Grendon Rangers bagged their first win of the season to move off the foot of the table and leave ten-man Aylesbury United Reserves empty handed as they were found wanting at Village Hall.

An explosive start to the game saw Rangers gifted the opening goal with just three minutes on the clock. A long ball forward was flicked on to Martin Dyer who had the simple task of poking it past the advancing Ben Grasso. 1-0 Grendon Rangers

The hosts felt they then should have had a penalty when Will Young appeared to be pulled back, then fouled in the box, and as he landed on the ball the referee awarded handball against the home forward.

As United began to creep into the game, they found an equaliser with the ten minute mark yet to be reached. Kit Ellam brought the ball forward before finding David Ingram who managed to steer it past the keeper with a good finish. 1-1

James Hogg fired just wide with a fearsome driven shot, but it was Rangers who continued the early scoring rush with a fifteenth minute goal. A free kick into the box was poorly defended, reaching captain Stuart Leonard beyond the far post who fired home. 2-1 Grendon Rangers

The skipper went close again for his side when he met another free kick in a similar position, but this time headed wide of the target.

Alex Little – one of three of the young Aylesbury squad alongside Dan Higby and Ben Grasso with first team experience – then spurned a great chance to restore parity when was released by a through ball but poked the ball wide.

The action packed first half continued and the hosts really should have been out of sight given their chances. A fine cross from Young found Dyer who could only head over with the goal gaping, before Dyer’s break down the left found Jordan Goodge whose shot was too high.

Another good chance came and went on the half hour mark when a Joe Walls corner kick was put wide by Alex Emery. The resulting goal kick was returned with interest by Emery’s head, releasing Dyer whose effort was saved by the legs of Grasso on the edge of the box.

Hanging on in the game, Aylesbury then forced Flowers into a save at the other end when a strong run from Kaimen Hercules saw the ball squirt through to Hogg as he was tackled, and another powerful shot from him was beaten away by the goalkeeper. The subsequent corner was flicked just wide by debutant George Tomlin.

Hogg was generally involved in United’s best attacking moves, and he turned provider with a low cross that was put wide by Ingram.

It was Grendon who finished with the better chances of extending their lead though, a quick counter leading to Young flashing a low shot across the face of goal, and then an inswinging corner kick powered over by Stuart Leonard in the last minute of the half.

Half-time: Grendon Rangers 2-1 Aylesbury Reserves

As a spectacle, the second period didn’t live up to the levels of the first, although there was action early on with Grendon quickly going close when a corner kick was toe ended goalwards by Stuart Leonard.

Aylesbury were working hard and at times displaying some decent football, but the Ducks were missing the presence of injured striker Shiblu Miah, and as a result lacked a cutting edge in the final third.

In the 55th minute a corner kick was turned just wide by Hercules, but it was midway through the half before they threatened again when Ingram was narrowly away from getting on the end of Hogg’s low ball across the area.

David Ingram’s afternoon was soon to get a whole lot worse, but not before Grasso was off his line again to deny Goodge who twice appeared to be felled in the process, but for the second time of the afternoon a Rangers player was penalised for handball having fallen in the box.

Ingram was then yellow carded for a poor challenge, and warned in no uncertain terms following a show of dissent in the referee’s direction, so when he overzealously protested the man in black’s decision less than sixty seconds later few were surprised at a second yellow card in his direction, leaving Aylesbury to play the last ten minutes a man short.

The Ducks battled on, apparently galvanised by their reduction in playing numbers, but they were unable to find a way past the hosts’ stubborn defence with the experienced Stuart Leonard giving an imperious display at the back.

Instead, it was the hosts who had one last chance when a rushed clearance fell straight to Tom Leonard who could only bend a shot over the bar from outside the box.

It was a miss that mattered little with full time sounding almost straight away; a disappointing afternoon for the young Aylesbury Reserves side who once again have much to contemplate but a well deserved first three points of the season for Grendon Rangers that moved them above Mursley United in the league.