After an encouraging display despite a 0-3 defeat away to high-flying Moneyfields in midweek, Aylesbury United were hoping for better luck when they made the short journey to face another high-flying team Beaconsfield Town in their Evo-Stik Southern League East Division clash on Saturday.

However, despite a battling second half performance, The Ducks slipped to a 4th consecutive defeat after losing 2-3 to their county rivals in an entertaining game at Holloways Park.

United's defeat at Moneyfields and results elsewhere the same night had left The Ducks in 20th place in the table as the 3rd of 3 teams on 15 points with Hanwell Town above them and Barton Rovers below them respectively on goal difference.

Meanwhile, Beaconsfield went into the game in 4th place just 2 points behind leaders AFC Rushden and Diamonds, 2nd placed AFC Dunstable and 3rd placed Moneyfields who were separated only by goal difference.

The Ducks welcomed back goalkeeper Jack Sillitoe and captain Jack Wood after they missed the Moneyfields trip due to suspension as a result of their red cards against AFC Rushden and Diamonds on 6th December.

Town almost got the game off to a dramatic start when, from Bajram Pashaj's cross from the left, United defender James Gurteen's attempted clearance fell to Goldy Capella who somehow dragged his low left foot shot from about 8 yards just wide of Sillitoe's left hand post with just 58 seconds on the watch.

The hosts went close again 90 seconds later when Aaron Minhas's low through ball down the right found Jordan Ajanlekoko who ran forward before squaring infield into the box to Capella, who took a touch before laying it back to the near post to Minhas whose right foot shot from 12 yards was superbly tipped away to his left by Sillitoe.

Beaconsfield took the lead in the 14th minute when Wes Daly's low through ball from middle to left found the unmarked Capella who beat the offside trap before having his shot from just inside the box half stopped by Sillitoe with the ball trickling into the keeper's right hand corner. 1-0 Beaconsfield

Another chance the hosts' way in the 18th minute when Pasahj fired his free kick from 25 yards on the left well over the bar.

It was eventually 2-0 in the 33rd minute when Capella's long low through ball down the middle found Andre Costa who ran through before seeing his right foot shot from 8 yards rebound off Sillitoe's left hand post to Capella, whose left foot shot from 12 yards hit the same post before running out to Minhas who crashed his low right foot shot from 18 yards in off Sillitoe's right hand post. 2-0 Beaconsfield

The Ducks went close to pulling a goal back in the 36th minute when Wood's long throw in from the right was headed half clear to Ollie Hogg, who fired his low right foot shot from 20 yards into the side netting at Beaconsfield keeper Ravan Constable's left hand post.

What proved to be last chance of the first half came the hosts' way in the 41st minute when Costa's corner from the left found the unmarked Michael Peacock whose free header from 4 yards at the near post clipped the top of the bar

Half-time: Beaconsfield 2-0 Aylesbury

United got the second half off to a dramatic start as they pulled a goal back after just 58 seconds when Greg Williams' cross from the right was headed on by Jeanmal Prosper to the onside Tre Mitford who took a touch before firing his right foot shot from 10 yards into Constable's right hand corner. 2-1

The goal gave The Ducks a big boost in confidence and as a result, they enjoyed far more possession and looked a lot more dangerous than in the first half.

Beaconsfield made a double change in the 60th minute when Scott Cousins came on for Peacock and Daniel Brown for Costa.

A chance came Town's way in the 62nd minute when Mitchell Gutteridge touched a free kick from 30 yards to Daly who fired high and wide past Sillitoe's left hand post.

The hosts went close to extending their lead in the 66th minute when Brown's low diagonal ball from middle to left found the onside Capella who crossed for the on-running Brown, whose right foot shot from 8 yards was blocked at point blank range by Sillitoe for a good save.

Town went close again in the 68th minute when Gutteridge's through ball on the left found Brown who ran into the box before sending his lob from 15 yards wide of Sillitoe's left hand post.

Another chance came Town's way in the 74th minute when a through ball on the left found the onside Capella who ran on before firing his left foot shot into the side netting at Sillitoe's right hand post.

The Ducks made a double change in the 76th minute with Ben Seaton coming on for Greg Williams and Aaron Couch coming on for Horatio Hirst.

Despite Town having more chances in the second half so far, United kept up their pressure and they deservedly equalised in the 78th minute when Hogg's corner from the left to the far post found the unmarked Mitford who fired a first time right foot volley from 6 yards into Constable's left hand corner. 2-2

The Ducks went close to taking the lead in the 80th minute when Seaton's through ball from middle to right found Mitford who beat Luke Neville before having his right foot shot from 10 yards blocked by the recovering Neville before ball was held by Constable.

Then in the 86th minute and with United looking like they'd earned a more than deserved point, Town won it when Daly's free kick from the left to the far post saw an attempted clearance fall to Gutteridge who sent his header from 4 yards over Sillitoe to break Ducks hearts. 3-2 Beaconsfield

The hosts made their final (albeit slightly strange) substitution in the 88th minute when Ollie Jones came on to replace Brown.

Then after 3 minutes 39 seconds of added time at the end, The Ducks went close to snatching a dramatic late equaliser when Jake Bewley's corner from the left was clawed away by Constable to Connor Furlong, whose left foot volley from 30 yards was held by Constable at his left hand angle.

Just 27 seconds later, the final blast of referee Neil Morrison's whistle brought the afternoon's proceedings to a close to not only extend Town's unbeaten league run to 8 games but sentence The Ducks to their 4th straight defeat.