Ashford’s decent start to life back in the Southern League following their summer promotion meant a point was a solid result for United, but they were seconds away from taking all three until Mark Bitmead rolled home a spot kick, awarded for handball, with virtually the last kick of the game.

The Tangerines made a strong start and Bitmead had a plethora of options in the second minute having been played in, eventually releasing Bayley Mummery who had burst forwards from right back for his instant shot to be well blocked by Jack Wood.

Leading marksman Bitmead then hit the bar with a curling 35-yard free kick that had Zaki Oualah beaten, prior to which Russell Canderton had headed wide from one of a number of dangerous Ashford set pieces.

Aylesbury forced their first chance of the game in the eleventh minute when Ollie Hogg’s near post corner was met by Ryan Kinnane whose stooping header was blocked by an opposite number.

Play was soon back at the other end, with Dan Fleming placing a long range drive not far over the crossbar, but the Ducks were on the up with only a last ditch challenge from Scott Weight keeping them at bay from Hogg’s corner, and from the subsequent delivery Kinnane dived in to head just wide.

Midway through the half and Oualah was called upon to make his customary top class save of the game; Bitmead’s corner was punched clear under immense pressure, with the ball falling kindly to Max Herbert whose bottom corner-bound snapshot was superbly tipped wide by the keeper.

Ashford continued to press with a flowing move eventually seeing the ball spread to Jack Beadle who fired wide into the side netting, before an awful moment of uncertainty between Kinnane and Hogg in the box let in a home player to shoot just wide.

In between that, a long ball out of defence saw two Tangerine defenders get in each other’s way, allowing Collins to snaffle up the ball and gain a rare sight of goal, only to shoot straight at Kav Keadell.

With ten minutes of the half remaining, Aylesbury made the breakthrough. A fine pass from Bewley allowed Brito to spring the offside trap, where he produced an exquisite lob to beat the advancing Keadell before running on and tapping into the empty net just to be sure. 1-0 Aylesbury

Half-time: Ashford 0-1 Aylesbury

The second period got off to a slow start, with the conditions ever worsening as the mist rolled in to add to the damp and cold already around Short Lane.

On 55 minutes a goal kick was headed straight back into the path of the advancing Reece Cameron, but he was unable to get clear of the defence and ultimately produced a shot straight at Keadell.

Ashford were largely being limited to half chances by United’s resolute rearguard, with Scott Weight’s wayward shot seeing him cut across the ball badly having seen the ball squared to him in what was the hosts’ only meaningful shot for some time.

Meanwhile, Cameron had a couple more sighters – firstly driving just over having got the better of his marker, and then a neat move saw Jonny Miller find French who in turn passed sideways to Cameron whose low effort was well saved by Keadell.

Glyn Creaser replaced hard working strikers Bruno Brito and Reece Cameron for the final fifteen minutes, with Troy Witter coming on for his league debut, but much of the action was now coming at the other end of the pitch as the hosts tried to force an equaliser.

Yet another Bitmead corner was then crossed back in where central defender Will Boye made a hash of a volley, whilst another cross in from the opposite flank bounced on top of the crossbar ten minutes later.

When the prolific Bitmead poked a shot wide with five minutes to go from ten-yards, it looked like Aylesbury were on their way out of Middlesex with all three points, and even more so when another chance went begging through Weight heading Bitmead’s free kick over.

That man Bitmead was to have the final say though. In the third minute of stoppage time Ollie Stanbridge was penalised for handling a right wing cross, with Bitmead the coolest man on the pitch as he stepped up to send Oualah the wrong way for his 19th goal of the season. 1-1

With that effectively being the last action of the game, it was enough to salvage a point for Ashford and Aylesbury had to settle for the draw. An improvement on recent performances, and definitely a result that would have been accepted before the game.