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Match report by David 'Brains' Figg

After having their 7 match unbeaten run in all competitions ended with a 1-4 away league defeat by promotion rivals Halesowen Town the previous Saturday, Aylesbury United's hopes of getting back to winning ways were dashed as they were held to a 0-0 home draw by former landlords Thame United in their Boxing Day local derby in the BetVictor Southern League Division 1 Central at The Meadow, Chesham.

United's defeat at Halesowen plus results elsewhere that day saw Ben Williams' side go into Boxing Day in 5th place in the table, level on points with 4th placed Welwyn Garden City (but behind on goal difference) with both 3rd placed Halesowen and 2nd placed Berkhamsted a further 5 points ahead with Berkhamsted ahead on goal difference.

Meanwhile, Thame went into the game in 7th place as the highest placed of 3 teams on 26 points separated by goal difference with Coleshill Town in 8th place and Daventry Town in 9th place.

Their most recent game had seen them win 2-1 at home to Kempston Rovers on 14th December which took their winning run in all competitions to 5 games out of a total unbeaten run of 6 games, dating back to a 0-1 away league defeat by Coleshill on 4th November.

The first chance came Thame's way in the 5th minute when Daniel West's low diagonal through ball from middle to left found Ryan Blake who ran on before eventually crossing for the on-running West, who fired his right foot shot from 8 yards wide of Ducks keeper Jack Hopwood's left hand post.

A chance came the visitors' way in the 7th minute when Blake fired his right foot free kick from 35 yards to the left of middle well over the bar.

Thame went close before the end of the 9th minute when Blake's corner from the right found David Lynn, who fired his right foot shot from 10 yards over the bar.

Aylesbury's first chance came deep into the 11th minute when Anthony Ball picked up a loose ball before sending a through ball to Jake Bewley on the left who ran forward a few yards before having his cross half cleared by Lynn, with the ball falling to Ken Feyi whose right foot shot from 8 yards was well parried by Thame keeper Craig Hill.

The went close in the 22nd minute when Ben Sturgess' cross from the left to the far post found West, who sent his angled header from 12 yards over the bar.

Another chance came Thame's way in the 33rd minute when Blake cut from the left before squaring to his right to Greg Hackett, who rode a couple of challenges before firing his left foot shot from 20 yards straight at Hopwood.

Thame went close again in the 36th minute when Blake's corner from the left to the near post found Hackett, whose flicked header was saved onto the roof of the net by Hopwood.

Another chance came Thame's way in the 38th minute when former Duck Matt Peake-Pijnen's free kick from the right found West who sent his header from 3 yards over the bar.

What proved to be the last chance of the half came the visitors' way in the 39th minute when Jack Tutton's chip forward through the middle from 30 yards out found the unmarked Blake, who fired his first time right foot volley on the turn from 12 yards not too far over the bar.

Half-time: Aylesbury 0-0 Thame

The first chance of the second half came Thame's way in the 49th minute when Harry Mepham's throw in from the right found Hackett, whose ball forward was headed out by Jack Wood and fell to Tom Ashworth on the edge of the box, who fired his right foot angled shot from 18 yards past Hopwood's right hand post.

Aylesbury's first chance of the second half came just before the end of the 50th minute when Harry Jones' ball over the top from middle to right found Ty Deacon, whose right foot shot from 10 yards was saved to his left by Hill. The ball rebounded to Bewley, whose first time left foot shot from 20 yards was blocked by Sturgess.

Thame went close in the 55th minute when Hackett's low diagonal ball from middle to left found West who cut into the box and switched the ball onto his right foot shot from 15 yards past Hopwood's left hand post.

The Ducks went close deep into the 57th minute when Feyi's low slightly diagonal ball found Ben Seaton on the right, who took a touch and ran forward a few paces before having his low right foot shot from 20 yards held by Hill.

Then just into the 60th minute, Ball (having already been yellow carded in the 35th minute) was perhaps a tad lucky not to have been shown a second yellow card by Northampton referee Shaun Barry after a tackle on Blake.

Aylesbury made their first change in the 62nd minute when Sonny French came on to replace Lewis Osbourne.

Thame went close to breaking the deadlock in the 64th minute when Mepham picked up a loose ball on the right and took a touch before seeing his cross fall to West, who took a touch before having his low right foot angled shot from 18 yards tipped onto the outside of his right hand post by Hopwood for a corner.

Aylesbury went close just into the 69th minute when Seaton won a tackle on the left before feeding Ball, who cut infield and opened up space for himself before having his right foot shot from 20 yards tipped past his left hand post by Hill for a corner.

Thame made their first change just before the end of the 73rd minute when Lynton Goss came on to replace Sturgess.

A chance came The Ducks' way in the 76th minute when Deacon's long through ball on the left found Seaton who took a touch before squaring to his right to Jones, who ran forward before having his low left foot shot from 25 yards held to his left by Hill.

Then at the other end in the 81st minute, Blake's corner from the left led to a goalmouth scramble with the ball eventually falling to Tutton, who fired his right foot shot from 12 yards past Hopwood's left hand post.

The visitors went close with 22 seconds of normal time left at the end when Blake had his low left foot shot from 25 yards held to his right by Hopwood.

The last chance of the afternoon came Thame's way 1 minute 12 seconds into added time when Blake's corner from the right was headed on by Bewley to Peake-Pijnen, whose left foot shot from 22 yards was held to his right by Hopwood.

The final blast of referee Barry's whistle after an eventual total of 2 minutes 20 seconds of added time brought the game to an end, with both teams having to settle for a point. How it ended without a goal is a mystery.

It was The Ducks' 7th 0-0 draw of the season so far out of a total of 11 clean sheets in all competitions and although Ben Williams' side failed to score, they put in some good defensive work to keep Thame at bay.

This result plus results elsewhere saw Aylesbury move up 1 place to 4th, 5 points behind 3rd placed Halesowen albeit with the West Midlands side having 4 games in hand.

Meanwhile, Thame remained in 7th place level on points with 8th placed Coleshill but with a better goal difference.