2nd placed Aylesbury travelled to 3rd placed Oxhey Jets’ Boundary Stadium – a ground on which Aylesbury have never previously recorded so much as a point – and served up a fine example for the Spartan South Midlands League as two attack-minded teams engaged in a highly competitive six-goal thriller.
Following on from Saturday’s excellent win over Ampthill, this was another strong performance from United who ran themselves into the ground for a hard earned point at a side unbeaten in 12 matches.
In United’s only personnel change, Lee Bircham returned to occupy the left-back slot vacated by the unavailable Zac Reynolds, whilst Jets side was somewhat different to that which had dumped the Ducks out of the Challenge Trophy a week earlier on an occasion when they rested a number of players.
The first chance went Oxhey’s way on six minutes when the ball was well worked in from the left to Lewis Putman but he swept his shot wide from the edge of the area. Aylesbury then followed suit as Greg Williams drilled a first time effort past the post having received the ball in the box from a throw-in.
Putman was once again proving to be his side’s danger man and a fabulous goal-line clearance denied the rangy striker after he beat Jack Sillitoe to a through ball, clipped it over the keeper only to see John Mulholland come to Aylesbury’s rescue and hook away at the very last moment.
Action quickly switched to the other end with Williams heading a near post corner wide, and Ben Butler rasping a drive into the side netting after a defensive slip had put him through.
Stacey Field threatened for the first time when a sublime piece of skill took him clear of the defence, but unfortunately his finish didn’t match on this occasion and former United keeper Sam Styles was able to make a fairly comfortable save.
The opener arrived on the half hour mark, when the ball dropped to Lee Inch on the edge of the box and he fired in an effort which Sillitoe, seemingly slow to react, got a hand to but couldn’t keep it out. 1-0 Oxhey
Scoring gave the home side confidence, and they pressed on in search of a second with Luke Beardsworth curling a good effort just away from goal. Mulholland was then booked for a rather cynical pull back on Putman by the touchline, but he redeemed himself by toe-ending a goalbound header over the bar from the resulting free-kick.
Aylesbury were well under the cosh but they made a rare foray into the Jets half and Louis Austin was hacked down by Chris McIntyre, Ben Hammond’s low free-kick turned wide at the near post by Williams again.
Two minutes later and Jets were back at the other end, Beardsworth rattling the crossbar with a header from a driven cross, the rebound blocked in the area before Sillitoe made himself big to smother the second rebound fired in by Inch.
The home side were left scratching their heads as to how they hadn’t found a second as Putman was unable to score again, reluctant to use his right foot with only Sillitoe to beat, he cut back inside giving Aylesbury time to get numbers back to score.
Jets were made to pay for their wasted chances as Field drew his side level in first half stoppage time. Austin skipped past several desperate challenges in the area before driving the ball across goal where Field had the simple task of firing into the net. 1-1
Half-time: Oxhey Jets 1-1 Aylesbury
Things took an even better turn for the Ducks as they went ahead six minutes after the restart. Austin was once more the creator, as he produced a superb backheel not only to keep the ball in play but to tee up Field who once again proved deadly from inside the area as he shot past Styles. 2-1 Aylesbury
As was to be expected, Jets weren’t going to go quietly and a growing barrage of relentless pressure began to rain on the Ducks following their goal.
It started immediately as a vicious inswinging ball from the left bounced awkwardly in front of Sillitoe, off the keeper and back to Putman who then somehow failed to beat the Ducks stopper from 3-yards out with the rebound.
Beardsworth fired in a good strike which went just wide and United had to defend hard against a number of free-kicks and corners, and escaped a penalty appeal for alleged handball, but for the most part were doing a good job of holding on.
Such pressure had to tell eventually though, and in the 67th minute with Aylesbury defending for their lives and all 11 men behind the ball, Stacey Field made a ‘striker’s challenge’ in the box for which a penalty was awarded. Andy Lomas made no mistake from the spot, sending Sillitoe the wrong way. 2-2
The drama continued and four minutes later United were ahead again after a penalty of their own when Louis Austin got goal side of the unfortunate Orlando Rodrigues – probably the only mistake by the excellent young full back – who bundled him to the ground. Like Lomas before him, Field was just as clinical with his spot kick to complete his third hat-trick of the season. 3-2 Aylesbury
Another equaliser wasn’t long in coming, as the undeterred Jets side set off in search of goal again. Lomas fired in a miss-hit cross which Sillitoe just managed to claw over the bar, and from the subsequent corner kick Beardsworth was afford a free header which he thumped into the net. 3-3
With ten minutes remaining it was anybody’s game, Aylesbury having a good spell with Austin’s low ball nearly turned into the net for an own goal and the same player firing in a low ball which nobody could make a telling connection with.
A late penalty appeal for the home side was turned away, leaving Jets dismayed with the performance of the officials, and the match was to finish level and a fair reflection of events.
United’s players left the field with dejection etched on their faces, no doubt feeling they could have taken all three points, but come the end of the season this could be a very valuable result.
