A thoroughly deserved three points for Aylesbury weren’t secured until Louis Austin scored in stoppage time to complete a 2-0 win over AFC Dunstable.

Despite the Dunstable outfit having won only once in their previous five matches and recently losing their talismanic striker BJ Christie, they gave United a stern test, but the Ducks rose to the occasion with a dominant second half performance that could have seen them score many more goals.

First chance of the match went the way of the visitors when a nice move down the right ended with Jonathan Barnett scooping the ball over the bar.

The match was a scrappy affair for much of the first period and Aylesbury’s first real attempt at goal only arrived in the 15th minute when Zac Reynolds hit an ambitious long range effort over.

Dunstable striker Jason Blackett should twice have done better in a matter of minutes when firstly intercepting a Ben Butler pass, running through but shooting well wide of the target. He then struck a low shot which Jack Sillitoe was able to save with his legs after a through ball threaded to him.

After that left off United began to take control of proceedings, with Reynolds coming in from the left again and seeing a shot blocked.

The Ducks should have opened the scoring on the half hour mark when an Austin cross was dropped by Sam Leggett in goal, where Joey Acheampong saw a shot crash back off the crossbar before Ben Baines fired hire and unhandsomely over the empty goal from six-yards out.

With top-scorer Stacey Field watching on from the bench, Austin was pulling all the strings in Aylesbury’s attack and he duly set up the opener, after 39 minutes. A typical surging run took him to the byeline, where he pulled the ball back for Zac Reynolds to calmly slot home. 1-0 Aylesbury

Half-time: Aylesbury 1-0 AFC Dunstable

Roared on by their season’s best crowd of 181, Aylesbury were rampant after the interval and had many chances to increase the lead before the second, through Austin, finally arrived in stoppage time.

With just five second half minutes played Daniel Jones’s inswinging corner was cleared off the line by Courtney Massey, before Acheampong drove a shot into the side netting at the near post.

Just seconds later and good play by Reynolds saw his shot charged down by a defender, and as he cut inside to hit a second attempt the ball looped up off an opponent and over the bar for a corner that was headed wide by John Mulholland.

After Jones curled a well-positioned free kick over the bar, United introduced Paul Edgeworth to their frontline in place of the ineffective Acheampong, and within 90 seconds he was heavily involved with two misses in quick succession. Austin picked him out with a pull back from the goalline, with Leggett making a good save to deny him, and then he fired the ball over from three-yards out having been found in the box again.

An unbelievable five minute passage of play continued as Edgeworth teed up Reynolds this time whose shot was miraculously cleared off the line. This was quickly followed by a swift break by Jones down the left who found Edgeworth two-yards out, and he was also denied from point blank range, this time Leggett’s legs the Dunstable saviour.

The Aylesbury pressure was unwavering as the time passed as Mulholland headed Edgeworth’s deep corner delivery wide, whilst a Baines curling shot took a nick off a defender to carry it just wide.

With a superb shot, Edgeworth then hit the crossbar as his dipping effort had Leggett beaten all ends up, and, after successive corners, Mulholland hooked the ball tamely goalwards moments later.

With the misses stacked up, the game had the look of one that would come back to bite United, and it was very nearly so as only a saving challenge from Mulholland prevented Blackett reaching an intricate through ball.

Despite throwing three men forward after their substitutions, that was about as close as the visitors came to scoring in the end, Aylesbury having to defend some late corners strongly which they did well, whilst a late penalty shout came to nothing with Sillitoe out of his goal and flailing.

As on Wednesday night, it was left to United to finish the match strongest. Austin broke onto Butler’s header forwards and drew Leggett from his line before teeing up Reynolds who could only place his shot over.

Instead, it was Austin who finally crowned United’s dominance with a second goal – and how! Picking up the ball just inside his half, the former Leverstock Green man went on a waltzing run that ended with him beating Leggett for a magnificent solo effort. 2-0 Aylesbury

With no time for further action, full time was duly sounded and another excellent three points for Aylesbury, and another match tallied up on their superb unbeaten run which now stands at 14 matches.

Prior to the game Daniel Jones was honoured having recently made his 100th appearance for the club, and is pictured below receiving his award from Chairman Graham Read.