Aylesbury United 1-0 Flackwell Heath
Match report by David Figg
After making it through to the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Trophy with a dramatic 6-4 home win over Pitching In Isthmian South East Division side Sittingbourne 3 days earlier, Aylesbury United made it back-to-back wins as they gained their first league points of the season with a hard-earned 1-0 home win over Flackwell Heath in their Pitching In Southern League Division 1 Central clash in front of a crowd of 267 at Holloways Park, Beaconsfield on August Bank Holiday Monday.
The Ducks had gone into the game in 20th place out of 22 in the table, level on no points with both 21st placed Hadley and bottom of the table side Beaconsfield Town but ahead on goal difference.
Meanwhile, Flackwell went into the game on the back of a 0-3 home defeat by Pitching In Isthmian League South East Division side Faversham Town in the FA Trophy 1st Qualifying Round 48 hours earlier, which has ended a run of 3 straight wins in all competitions including their FA Cup over Aylesbury on 12th August.
They went into the game in 7th place in the table as the 3rd placed of 8 teams all on 3 points and separated by goal difference.
The first chance came Flackwell's way in the 2nd minute when Lindell Stewart's low square ball from 30 yards out found Usman Lallustani, who took a touch to control before sending a forward ball to his left to Stewart. He took a touch to control and ran a few paces before having his low right foot shot from 25 yards to the right of middle held to his right by Ducks keeper Jack Hopwood.
The Ducks' first chance came in the 5th minute when a long kick by Hopwood was collected by George Cleveland 40 yards out on the left of middle and he passed to his left to Finlay Reeves. He took a touch to control before squaring infield to Bakary Daffeh, who took a touch to control before seeing his right foot shot from 25 yards deflect to Flackwell keeper Alfie Bonfield.
Then at the other end just into the 10th minute, Matty Ayres' corner from the left was punched out by Hopwood with the ball eventually falling to Matty Harriott, who took a touch to control before firing his right foot shot from 18 yards wide of Hopwood's right hand post.
The next chance came United's way 35 seconds later (still in the 10th minute) when Hopwood's roll-out found Ike Okwusogu, who took a touch to control before sending a long ball over the top to Reeves just inside the Flackwell half. He cut inside before seeing his right foot shot from 25 yards deflect off Mark Nisbet onto Bonfield's left hand post, with the rebound falling to Cleveland whose left foot shot from 18 yards was blocked.
Flackwell went close just before the end of the 15th minute when Jack Shakespeare made a jinking run outside the front right of the before passing wide to his right to Matty Ayres. He took a touch to control before having his right foot shot from 15 yards brilliantly tipped over the bar by Hopwood for a corner.
The visitors went close again in the 27th minute when Lewis Patrick's through ball on the left found Stewart on the touchline, who took a touch to control before passing infield to his right to his right to Harriott. He took a touch to control and attempted to find an angle for a shot but fed Jamie Ayres to his right and he took a touch to control before having his right foot shot from 15 yards beaten out by Hopwood before the ball was cleared.
A chance came Aylesbury's way in the 31st minute when Adam Martin's low forward free kick from just inside his own half found Okwusogu on the right, who took a touch to control and ran to the byeline before crossing to the far post, from where Reeves sent this looping header from 10 yards back across goal before the ball was grabbed one-handed by Bonfield.
Another chance came the visitors' way in the 34th minute when Harriott ran forward on the right before having his right foot shot from 22 yards at the right front of the box tipped onto the top of his left hand post by Hopwood.
Flackwell went close again in the 40th minute when Matty Ayres' corner from the right was punched out by Hopwood with the falling to Jamie Ayres, who took a touch to control before having his curling right foot shot from 20 yards to the left of the D tipped away past his left hand post by Hopwood.
The Ducks went close in the closing stages of the first half when Jake Bewley's cross from the left found Cleveland, who tried to steer the ball towards goal but sent his effort over the bar.
HALF TIME: Aylesbury United 0-0 Flackwell Heath.
The first chance of the second half came The Ducks' way in the 48th minute when, after Flackwell defender Charlie Malin had stumbled on the ball 10 yards outside his own box on the Aylesbury left, the ball ran to Cleveland and he took a touch to control before running forward and firing his low left foot shot from 18 yards past Bonfield's left hand post.
