Following two home reverses, Aylesbury United took to the road again and added another solid away point to their tally. Whilst it could have been more for the Ducks, Uxbridge will argue the same after a frenetic encounter that could have gone either way.

Glyn Creaser made three changes to his starting lineup, with Greg Williams and Ollie Stanbridge restored to midfield in place of Jordon Frederick and the unavailable Sonny French, whilst Bruno Brito was reunited with Tre Mitford in attack at Reece Cameron’s expense.

A strong start from United saw Mitford’s trickery taking the ball past his marker for a third minute shot that went wide, and soon afterwards Josh Baines was also going for goal albeit with a weak shot that was easily fielded after good approach work from Ollie Hogg and Brito.

The dominant start failed to pay dividends, and though the Ducks were let off when Tayo Davis-Coker placed a free header wide from a corner kick, they were behind after just eleven minutes.

It was a sloppy goal to concede too, as the greens switched off from a routine throw in, allowing Matt Woods to work his way to the byeline whilst holding off his marker, before cutting it back for the unattended Jon-Jo Bates to easily fire home. 1-0 Uxbridge

Aylesbury’s early dominance was now a distant memory as Uxbridge enjoyed a spell in the ascendancy, but United were gifted a way back into the game on 25 minutes. Jake Bewley got on the end of a long flighted pass to head wide, being clattered by advancing keeper Paul McCarthy in the process leading to the referee pointing to the spot.

Tre Mitford stepped up but saw his spot kick kept out by the upraised hand of McCarthy, but the wily Ollie Stanbridge had followed in to ram home his first game of the season and bring Aylesbury level. 1-1

The game was then held up by an injury to a linesman, only resuming some ten minutes later once a replacement had been sourced.

One goal each, and the match was anybody’s with both sides having notable chances. An enterprising run from dangerous youngster Abobaker Eisa, reportedly interesting football league clubs of late, saw him square to Bates whose shot was blocked.

Some great football from Aylesbury then carved open the home defence before Bewley pulled the ball across goal for Hogg who was somehow denied from six-yards by a desperate scrambling save by McCarthy.

Hogg saw another effort charged down soon afterwards when a corner kick was played back to him on the edge of the box, whilst at the other end Eisa continued to cause problems as his shot looped just wide off a defender allowing him to take a corner from which Mitchell Wiseman rose highest but nodded wide.

The relentless pace of the game continued right up until half time, with Bates escaping punishment for an apparent elbow on Wood, before then receiving a pass, going around Jonny Miller and sending the ball squirming goalwards where the excellent Greg Williams was able to scrape it off the line.

From a stoppage time corner Davis-Coker again should have done better as he flicked wide across goal, but it remained level as the half time whistle sounded, giving spectators chance to gather their breath.

Half-time: Uxbridge 1-1 Aylesbury

The high octane nature of the game continued throughout the second half, and on another day the match could have finished 4-4.

A neat passing move undid Aylesbury almost from the kick off, allowing Woods to get a shot away in space which was heading towards the bottom corner only for an excellent fingertip save from former Uxbridge youth teamer Zaki Oualah keeping the ball out.

It wasn’t long before the Ducks were themselves threatening, Hogg and Mitford combining to find Brito whose rising drive stung the gloves of McCarthy.

Brio then turned provider when he brought down a fine pass to the left flank from Jack Wood with an outrageous piece of skill before teeing up Mitford in the box who bent a powerful shot over the bar.

Further half chances came and went at both ends, before Ollie Hogg had a penalty appeal turned away having nipped onto the ball before a defender and being bundled to the ground.

Uxbridge chose to bring on veteran Wayne Carter for the last half hour of the game, and he was quickly involved, his searching cross picking out Eisa who hammered over what was to be his side’s clearest opening in the remaining time.

A minute later and Aylesbury saw the ball stopped on the line at the last moment again, this time to prevent an own goal when a deep free kick was sent goalwards by a Reds player, only for McCarthy to claw it away.

Five minutes from time and McCarthy was Uxbridge’s hero again when Mitford got the better of Tayo Davis-Coker on the end of a long defensive clearance to give himself a shooting opportunity, where the ball was beaten away by the home stopper.

Aylesbury kept the pressure on with a number of corner and free kicks in the closing moments, but on several occasions set piece delivery wasn’t good enough. When it was, Brito had an attempt blocked, and Hogg lashed high over the target as there was to be no second goal.

It hadn’t been entirely one-way traffic as the game drew to an end, with the hosts also unable to make the most of several corner kicks, and ultimately either side could have claimed a winner. With a draw probably the fairest result, it was a hard earned point for both.