Two out of form teams – Aylesbury with one win in seven and Daventry with one win in six – met at Bell Close, with a goal in each half giving the Ducks a two-nil win.

The hosts made one change with Jason Blackett coming in up front in place of Orlando Joao, with Paul Edgeworth moving back to form the tip of a diamond shaped midfield.

It was Aylesbury who threatened first when a defensive clearance ricocheted off a green-clad body straight to Stacey Field just inside the box who bent a first time effort narrowly over the bar, although he was flagged offside and the effort wouldn’t have counted.

A minute later and the visitors came inches away from opening the scoring themselves when a thunderous shot from Tom Berwick came back off the underside of the crossbar, the rebound being collected by Sam Bello-Balogun but his shot was blocked.

Daventry went on to fashion a number of decent openings during the match, but that was to be the closest they came, and Jack Sillitoe ultimately left the pitch at full time without having a serious save to make.

An Aylesbury corner was flicked wide by Jack Wood, whilst Blackett should have done better shortly afterwards when Edgeworth helped the ball on for the number nine, who twisted his marker inside out but crashed his shot over the bar.

Steve Hatch then did similar when the ball was intercepted and worked to Stacey Field who in turn laid it inside for Hatch, but he powered his attempt well over.

The first half was generally an even, often scrappy, contest, and both sides had blocked shots through Tom Berwick, who had the ball fed to him after a throw but saw his shot on the turn blocked, and Shaun Owens whose shot was charged down before he put the rebound wide.

As the first period wore on, Aylesbury gradually began to assert more control on proceedings, and a Jake Bewley free-kick effort hit the wall, before Blackett was played clean through only for his poked effort to be saved by the advancing Ben Heath with Edgeworth just unable to squeeze home the follow up.

Three minutes later and Hatch was the next man to try his luck, sidestepping his marker but firing a low shot straight at Heath, but it wasn’t long before the deadlock was finally broken.

A ball played up to Blackett found Daventry short on numbers, and the striker’s instant control and clever footwork bamboozled his defender before releasing Edgeworth who just beat the goalkeeper to the ball and directed it into the net, where it had just enough power to beat Ashley Deeney on the line. 1-0 Aylesbury

It was a scantly deserved lead, but a very welcome one, and it could have got even better for the Ducks in stoppage time when Blackett played in Shane Wood on the right, but his cross was headed wide by Field.

Half-time: Aylesbury 1-0 Daventry

The start to the second half was fast and furious, Blackett having a chance but failing to get hold of his shot, whilst Jack Howard should have done better from a cleverly worked free kick routine that saw Berwick pick him out on the near post but he headed wide, then back at the other end Edgeworth’s long ranger was fumbled by Heath but nobody was on hand to profit.

Daventry were soon enjoying their best spell of the game as a throw in found Howard who could only direct a shot all the way across goal, and ninety seconds later another throw was flicked on for Ryan Zidyana who headed just wide.

Berwick had a chance when a ball down the side of the Aylesbury defence set him away, but he flashed his shot wide across goal, whilst yet another telling throw in was this time levered down to Howard whose volley was calmly plucked out of the air by Sillitoe.

Looking to build on their momentum, the visitors then introduced veteran striker Howard Forinton, but his afternoon lasted just seven minutes when he was shown a straight red card for an off the ball incident, reportedly kicking out. The sending off left most inside Bell Close mystified, but the referee was in no doubt, and Daventry were left to play the last half hour with ten men.

After a brief lull in the game, Aylesbury went about in search of a killer second goal and a great run from deep by Hatch saw him retrieve the ball against the odds, but only find the arms of Heath with his cut back.

Two minutes later a low ball into the box found Field, his first shot was blocked before he chipped wide at the second attempt.

Fifteen minutes from time and the Ducks did find their second goal to finally put the game out of Daventry’s reach. A searching left wing cross from the excellent Bewley found Shaun Owens ghosting into the area and although his first effort came back off Heath’s legs he was able to convert the rebound. 2-0 Daventry

The Purple Army weren’t quite spent and had a couple of decent set piece chances, Ricky Hill heading wide Howard’s corner, whilst Tom Berwick’s flag kick from the opposite flank was also headed wide, before the same man stepped up and curled wide a free kick.

Berwick had his side’s best remaining chance when Jamie Calvin clipped a fine pass over the defence into his strike partner’s path, but Berwick could only guide his header into the waiting arms of Sillitoe.

In the 92nd minute, Blackett somehow failed to extend Aylesbury’s lead when Bewley and substitute Joey Acheampong combined down the left, with the latter’s cross miss kicked by a defender, giving Blackett a clear chance from six-yards. His first shot struck the inside of the crossbar before coming straight back to him, but he snatched at the chance and shot wide.

That missed chance was only a minor blot on an otherwise good all-round performance from the Ducks, who will now be looking to add to their points tally when they visit basement side Beaconsfield SYCOB next.