A good all-round performance saw Aylesbury maintain their promising start to the new season with a 2-0 win at newly-promoted Wantage Town.
After shutting out promotion hopefuls Corby Town at the weekend, there was another clean sheet for goalkeeper Jack Hopwood and his new look defensive spine, whilst Ken Feyi and Sonny French provided United’s first goals of the season - one late in each half.
United were quickest out of the blocks and hit the bar after only two minutes. A short corner routine was worked to Dave O’Connor who curled a beautiful effort goalwards and was unlucky to see it rebound back off the woodwork.
Wantage hit back and had a dangerous effort of their own blocked in the box before Tom Stanley skewed wide with the rebound.
On seven minutes a long throw was flicked on by Feyi where French was unable to make contact with an attempted acrobatic effort before it fell to Harry Jones who blazed over from close range.
The game then entered something of a lull in chances as Wantage passed the ball around neatly, without the incisiveness to break through United’s well marshalled ranks, whilst the Ducks always looked a threat on the counter.
The Alfredians then hit the bar themselves courtesy of a long throw from the right which arrowed into the box before dropping at the feet of Stanley who volleyed and up onto the crossbar.
Aylesbury failed to make the most of a couple of corner kicks that saw O’Connor head wide beyond the far post, and Feyi put over the bar after the ball had been flicked on by Mark Riddick three minutes later.
Likewise, Town might have done better when Brad Cox was afforded a free header at a flag kick but headed high over the bar.
They went closer still 90 seconds later when a half-cleared free kick was collected by Tom Stanley who returned a vicious swinging effort that just missed the target.
Just as it looked like the sides would cancel each other out right up to half-time, Aylesbury made the breakthrough. Melvy N’Somi’s flick released Ken Feyi in behind the defence, and he produced a clever finish past the goalkeeper which had the legs to roll over the line after what seemed an eternity. 1-0 Aylesbury
Half-time: Wantage 0-1 Aylesbury
Aylesbury started the second period in confident mood and soon had French shooting wide after the impressive Jake Bewley had snapped into a challenge to win the ball back and set him on his way.
Ken Feyi had the ball in the net again on 56 minutes but was adjudged offside by the assistant referee from Jack Wood’s ball forward and his effort disallowed.
As they found themselves kept at arm’s length for most of the second half, Wantage’s best chance at an equaliser came on the hour mark when the ball pinged around the box with two shots blocked, before ex-Duck Chris Jackson headed the resulting corner over the bar.
Despite rarely being under serious pressure, Aylesbury weren’t able to relax until the 80th minute, when French doubled their lead.
One of numerous marauding runs by Bewley down the left was rewarded with his low cross falling to Sonny French who rolled a shot goalwards that, just like Feyi’s, seemed to take forever before finally crossing the line and making the game safe. 2-0 Aylesbury
Town could have nicked a goal back late in the evening when substitute James McCarthy went on a mazy run past four or five United defenders but he could only crash an effort over, and Aylesbury’s clean sheet wasn’t to be troubled.
After a pleasing four points from their opening two games, attention now turns to the FA Cup and a trip even further West to play Brimscombe & Thrupp, followed by a return to league action against more Oxfordshire opponents as Didcot Town visit The Meadow on Bank Holiday Monday.
