Aylesbury made it two from two in the league with a 4-2 win over Wantage Town on another entertaining evening at a rain-lashed Meadow.

The Ducks were inspired by a match-winning display from Jamie Rudd who scored his first goals for the club before setting up another for Juwon Akintunde, with Sonny French getting in on the act to mark his 200th United game with the fourth goal late on.

So often the whipping boys of the previous season, Wantage made wholesale squad changes over the summer to the extent that none of their starting eleven featured against Aylesbury last season, and only four had played for the Freds in 2019/20 at all.

Aylesbury tried to impose themselves early in the game and Jack Wood went close when he helped Ollie Hogg’s corner over the bar after just three minutes.

Sonny French and Mark Riddick then both had opportunities, but it was that man Rudd who had the best opening when a quick break ended with a fine through ball setting the winger away but he dragged his shot wide of the target with Juwon Akintunde screaming for a square pass.

As the half reached the midpoint the Ducks suffered the blow of losing Ollie Hogg – on a three game scoring streak – to an ankle injury. Harry Jones came on at right back, with Anthony Ball going on to enjoy a fine game in the unfamiliar central midfield role he moved to.

One player who was with Wantage last season was goalkeeper Joseph Gorman, and he was called into action shortly after the substitution when the busy Rudd shot on the turn and saw his effort tipped wide.

From the resulting corner Akintunde couldn’t get high enough to direct his header, but when the ball fell to Rudd on the left wing he whipped in a vicious inswinger nobody got a touch and the ball nestled inside the far post. 1-0 Aylesbury

Rudd continued to pull the strings and moments later he fed the overlapping Jake Bewley on the left whose cross was nodded wide by Akintunde.

Five minutes later the Ducks spurned a glorious chance for 2-0 when French bustled his way through the defence and found himself one-on-one with Gorman but the keeper came out tops with a good save to keep out his rising drive.

It was a pivotal moment, and it wasn’t long until Wantage found an equaliser – though against the general run of play. A free kick pumped into the box had James Weatherill struggling amongst a mass of bodies, and as the ball broke loose Declan Sheppard was on hand to fire home from the scramble. 1-1

Both sides had chances to snatch a lead before the interval as Akintunde flashed a ball across the face of goal following more good approach work by Rudd, before Charlie Kille headed a corner kick over at the other end.

The half ended with the worrying sight of captain Jack Wood receiving prolonged treatment long after his teammates had taken to the dressing rooms, but thankfully he didn’t become the second injury casualty of the night and was fit to continue.

Half-time: Aylesbury 1-1 Wantage

Whilst the first half hadn’t been terrible for Aylesbury, the feeling was that with better quality in the final third the Ducks would have been ahead, and with the words of management fresh in their ears they quickly laid siege to the visitors’ goal.

Rudd the instigator again played the ball inside to Akintunde whose first touch was sadly not up to scratch and the chance was gone.

But less than a minute later and United’s lead was re-established. A fantastic pass over the defence sent Jamie Rudd scampering clear, and he made no mistake with an accurate finish that went in off the post. 2-1 Aylesbury

Ty Deacon was next to get in on the act when he bent a shot over the bar having been set up by Akintunde and the chances continued coming with Rudd, French and Akintunde all going close.

Wantage only had long shots to show for their efforts – with Weatherill well behind a 35-yarder from Josh Tooke their only meaningful strike at goal.

On 57 minutes Wood was inches away from converting at a corner kick after Mark Riddick had headed Bewley’s delivery across goal.

Akintunde then did have the ball in the net after the keeper spilled Ball’s strong shot but he was offside when applying the finish.

Aylesbury finally had their third just past the hour mark, with Rudd the creator this time. A fantastic cross-field ball from Deacon was taken in his stride by Rudd who picked out Akintunde to slide home his first goal of the campaign. 3-1 Aylesbury

He could have had another within seconds when Rudd (who else\'!) played the ball through for his striker but he could only shoot straight at Gorman.

United kept up their search for a fourth in the sodden conditions, with substitutes Lee Stobbs and Max Hercules benefitting from a quick counter-attack as the former fed by the latter whose shot skewed wide from the edge of the area.

As the clock ticked over to the 90th minute mark, what looked like a comfortable end to the game was suddenly threatened. Again, against the run of play, a low ball somehow went all the way through the Ducks’ defence where Sheppard diverted it past the advancing Weatherill for it to trickle almost apologetically over the line. 2-3

Any fears of a shock comeback were quickly ended by a fourth goal for Aylesbury. After a Wantage long throw routine broke down, United broke from one end of the pitch to the other with Stobbs and French completely clear of any defenders, and with all the time in the world Stobbs squared for French to calmly score from close range. 4-2 Aylesbury

After one further long shot from Hercules that sailed over the bar, full time followed on what was ultimately a comfortable win for the Ducks that makes them – along with Daventry Town – the only sides in the division still maintaining a 100% record.

The two meet at The Meadow this Saturday…