Saturday 29th November saw Bucks travel to league leaders Aylesbury Dynamos, a team who were currently unbeaten in the league this term. Bucks travelled with a strong squad which saw Faulkner and Hamilton return to the starting line-up as well as Creser returning to take a place on the bench.
Bucks started the game well, setting the tempo of the game, and having large spells of possession in the oppositions final third. With the sun shining straight down the pitch and into the face of the Bucks defence, it was clear that defending aerial balls would be difficult, which the home team tried to capitalise on at every given opportunity. With just over 15 minutes played in the game Bucks took the lead with a strike from Ray Long. Having received the ball on the edge of the box, Long dispatched a strong right foot shot which the keeper looked to have dealt with, but a fumble meant that the ball scrambled across the line to give the away side the lead that they had deserved (17 mins). Dynamos started to come in to the game a bit more following the goal, but the Bucks defence, marshalled by Ainger and Sinfield, answered all the questions that the home team had to offer. The lead for Bucks was doubled after 37 minutes and it was Long who was on target again. Faulkner picked up a through-ball in the left channel and delivered a smart left footed cross for Long to dispatch across the keeper from the right side of the box. Bucks went in to half time knowing that they had been by far the better team with Jones, Skiller and Bailey-Goss dominating the centre of the field with full-backs Hamilton and Castielli working well with Undi and Long in front of them to control the flanks.
Aylesbury Dynamos came out after half time with much more purpose than they had shown in the first 45 minutes which Bucks struggled to match. Although the first 25 minutes of the half passed without much incident, it was the away team who looked most likely to get the next goal. Jones was replaced by the Creser and shortly after, whist preparing to defend a corner, the withdrawal of Ray Undi saw Joe Oxley take to the field. The corner was taken from the right and when dropping under the cross bar, Moran knocked the ball into his own net when he should have done a lot better (71 mins). The changing of score line and a change in personnel and formation for Bucks seemed to have an impact on both teams. The home team were much more purposeful in their play having reverted to a 3-4-3 formation which the Bucks defence and midfield were having to work hard to contain. The killer blow for Bucks came late in the game when a cross came in from the right which was not fully cleared. When the shot, which was headed for the corner flag, came in it took a double deflection to beat Moran down to his right (84 mins). In fairness, the equalising goal was no more than Dynamos had deserved in the 2nd half, but there was still a sense that either team could win the game in the dying minutes. A deciding goal didn’t arrive and therefore a point for each team was their reward for a typical game of two halves.
Man of the match this week went to the ever impressive Michael Ainger for his stalwart performance in the heart of the defence.
Next week sees a home game for Bucks as they host Downley Albion who currently sit bottom of the Premier Division table (2pm kick off).
