The Ducks faced a stern test this afternoon against an in-form St Neots side, which boasted the division’s top scorer in Joe Rider. For the second week running, Dave O’Connor was named as a second defensive midfielder alongside Mark Riddick, as the Ducks lined up looking to stay compact and restrict the attacking opportunities for the free-scoring visitors.

However, the script was rewritten somewhat, as the Ducks made another fast start, scoring inside 15 seconds! From the kick off, Jack Wood head the ball down to Ty Deacon, who laid it off to Ben Seaton; spotting Max Hercules in space on the left, he passed the ball into his path. The winger beat Wynford Marfo and crossed to the penalty area, where Deacon held off Mamadou Jobe, swivelled and fired into the top corner past a helpless Louis Chadwick. 1-0 Aylesbury

Somewhat shellshocked by the start, the Saints struggled to gain any momentum in the game and could have been two down after 10 minutes. A corner from the right saw Deacon rise highest but couldn’t keep his header down, seeing it soar over the bar. Two minutes later, Archie Davis played a delicious 70 yard pass down the right, where Hercules did very well to control the ball, cut inside and lay the ball into the path of Seaton, who saw his shot from 18 yards well saved by Chadwick, with his follow up shot going over the cross bar.

The visitors were forced into an early change, as Charley Barker was forced off injured after an earlier tackle, to be replaced by Ben Heal.

On 20 minutes a deep free kick by Jake Bewley found Lee Stobbs wide on the right. He beat his defender and crossed into the 6 yard box where Jobe was fortunate to see his interception deflect just over the crossbar. Stobbs was in the action again moments later, intercepting a pass from defence towards the left wing. He pushed the ball past his defender and showed a fine turn of pace to fire in a cross which was cleared for a corner. From Bewley’s delivery the ball was headed out by Charlie Johnson, but only as far as Hercules who cut onto his right foot and fired a shot from 20 yards which rebounded away to safety off the base of the post.

The visitors finally had a shot on target on the half hour; Heal picked the ball up on half way and advanced through the middle before playing the ball to Neo Richard-Noel, who found space between the centre backs; however, his shot from the edge of the box was comfortably saved by Davis low to his right.

Seaton, who was having a bright match and getting involved frequently, picked the ball up on the half way line and spotting Chadwick off his line fired for goal, but his effort was narrowly wide of the post, much to the relief of the back pedalling keeper.

The Saints were gradually having more influence on the game, with skipper Lee Watkins pulling the strings. He received a long clearance from Johnson on the left flank and passed it inside to Kwai Marsh-Brown, but the strikers shot was high, wide and not so handsome.

However, it was the skipper who got his side back into the game as half time approached. Good work down the right from Heal saw the ball cleared by Bewley, but only as far as Watkins. He took a touch and picked his pot from 20 yards, giving Davis no chance. 1-1

The visitors could actually have finished the half in front on the scoresheet; a cross from the left by Harvey Steel was met with a deft backheel flick by Rider, but Davis did well to get down to save on the line.

Half-time: Aylesbury 1-1 St. Neots

Ominously for the Ducks, top scorer Deacon limped off the field at the end of the half and didn’t appear for the second half, being replaced by Ollie Hogg, himself returning from injury.

This necessitated a reorganisation, with Hogg filling his familiar midfield berth, O’Connor moving to right back and Harry Jones filling in for Deacon up front. Somehow O’Connor found himself in the centre forward position two minutes into the half, but his volley from Hercules’ cross was wide of the far post.

Somewhat buoyed by their equaliser, the Saints grew into the game as the second half developed, with half time substitute Jake Battersby particularly prominent on the left. A cross from Steel, now playing on the right was dummied by Rider, with Marsh-Brown following up to fire in a shot with Jordan Jenkins did well to block for a corner.

Jones had a great chance to give his side the lead after 55 minutes, Hogg crossed for O’Connor to flick the ball on into his path, but his shot from 15 yards was well saved by Chadwick, although Jones will feel he could have done better himself.

Just past the hour mark and Battersby picked up the ball wide on the right, dribbling past both O’Connor and Riddick and advancing towards the penalty area. However, his first shot was well saved by Davis, with Wood doing well to sense the danger and clearing the follow up off the line to keep the scores level.

On 70 minutes a poor defensive clearance fell to Hogg who advanced to the edge of the penalty area, but his shot was weak and too close to the keeper to cause Chadwick any real discomfort.

The breakthrough came in the 75th minute; a poor attempted diagonal clearance was intercepted by Heal, who beat 3 players on the right before passing to Rider, who was unmarked 15 yards from goal. He calmly took his time and picked his spot beyond Davis to notch his 12th goal of the season. 2-1 St. Neots

The visitors then proceeded to take the sting out of the game and manage the result, with the only remaining chance falling to Wood as the game entered added on time. Hercules found Seaton wide on the right whose deep cross was met by the skipper, but his header was comfortably gathered by Chadwick to snuff out the danger.

On balance, it was probably the right result based on the balance of play, but again the Ducks will be rueing those missed chances in the first half. Equally worrying is the prospect of being without top scorer Deacon for a number of weeks, with tough matches on the horizon, starting next Saturday with a trip across the Downs to AFC Dunstable. This match sees a group of supporters undertake the annual charity ‘Duck Walk’. A link to the donations page is here; if you feel you can add a few pounds to support our charity partner for the season, the Cancer Care and Haematology Unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, it would be greatly appreciated.