Men's 1s inch closer to promotion with win over promotion rivals British Airways

Aylesbury Men’s ones welcomed British Airways 1s to RAF Halton for their Round 19 fixture in MBBO Regional 2. Aylesbury were sitting in second place joint on points with Milton Keynes but with a game in hand over the top team. British Airways had impressed after gaining promotion to the division last season and were sat in fourth place. This game was vitally important to both teams. If British Airways won the game it would leave them a point behind Aylesbury with three games to play but if Aylesbury won, they would go 7 points clear with only 9 points to play for.

Aylesbury were without Clive Chandler who had impressed since coming back into the side in the last two games. Chris Mac stepped in to fill the vacant whole. Matt Kiely Also returned to the side after a week away.

The Match began with British Airways coming out of the blocks quickest and putting Aylesbury under a lot of early pressure. The very skilful BA attack caused problems for the Aylesbury defence but could not get a clear chance at goal until they won the first short corner of the game. The short corner was switch to the right slip then slipped back to the middle for the forward to get the shot away. The initial shot was saved down low to Stephen Best in goal but Best could only parry the ball into the injectors path who slotted the ball in the near post.

Once the first goal went in, Aylesbury began to grow into the game and creating more chances of their own. Aylesbury tied the game up also with their first short corner of the game. A low drag flick from Matt Kiely was deflected passed the BA keeper by Dan Lindars for his 12 goal of the season. This goal seemed to settle the nerves of Aylesbury which showed in the first ten minutes and soon found themselves in the lead. Austin Greenlee beat a player 25 yards out and an inch perfect ball found Marc Hignell on the left side of the goal who diving defection put the ball back across the goal an into the far bottom corner. Hignell has now scored in the past three league games. Aylesbury had a few good chances to extend their lead before half time, a couple of short corner routine were defended well by BA. Aylesbury had Marc Hignell and Graham Thwaites both sin binned towards the end of the first half for mistimed tackles but Aylesbury held on and went into the half time interval a goal up.

British Airways came out of the half time break refreshed a ready to fight for the win they desperately needed. It was not long before they were back level in the game when sloppy defending down the left flank allowed the ball to be crashed into the D and a neat touch from the BA forwarded sneaked the ball pass Best to level the game at 2-2. With the score level 2-2 both side had very good chances to pull ahead. BA first chance of this period fell to their left forward who broke through the Aylesbury defence through 1-on-1 with Stephen Best in goal who met the forward at the top D but was unable to beat Best who smothered the ball from the forward with his stick to keep the score at 2-2. Soon after this, Aylesbury won a penalty stroke for the ball hitting a defender on the line from a short corner but Chris Hunter was unable to convert the stroke.

BA won a short corner which they had looked dangerous from all day. The initial strike was saved by Best but the ball fell to another BA forward who flicked the ball towards goal but Best managed to get across to the ball and tip it round the post. As the game was coming towards the final quarter, BA showed signs of flagging and Aylesbury put them under a lot of pressure. A succession of short corners for Aylesbury were not converted and the game looked to be heading to a stalemate. Aylesbury however had produced some crucial goals in the late exchanges of games all season and this would prove to be the case again. A slight off target pull out from a short corner found Chris Hunter have to trap on his forehand who slipped the ball left to Matt Kiely who’s drag flick beat the BA keeper for his first goal in four seasons, which could not have come at a better time!

Aylesbury put the game to bed soon after. With British Airways pushing forward to try and get back into the game left them exposed at the back and the ball was quickly played down the right channel and made its way to Chris McIntyre at top D who rolled strong and fed the ball to Oli Hassall which beat the defender and keeper and left Oli Hassall an open goal to score his first goal for the men’s ones.

This result leaves Aylesbury seven points clear or British Airways with 9 points to play for this season. Aylesbury remain in second place but joint at the top with Milton Keynes with a game in hand. Next weekend Aylesbury travel to Bracknell in their last game before the Easter break.