Aylesbury United returned to league action following their FA Vase disappointment, and marked their 100th Spartan South Midlands game with three points and a clean sheet in a good afternoon’s work.

Lowly London Tigers’ performance – particularly in the first half - belied their league position, but a goal in each period from Bens Butler and Baines, and a bright performance from fellow namesake Hammond, secured the win.

It was a much more regular looking United lineup with the return of Reynolds, Mulholland, Hammond and Field to the starting eleven, although Clark and Austin missed out with injury.

The Ducks looked to make a positive start to the game when Jack Wood headed down for Ben Butler whose long range effort was straight at visiting keeper Jamie Adim.

But it was his opposite number Jack Sillitoe who was the first to be seriously tested as Jonathan Davite shrugged off the attentions of three United defenders to square for Terence Cariba with his shot turned away by Sillitoe.

Two minutes later Emmanuel Njodzeka fired a long shot the wrong side of goal when a pass might have been a better option, and from that point on Aylesbury did a good job of keeping the Tigers largely at arm’s length.

Probing for an opener a long shot from Baines deflected wide for one of a number of Ducks’ corners. Once again these largely came to nothing despite the quality of Hammond’s deliveries – the best headed just over by Steve Hatch on the half hour mark.

A Hammond free-kick from the left corner of the box looked top corner-bound but for Adim’s intervention – the keeper tipping the ball over the bar well.

The midway point of the half saw a rare shot for the visitors as Njodzeka received the ball with time to turn and shoot, but could only do so straight at Sillitoe. Tigers were seeing plenty of the ball but proving rather toothless in attack.

A fine cross from Hammond found Field soon afterwards, his flicked header heading over the bar before hitting a defender and flying behind for a corner – from which Aylesbury forced a series of three in succession, none of them producing a goal.

The breakthrough finally arrived after 35 minutes, and fittingly from the best move of the match to that point. Hammond was involved again, threading the ball through for Edgeworth who fizzed in a daisy-cutting cross-shot which Butler met at the back post to convert from close range. 1-0 Aylesbury

In the closing stages of the first half Edgeworth nearly profited from Adim spilling Field’s tame shot at goal, but the Tigers’ keeper just kept hold of the ball and United took their slender lead to the interval.

Half-time: Aylesbury 1-0 London Tigers

Again, United made a confident start to proceedings but it was Tigers who had more to show for their efforts with a couple of early corners and a very ambitious free-kick attempt from Njodzeka which was never close to troubling Sillitoe’s goal.

There was another moment of danger for Aylesbury when Adim’s quick clearance upfield found Cariba, who rolled Hatch with ease but placed his shot over the crossbar.

The Ducks were still showing plenty of attacking threat of their own, as more corners came and went, and the game was made safe 67 minutes with another good move developed down the right flank.

Bircham found Hammond whose pacy cross was helped on by Field in front of goal into the path of Baines who had the simple task of putting the ball in the net. 2-0 Aylesbury

Four minutes earlier Baines had been pushed forward into attack following the withdrawal of Paul Edgeworth, and it was having great effect as he then drove to the byeline before hanging up a dangerous cross which was just headed behind by a defender.

Adim made a rare misjudgement from the corner kick, the ball falling nicely for Jack Wood to head goalwards from six-yards but he put over the bar.

Tigers were visibly tiring as the match entered the final 15 minutes, and on another day United could have added to their scoring as Butler’s cross was headed straight to Adim by Hatch, whilst Field fired horribly over after the ball bobbled on the Bell Close pitch.

The procession of chances continued with Field breaking into the box but seeing his shot well saved by the legs of Adim, and a fantastic, flighted cross from Hammond met by Butler but diverted behind by a defender.

Not quite spent as an attacking force, Tigers substitute Zurab Tusiashvili then engineered a shooting chance out of nothing which flashed all the way across goal and behind.

But it was the opposite penalty area which remained busiest and Wood missed another great chance as he burst onto a clever reverse pass from Hammond but chipped over from just 5-yards out.

Having pulled up moments earlier with a muscle strain it was a wonder Hammond was able to play such a ball, and he left the pitch to warm applause as Joey Acheampong replaced him for the final three minutes.

That was the only remaining action for the match, as United had won with some degree of comfort in the end – and could, maybe should, have extended their scoring.