Having thrown away a match-winning position, Aylesbury’s final away match of the league season ended with a tenth away defeat as the Ducks lost a five goal thriller at Northwood.

United had come from behind to lead 2-1, only for two quick fire goals by the hosts to swing the game back in their favour and leave Aylesbury still looking for a first win at Chestnut Avenue since 2001.

Without Shane Wood and Stacey Field, and with Bill Morgan and Jason Blackett ruled unfit in the buildup, Tony Joyce’s selection options were limited, but Paul Edgeworth was back in the fold to start up front. For the hosts there was a debut for Jordan Payne at the back with former Aylesbury defender/Woods manager Mark Burgess unavailable through suspension.

It was Payne who had the game’s first effort when he shot straight at Dan Green early on, as the game got off to something of a laboured start, with Shaun Owens heading a Jake Bewley cross just as comfortably for Berkeley Laurencein at the other end.

After Sonny French and Jordan Frederick had both sent long shots badly off target for Aylesbury, the home side went in front after 12 minutes. Amongst some hesitant defending, a goal kick fell kindly for Niko Muir to lash home a superb shot from outside the box that left Green no chance. 1-0 Northwood

Eight minutes later and it might well have been two for Muir when a low ball across the edge of the area found the striker – who rejoined Woods from Wingate & Finchley earlier in the season – but he skied his effort.

Edgeworth was the next to try his luck with a long range effort as he struck a fierce volley as the ball dropped to him on his weaker left foot and the ball cleared the crossbar.

The Ducks went closer still through Greg Williams when he met a near post Sonny French corner which hit the defender stationed on the post before flying behind, and from the second corner kick the ball was worked back to French who teed up Frederick in the box whose shot was charged down.

Aylesbury were beginning to build up a head of steam with Laurencin having to head the ball out under pressure with Edgeworth unable to guide a header into the vacant net, whilst another Frederick shot from outside the area went over after a good spell of passing.

The pressure eventually told as the Ducks made a flowing counter attack pay, their swift break ending with the hard working Joey Acheampong played in on the right and he drew the goalkeeper before picking out Frederick to sweep home his first goal for the club. 1-1

In the seven minutes that remained both sides went close to going in front: Payne hooking over from Dave Lawrence’s corner, whilst French’s low shot hit the frame behind the goal after another dangerous Acheampong cross had caused danger in the box.

Half-time: Northwood 1-1 Aylesbury

Aylesbury continued their good work at the start of the second half and Frederick tried his luck with a curling effort that lacked enough bend to find the target after Williams’s determination had won the ball back for him.

The Ducks duly went ahead less than a minute later with Acheampong the instigator again. He outpaced the defence onto a pass over the top, was unlucky to see his shot hit the post but luck favoured United as the ball hit Edgeworth closing in who ‘scored’ from less than a yard out! 2-1 Aylesbury

Northwood looked to hit back when left back Andrew Lomas intercepted a pass and flashed a shot over the bar, before opposing full back Lee Grace then followed suit by also cutting out a misplaced ball but firing off target.

Burgess made a change, bringing on former Fulham striker Ismael Ehui to join his brother Joakim on the pitch in place of Payne, but at this stage Aylesbury were bossing the game and as French had a shot blocked from Acheampong’s searching cross the visitors looked in a commanding position.

That all changed though and things quickly began to unravel as the Ducks, not for the first time this season, pressed the self destruct button and conceded two cheap goals in the space of three minutes.

First, Muir flicked on a long ball towards Robbie Hastings that Bewley was just unable to cut out, and the former Boreham Wood man ran on to finish convincingly past Green. 2-2

Perry Dicker should have done better when he shot straight at the Aylesbury goalkeeper moments later, but it wasn’t long before he was celebrating his third Northwood goal when he got on the end of Lawrence’s cross from the right to head home through Green. 3-2 Northwood

For the second time of the afternoon, the game had been turned on its head, only this time, even with over twenty minutes to play, the Ducks looked a spent force and unable to raise their levels to force another comeback.

A free kick in to Edgeworth on the edge of the box saw him tee up Frederick for a shot high over the bar midway through the second period, but that was to be Aylesbury’s final meaningful effort despite the introduction of Jason Blackett for the closing stages.

Instead, Green was forced to make a very good save when Lawrence played Ismael Ehui through only to see the stopper beat away his effort, with Muir seeing his effort from the rebound blocked by a defender.

Along with Blackett, Tony Joyce also gave Lee Bircham a run out for the final ten minutes, the veteran defender making his first appearance in green and white since April 2014 having spent most of the campaign with Hertfordshire County League side Bovingdon.

Ismael Ehui should have made it four for Northwood when his fine touch to a fairly ordinary looking pass allowed him to go clean through, but having taken too long substitute Bill Morgan was on the scene to nick the ball away at the last moment.

Morgan’s next involvement was less positive, as his poor touch let in youngster Devantay Hastings, but Green did well in making himself big and the Northwood man could find no way around him to the goal, and it finished a slender 3-2 victory for the hosts.