Men’s 2s travelled to high flying Leighton Buzzard in game week 5 of the season. Even with two of the squad pulling out on the morning of the match, Aylesbury travelled with confidence on the back of two straight wins in the league. Paul Gregory return from a stint in the first team for his first game for the side this season. Ben Kiely also returned to the side.

Leighton buzzard came out the traps quickest and put Aylesbury under lots of pressure in the first ten minutes. Aylesbury who had shown real resilience in defence over the last couple of weeks look to do the same again, keeping the home side from opening the scoring through the period of pressure. However, just as Aylesbury had started to show some signing of pulling themselves into the contest, Leighton Buzzard were awarded a P flick which was dispatched by the Buzzard Left Back to open the scoring. Aylesbury woke up after the concession and began to put pressure onto the Leighton Buzzard back four. Paul Gregory was finding acres of space between the mid and forward line and Harrison Heale and Alistair Carey were finding good space wide on the pitch. It was from Alistair Carey on the right of midfield where Aylesburys first real chance of the game came from. Carey beat his marker and drove into the D. he pulled the ball back to Stephen Best at top D whos shot just ended up the wrong side of the post and into the side of the goal.

Shortly after this however, Aylesbury did have their equaliser. Paul Gregory found Chris Hunter inside the attacking 25. Hunter protected the ball from his marker, committed him and placed a reverse strike back across the Goalkeeper into the right had corner of the goal for his fifth goal of the season. However, Leighton Buzzard were not going to be behind for long. A few minutes later, the Umpires whistle blew again to point for another penalty flick. The Leighton Buzzard Left back converted again to restore Buzzards lead before half time.

The second half continued the theme of the first half, end to end hockey with both sides creating chances. The back line of Joe Wilmot, Clive Chandler, Tom Richards and Dougie Kershaw kept some promising attacks from Buzzard out to keep Aylesbury in the game. Aylesbury were mounting pressure on the Leighton Buzzard goal as well and it was Aylesbury who got the fourth goal of the game to draw level once again. Paul Gregory took a free hit outside the buzzard defensive circle, found space and drove the ball into the D where Stephen Best stepped in front of his marker and deflected the ball into up over the goalkeepers right glove into the net. Aylesbury had a chance to take the lead in the game for the first time from a short corner. The flick from Best beat the Buzzard keeper but was deflected away off the stick of the postman.

Soon after this Leighton Buzzard took the lead for the third time in the game. But Aylesbury would not quit and quickly added their third which was almost identical to their second. Paul Gregory fired the ball into the circle to complete his hatrick of assists when Best was there again to deflect the ball in low to the keepers right for his fifth of the season.

However, it wasn’t meant to be for Aylesbury as Buzzard soon after added their fourth of the game and in the final few minutes when Aylesbury were piling players forward trying to get an equaliser, Buzzard took any doubt out of the result with their fifth. Aylesbury did have another chance late on to make the final minute a nervous one for Buzzard but another short corner was deflected away off the line by a Buzzard defender.

The game ended with the score 5-3 after an exciting end to end game of hockey. Aylesbury return to RAF Halton next weekend to face Oxford 3s.