ROYSTON Town continued with their pre-season preparations last night (Thursday) with a 2-2 draw with last season’s Spartan South Midlands champions Aylesbury at the Heath.

It really was a game of two halves as Paul Attfield’s side went into half time a goal to the good after new-boy George Brinkman again got his name on the scoresheet as reward for some excellent football from the Crows.

The second half was a different story, though, and despite Tom Malins doubling the lead, the visitors were much-improved and, after reducing the deficit just past the hour-mark through an innocuous looking penalty, they salvaged a draw with only minutes left on the clock.

Despite letting a two-goal lead slip, this was a good workout for Attfield’s men which provided another good opportunity to blood some of his new additions.

Attfield will have been very pleased with the standard of play from his players, especially in the first half.

The decision to change all 11 players at half time was always going to change the flow of the game, but there were more than enough positives for the team to take from the match.

The Crow’s football was slick and creative in the first half with Josh Bronti striking the crossbar after running onto Ross Collins’ exquisite through ball and Collins also had a well hit volley which was superbly palmed around a post by the visting ‘keeer.

Royston took the lead 10 minutes before the break when Ryan Lockett’s well delivered free-kick was headed in my Brinkman at the far post after sneaking between two defenders.

Malins grabbed the second just minutes after the half-time break when Lewis Endacott’s low cross caught the Aylesbury defence napping and Malins was on hand to tap the ball past the exposed ‘keeper.

Liam McDevitt’s foul on an Aylesbury winger just inside the box meant the lead was cut and the visitors sensed they could snatch another before the end of the match.

And that they did just that with five minutes remaining when the Aylesbury striker raced onto a through ball after beating the offside trap before lobbing the ball over the advancing ‘keeper Daniel Plumb into the empty net.

Royston’s next game is tomorrow (Saturday) when they travel to Northamptonshire to take on United Counties Premier League Division side Long Buckby. Kick-off is at 3pm.

Royston: Jorden Gibson, Tom Whitaker, Ahley Grinham, David Cain, Dean McElvoy, Ross Collins, Carl Edwards, Josh Bronti, George Brinkman, Ryan Lockett, Jan Stephens, Daniel Plumb, Lewis Endacott, Danny Apostolos, Nick Mulvaney, Liam McDevitt, Conor De Lacy, Danny Dolan, Arron Welch, Tom Malins, Aaron Harvey, Ricky Young.