeeper.
Back at the other end of the ground and Cooper walked his way through the box, drawing a shot out of Sillitoe on his near post.
Substitute Garcia had two shots in seven minutes when first he sent the ball wide all the way across goal after Field’s fine cross dropped to him, and then smashed a shot over from the edge of the box after steadying himself.
It summed Aylesbury up in front of goal, and their inability to take chances over the course of the last couple of the games will be a cause of worry – particularly with their multitude of attacking players on the pitch.
The departure of Hallford will be a further blow after a frustrating afternoon as Colney completed the seasonal double over the Ducks. The opportunity to put things right comes quickly though, a trip to Hadley beckoning on Wednesday night.
