DUCKS IN A ROW ON DAY ONE
AYLESBURY United began their campaign with a comfortable win at the Meadow as they downed Kempston
Rovers 3-1 in Chesham. The Ducks dominated early on and had their first goal of the season after 30 minutes as Sonny French lobbed Martin Conway after a sublime pass from Matt Peake-Pijnen.
The visitors put on plenty of pressure but the score remained 1-0 at half-time, until just after the hour when Harry Jones showed great composure to double the lead.
Peake-Pijnen made it three on 78 minutes with a well-taken goal and Ben Shepherd was left to strike a consolation two minutes from time.
The result means the Ducks finish weekend one fourth, while Kempston are 16th and now targeting points at home to Coleshill Town on Tuesday.
Coleshill will head into that fixture with a spring in their step after Joe Smith’s double helped his side to a 2-0 win over
Aylesbury in the Colemen’s first venture into the heady heights of the Southern League.
The first half was a cagey affair with both defences looking solid – the best chance coming just before the break as Aylesbury’s Carl Tappin’s goalbound shot was saved at the foot of the post.
Coleshill’s Smith headed a Ryan Edmunds cross onto the bar before teammate Matt Jackson made a magnificent tackle in the box as Ryan Ward looked to shoot.
The deadlock was broken on 65 minutes when Liam Molesworth’s cross was scissor-kicked into the net by Smith in acrobatic style.
And it got even better on 86 minutes when Smith finished off a fine move involving Edmunds and Molesworth with a grasping shot that secured the points.
Matt Gardner had a tap-in in the dying seconds but visiting keeper Nick Binnion somehow kept the effort out – life at level four not too bad for the Coleman.
New boys to the Southern League Bromsgrove Sporting walked away from Creasey Park having had the
perfect start in a 4-1 win over AFC Dunstable.
The game was a tight affair in the opening 30 minutes until Cameron Peters broke the deadlock, strong work down the left from Will Shorrock eventually resulting in Peters scoring from the edge of the area.
Minutes later and the lead was doubled by an own goal, with Ryan Frater heading into his own net following a free-kick on the left.
Dunstable got a goal back through BJ Christie after Sporting failed to clear their lines, with the score 2-1 at the break.
The visitors regained their two-goal lead when Richard Gregory converted a penalty on 46 minutes, with Josh Quaynor having been tripped in the box.
And the game was put to bed when John Pykett made it four on the hour, heading home a Will Shortock cross to finish the weekend in lofty second. North Leigh started the season with an excellent performance and a welldeserved 3-1 victory against the heavily experienced Dunstable Town.
The deadlock was broken in the 34th minute after a screamer of a goal from exOxford City youngster Henry Landers put North Leigh ahead.
Dunstable Town went into the break all level though after Chris Wreh converted a penalty on the stroke of half-time.
Martin Griggs restored the lead from the spot right after the break and Landers bagged a brace and secured all three points on 63 minutes, with North Leigh able to ease off. Berkhamsted Town began their campaign with a 1-0 home defeat to Peterborough Sports in a close encounter, with the EastMidlanders eighth following the win.
The Turbines are at home to Welwyn Garden City on Tuesday night whilst Berkhamsted get the chance to kickstart their campaign away at Dunstable Town.