Aylesbury put their league struggles to one side as they progressed to the Red Insure Cup quarter finals, knocking out Premier Division opposition for the second time this season.
Tyrone Taylor nodded home the late winner to make it four goals in five games for him and secure the Ducks their long awaited first victory of 2016, and only third on home turf this season.
United lined up with five changes to their squad and room on the bench for youngsters Michael Chalmers, Dan Pounds and Marcus Horwood – the latter of whom came on for his first team debut.
Leamington left out their leading goalscorer Ben Mackey, but were largely at full strength and included former Wales under-21 striker Rob Ogleby in their team.
The match started with chances at each end within the first ten minutes, and it was Ogleby who had the Brakes’ first when Jack Edwards released Will Green on the left, and his cut back was flicked wide by the Welshman. Moments earlier Sonny French’s through ball had found Reece Cameron for Aylesbury but he could only screw a shot off target.
On eight minutes Jake Bewley lined up a free kick, and having hit the bar from a similar position four days earlier, he this time put the ball just the wrong side of the post.
It wasn’t long before Tony Breeden was called upon to make the first save of the match, reacting well to Bruno Brito’s well struck snapshot and tipping the ball over the goal.
His opposite number was also tested, but should have been to a greater extend when a free kick saw Richard Taundry pick out Ogleby in the box who could only head straight at Oualah from close range.
An eight-man passing move then set Lewis Osborne up for a shot at goal that he put wide, but as the minutes ticked by the chances on goal began to dry up with defences on top, Brito leathering over the only meaningful effort in the last twenty minutes of the first period.
In the remaining time, Leamington twice had vocal appeals for a penalty turned down, whilst Tyrone Taylor appeared to be taken out when clean through on goal, the referee choosing to overrule his flagging linesman and allow play to continue.
Half-time: Aylesbury 0-0 Leamington
The second half saw the Brakes pinning the Ducks back for long spells, and thing started with Edwards heading over Ross Oulton’s corner kick, and the visitors were wasteful again when a flick on found Lee Moore well placed but he dragged a poor effort wide.
Manager Paul Holleran elected to introduce Mackey on 65 minutes and he instantly gave his side a more defined focal point in their attack, but it was to no avail as Aylesbury stood firm.
A half cleared cross did fall at the feet of Taundry who lashed it over the crossbar, whilst Ogleby saw a shot charged down after the ball was neatly spread into his path and the ex-Wrexham man planted a header wide having been picked out by a deep cross a minute later.
Goalkeeper Breeden was regularly found ‘sweeping’ up on the edge of his box during the game, but one such intervention could have cost him when his headed clearance came straight to Cameron whose attempt at the empty net lacked the power to beat the recovering stopper.
Aylesbury had looked effective on the counter attack throughout the second half, and they made it pay on 83 minutes with the winning goal. Bewley and Brito linked up on the left flank, and although appearing to have overcomplicated things, Brito regained possession and delivered a peach of a cross that Taylor headed home at the far post. 1-0 Aylesbury
With nearly ten minutes remaining Leamington pressed hard for an equaliser, and only a miraculous goalline clearance kept them at bay after Lee Moore rounded Oualah and went for goal where a combination of Bewley and Crook scraped the ball clear.
The visiting supporters – who had travelled in decent numbers that would outnumber those of most opposing clubs for a league game, despite the perceived ‘nuisance’ element of the fixture – were adamant the ball had crossed the line but the near side assistant was unmoved.
In the last minute of the game Brito came close to wrapping up the win when he latched onto a pass over the defence and lobbed Breeden, only to see his shot drop just past the upright.
There was still time in the dying seconds for Brakes to miss one more gilt-edged opportunity as a free kick into the box fell kindly to James Mace who somehow poked it over the bar from six-yards.
That was enough for Aylesbury to secure the victory and a quarter final date with Potters Bar Town.
Insignificant in the grand scheme of things perhaps, but an excellent performance that demonstrates what the team can do with the pressure off.
