After a good win against Kidlington on Wednesday, manager Ben Williams planned to keep an unchanged side for the visit to the Railwaymen this afternoon. However, traffic delays meant that Dave O’Connor and new signing Ayodeji Owoeye were delayed in arriving, meaning Gavin James made his full debut for the club in place of Owoeye, fresh from scoring his first goal for the club on Wednesday evening.

Looking for their customary fast start, this time the boot was almost on the other foot. Jordan Jenkins was penalised for a foul on the right touchline, and from the delivery by Connor Barratt, the ball fell to Jamar Smith who managed to get a shot away but it was narrowly wide of Davis’ left hand post.

A good passage of play followed, as the Ducks took control of the midfield, with Ben Seaton and Sonny French particularly prominent. On 7 minutes, Ollie Hogg sprayed the ball wide to Max Hercules, who took a great first touch to kill the ball and leave Sam Barder wrongfooted, before stepping inside and firing a shot towards the far post. Keeper Leigh Bedwell got down well to parry the shot, but it fell to James who tapped in from 6 yards out to double his tally for the Ducks. 1-0 Aylesbury

Straight from the kick off, the Ducks won the ball back, before a sweeping move involving Hogg, Hercules and Seaton saw the ball laid back to Hogg who struck a fine shot from 25 yards that was deflected for a corner. From Jake Bewley’s corner, Jack Wood made a late run to the near post and met the ball with a firm header to increase the lead. 2-0 Aylesbury

Thoughts that the floodgates might open were dashed just two minutes later, as the hosts were back in the game. A pass from the left by Seth Humphries found Joe Green on the edge of the ‘D’. He spread the ball wide to Smith, who fired between Bewley’s legs and beyond Davis into the far corner to reduce the deficit. 1-2

It was pretty much end to end action at this stage, another fine passing move involving Seaton and French saw Harry Jones drive in a low cross which James met with a good first time shot, but this time Bedwell was equal to the effort and pulled off a fine reflex shot to keep the ball out.

Davis was almost caught out as the game approached the half hour, he cleared the ball long, but it fell to Barratt, who fired a first time shot which he did well to tip over the bar as he back pedalled towards his goal. The final chance of the half fell to French; he timed his run well to beat the offside trap and run onto Seaton’s pass, but his shot across goal was narrowly wide of Bedwell’s goal.

Half-time: Didcot 1-2 Aylesbury

The hosts came out fired up for the second half and shortly after the start the Ducks were indebted firstly to Mark Riddick, then Wood as they blocked goal bound shots at point blank range, preventing what looked like certain goals. French was the next to play hero, as a deep corner was heading goalwards by home skipper Adam Learoyd, but French was in the right place to head off the line.

On the hour, the pressure that had ben building finally paid off. A good pass through the middle of the defence saw Smith run onto the ball and evade the tackle of Bewley, to steer the ball past Davis for his second and the equaliser. 2-2

This signalled a change for the Ducks, as Owoeye was sent on to replace James.

Four minutes later and the hosts almost took the lead; Smith turned provider this time, playing in Barratt, who was unlucky to see his shot rebound off the post for a goal kick. However, the breakthrough came in the next attack; Humphries passed the ball to Barratt wide on the right. He stepped inside Bewley and fired a shot that seemed to wrongfoot Davis and nestle in the bottom corner of the goal, to the delight of the home faithful, including keeper Bedwell, who delighted in informing the away supporters of the score! 3-2 Didcot

There was a flashpoint on 75 minutes, as Hercules was unceremoniously tackled by Barder just in front of the dugouts. The defender received a yellow card for his crime, but Ben Williams was also the recipient of a yellow for arguing too strongly with the referee that it should have been the ultimate sanction after seeing the damage caused to Hercules foot from the over the ball challenge. Unfortunately, Hercules was unable to continue, bleeding heavily from the wound on his foot, and was replaced by Dave O’Connor. This forced a change of shape with O’Connor taking a more defensive role, with Harry Jones sent further forward.

As the game headed towards added on time, it was Jones who was to be the saviour. A deep cross from Owoeye found substitute Lee Stobbs on the right; he skipped to the bye line and fired in a good cross, which Bedwell could only palm out to Jones, who like James in the first half, gleefully tapped home to punish the keeper’s mistake and draw the sides level. 3-3

Straight from the kick off, the Ducks won the ball back through Hogg; he was crudely tackled by an out-of-control McNeill, who unlike his colleague Barder saw the red card for his challenge.

Two minutes into injury time a cross into the penalty area fell to Josh Hedges, he took a touch and fired a good shot but Davis pulled off a fine save to keep the scores level.

Owoeye had a great chance with the last chance of the match, a French pass found him in space on the left and he fired a good shot at Bedwell, but this time the keeper made a fine save and the scores stayed even.

An entertaining match that both sides will feel they could have won, but it continues the unbeaten run extending it to 4 matches since the defeat to St Neots. Unfortunately with Welwyn Garden City engaged in the FA Trophy next weekend, there is another 10 day break before we face Biggleswade (at Bedford Town FC) on Wednesday 1st Dec.

We close on some encouraging news, Max Hercules was discharged from hospital with the wound ‘glued up’ and it is hoped he will not be out of action for too long.