Another chance came the visitors' way in the 51st minute when Matty Ayres' corner from the right found Jamie Ayres, who sent his header from 9 yards well wide of Hopwood's right hand post.
Aylesbury made their first change in the 56th minute when Frankie Bircham came on to replace Sonny French.
Flackwell went close just into the 58th minute when Matty Ayres' through ball over the top from the halfway line found the on-running Stewart, who ran into the box before having his right foot shot from 12 yards tipped into the side-netting at his left hand post by Hopwood for a corner.
The Ducks made their second change deep into the 62nd minute when Wil Turner came onto replace Daffeh.
A great chance came Aylesbury's way in the 63rd minute when Cleveland won a challenge with Nisbet (which the visitors felt was a foul) and ran forward before sending a forward ball to Turner, whose left foot shot from 12 yards was saved by Bonfield. The rebound fell to Cleveland who crashed his left foot shot from 8 yards against the underside of the bar but not over the line before the ball was cleared.
Flackwell made their first change in the 67th minute when Eli Grant came on to replace Jamie Ayres.
There was something of a lull in terms of serious clear-cut changes over the next 10 minutes or so with a number of substitutions interrupting the flow of the play.
First of all in the 72nd minute, Flackwell made their second change when Ewan Lynch came on to replace Stewart.
Aylesbury made a double change in the same minute when Abdullah Jellal came on to replace Buanga and James Bone came on to replace Reeves.
Then Flackwell made their third change in the 75th minute when former Duck Luqman Kassim Cameron on to replace Matty Ayres.
The visitors made their fourth change in the 76th minute when Sean McGuinness came on to replace Nisbet.
Then in the 78th minute with the game still goalless and becoming increasingly heated, an attempted Aylesbury break saw Okwusogu fouled by Lallustani. This sparked a melee between various players and when order was restored, Okwusogu and Shakespeare were yellow carded by referee James Thompson for their part in the incident. Turner was also yellow carded a minute later for a shove on Lallustani during the same incident.
It seemed likely that a moment of magic by someone would be needed to settle the game and it came in the 80th minute when, from Bewley's free kick on the halfway line just to the left of the centre circle, Turner's header from just outside the right hand corner of the box towards the centre of the box was headed partly clear. The ball fell to Martin 35 yards out on the right of middle who touched the ball to his right to Bircham, whose first time cross was missed by Malin 18 yards out in a central position, with the ball falling to Jack Wood 9 yards out to the left of middle. He chested it to control with Lallustani at his back before laying it back to Okwusogu, whose attempted first time right foot shot from 13 yards looped up off Malin and bounced on the edge of the D and fell to Bircham. He chested it with a defender at his back before firing a stunning first time right foot volley from 20 yards into Bonfield's top right hand corner for a possible goal of the season contender. 1-0 Aylesbury.
The Ducks went close to doubling their lead right at the end of the 85th minute when Bone's through ball from 20 yards out near the right hand corner of the box found Jellal, who ran to the by-line before having his cross half cleared to Turner 18 yards out. He laid it his right to Bone who sent his first time right foot shot with the outside of his boot from 22 yards wide of Bonfield's right hand post.
Flackwell made their final change in the 86th minute when Lewis Pegg came on to replace Harry Mepham.
A chance came the visitors' way in the 88th minute when Grant won a tackle with Martin 35 yards out with the ball falling to Harriott, who ran forward the edge of the box before firing his right foot shot over the bar.
What proved to be the last chance of note came Flackwell's way 25 seconds into added time when Lewis Patrick's long throw-in forward over a defender found Lynch, whose tame first time right foot shot from 12 yards was straight at Hopwood.
Then after an eventual total of 5 minutes 2 seconds of added time at the end, the final blast of referee Thompson's whistle brought the game to an end and confirmed United's win as they earned their first league points of the season.
Aylesbury's win plus other results elsewhere left them in 12th place as the 2nd placed of 5 teams all on 3 points, while Flackwell's defeat left them in 11th place also on 3 points but ahead of The Ducks on goal difference.
With thanks to Kristen Clarke
Enjoyed the match report and photographs, click here to make a donation.
Comments