A late goal from FC Romania substitute Usman Adeniji knocked Aylesbury out of their second cup competition of the week with a 2-1 defeat in the Southern League Cup.

Manager Ben Williams took the opportunity to rotate his squad with six changes to his weekend line-up, and although the Ducks were thwarted by goalkeeper and woodwork on a number of occasions, the visitors just about merited their win.

The highlight for the green and white oriented amongst the sparse crowd was a sumptuous first half goal by Ben Seaton to bring the game level.

It was a move started and ended by the midfielder, who won the ball back with a superb challenge before spraying a pass left for Jamie Rudd whose cross picked out Seaton again. He took a touch and produced a well-executed chip into the top corner which left Lindon Marques rooted to the spot.

Romania’s team featured a number of changes of their own, with Marques one of those, and whilst the new goalkeeper had looked nervy in the opening stages he went on to have a fine game with some saves of note.

After a fairly even opening, the visitors took the lead through Tobi Coker who skipped past a clumsy challenge in the area before planting his shot into the bottom right corner of the net. 1-0 Romania

The Ducks might have done better soon afterwards when a mistake at the back presented Sonny French with a great chance, but he could only lob high onto the roof of the net, but five minutes later things were level through Seaton’s goal. 1-1

On 42 minutes Marques made a brilliant save to deny an equally brilliant effort from Max Hercules who latched onto a through ball only to see his powerful strike tipped onto the crossbar. Romania were straight down the other end with Weatherill saving down low.

Marques was at it again in stoppage time when a short corner routine saw Rudd cross for Dave O’Connor’s header to receive the faintest of touches from the keeper’s gloves to again turn it onto the bar. Riddick was first to the rebound but found his effort well blocked.

Half-time: Aylesbury 1-1 FC Romania

The second half was less eventful, though Sonny French should have at least hit the target six minutes in when a cross from the right looped into his path but he nodded wide.

Coker – who was playing against Aylesbury for Waltham Abbey not so long previously – then had a glorious chance when played in but blazed high and wide.

Leading scorer Ty Deacon entered the fray for the Ducks and soon had the ball in the net after yet another short corner ended with Liam McCrohan hitting a cross-cum-shot which was bundled in by Deacon, but from an offside position.

Adeniji himself had come on after an injury to Mathieu Racine, and on 85 minutes he popped up with the winner when he raced through and planted a low shot that seemed to go straight through Weatherill’s attempted low save. 2-1 FC Romania

There was still time for the doubly unusual sight of O’Connor turned left winger delivering a peach of a cross for a towering header by Hercules which was blocked as Romania continued to defend strongly.

With that, time ran out on United’s league cup aspirations, and Williams will be keen not to make it an unwanted hat-trick of cup eliminations when Chipstead visit in the FA Trophy on Saturday.