Aylesbury made a stuttering start to 2013 as they were held to a goalless draw by a determined Leverstock Green side. United dominated in terms of chances, but a combination of rustiness in front of goal and some good stops by visiting keeper Tom Coulton kept the Ducks at bay.

Towards the end of the game Levy could even have nicked all three points as United threw bodies forward leaving spaces for the counter, but their shooting was as unproductive as Aylesbury’s and the sides weren’t to be separated.

Despite the return to fitness of Ben Butler and Greg Williams, Tony Joyce opted for the same starting eleven which had come back to stun Dunstable in the Premier Division Cup and they made a decent start with ex-Levy front man Louis Austin seeing a shot deflected wide in the first five minutes.

It was Green who had the best of the early openings when Tom Bambury skilfully waltzed through the defence, but couldn’t find a finish to match as he ballooned the ball over the bar and out of the stadium.

Eight minutes later and Aylesbury’s Zac Reynolds had an even better chance but fired a shot straight at the legs of Coulton from close range after Austin had got the better of his marker and played in a low cross.

Austin was at the heart of all of United’s attacking play, and a moment of individual brilliance saw him almost curl the ball in from the left flank before three minutes later he headed just wide from a deep ball hoisted into the box.

From that point on the game was one-way traffic as Aylesbury attempted to pummel their opponents into submission.

Reynolds, who was having a good game on the right wing, got around his defender for a shooting chance but again his effort was too straight and allowed Coulton to make a decent stop, and the youngster saw another shot deflected wide seconds later.

The resulting corner was flicked on by Paul Edgeworth and then guided wide by Steve Hatch inside the area. From Coulton’s goal kick John Mulholland won the ball back well before releasing Austin with a long ball, and he saw Coulton make his best save with a tip over from the fierce shot.

Another corner kick came and went as Hatch was once again unsuccessful in front of goal, heading over and two minutes later United went agonisingly close as Austin beat Coulton to a long punt downfield but his header dropped just the wrong side of goal.

With ten first half minutes still remaining there was no let up in the Aylesbury pressure, Field having a shot blocked after a fabulous touch by Austin and soon afterwards Field showed a poor touch to waste a brilliant set up by Austin. United’s top-scorer was having an uncharacteristically poor game - showing a lack of sharpness which was understandable after the lack of recent action.

Having failed to take any of the numerous first half openings, Aylesbury’s frustrations in front of goal were then characterised by a wild 40-yarder by Field which drew the half to a close.

Half-time: Aylesbury 0-0 Leverstock

With just two second half minutes on the clock Coulton made a great save to deny Field from six-yards after a mistake from Mark Shadbolt had gifted Daniel Jones the ball. The corner kick delivery wasn’t the best, but was helped back in by Austin for Field who volleyed over.

The Ducks then came closer still as a miss-hit cross from Reynolds had Coulton in a muddle but rattled back off the crossbar and bouncing away from United’s chasing strikers.

Austin missed the target twice in two minutes when he turned and shot having been set up by good play on the left wing by Field, and the same combination combined again but this time Austin headed wide.

Tony Joyce introduced Joey Acheampong to the fold as Aylesbury switched to a 4-3-3 formation, and whilst it gave the side more presence in the final third, the change of shape had something of a negative effect on the wing play which had been so good to that point as Jones and Reynolds reverted to full back.

A rare attempt from Leverstock on the hour mark saw Bambury suddenly presented a shooting opportunity, which he could only direct straight at Sillitoe.

Ten minutes later and Field’s driven shot from the edge of the area was on target but blocked by a defender, with Edgeworth only able to direct the rebound high and wide in his last action before being replaced by Ben Butler in midfield.

With United chasing the game the inevitable gaps in defence began to appear for Green to successfully exploit on the counter attack. A low shot was deflected wide for the visitors’ first corner of the game, which came to nothing, but a minute later the ball was dropped over the defence for James Dabbs completely unattended who could only guide it over the bar.

This was Levy’s best spell of the match as a lung-bursting run from deep with the ball by Tobi Akin ended a powerful low shot which flew wide after the Ducks had parted in front of him.

As the minutes ticked by and with each further chance that went begging, it was becoming clear that it just wasn’t to be Aylesbury’s day. Austin fired over after Field teed him up, then the same player shot just wide from a prostate position having been played in, before a great ball in from Acheampong was swept behind at the last moment with Austin waiting.

With three minutes remaining Jones’s searching free-kick delivery picked out Hatch three-yards from goal who somehow headed over. On another day he and Austin could have had hat-tricks.

Green had their own say in the final minutes and substitute Curt Dizon might have done better after robbing Jones but shooting straight into Sillitoe’s arms and, in stoppage time, a quick breakaway saw Adiel Mannion cut inside but again the shot was rather tame and easy for Sillitoe.

Before that, at the other end, a throw in had somehow come all the way across the box for Ben Baines whose improvised shot trickled just past the upright with Coulton a spectator as yet again fortune didn’t favour the Ducks.

An exciting game for the neutrals, but not the result Aylesbury were hoping for and, with all their rivals in the league winning, one which puts a dent in any title aspirations.