United's under 18s made it seventeen goals from two games in the League Cup as they brushed Carterton aside at Church Road on Monday evening, credit must go to the opposition though as they never gave up and were finally rewarded with a consolation goal four minutes from time.

With such a heavy scoreline in United's favour it would no doubt surprise people that the scoresheet remained blank until six minutes before the break. While United had the bulk of possession, poor finishing and stout defending from both sides were the order of the day early on.

Dominic McAuley saw an early effort saved and both Ashley Barnes and Abdula Nsubuga were close with shots from distance before United went closer still when Dan Mehmet got his head to an Ollie Fayed corner only for the ball to come back off the upright before being hacked clear.

United continued to hunt for that elusive opener as keeper Matthew Faley was a spectator in the home goal. Hasib Saeed saw a shot held by keeper Jonny Dover and Nsubuga beat the on-rushing Dover to a throughball but his lofted effort went wide of the vacant goal.

The 39th minute saw the breakthrough finally, an Aga Brianidt punt forwards was touched on by McAuley to Mehmet who saw his shot pushed away by Dover. From the resultant throw in McAuley and Mehmet played a neat one-two before the former poked the ball past Dover. On the stroke of half time the second duly arrived with the same two players involved as a McAuley shot was cleared off the line, a partial clearance was picked up by Mehmet who blasted the ball past Dover.

At the break, Carterton switched keepers with Dover being replaced by Danny Floyd who was picking the ball out of his net within two minutes as Ollie Fayed extended United's lead from close range.

United also made a change at the break with top scorer Esmond James replacing Barnes, and just five minutes after his arrival he added to his seasons tally. Having received the ball on the left side, he cut post a defender before beating Floyd into the bottom corner of the Carterton net.

Chances continued for the home side, a weak Floyd clearance when well out of goal fell to Lindsay who saw his 35 yard chip headed off the line by skipper Matthew Parry before another audacious effort, this time Mehmet from 40 yards sailed over Floyd who could only help it into the net.

While the visitors continued to play their football it was making little inroads into the United defence and on 74 minutes a sixth duly arrived, closely followed by number seven. First to net was substitute Gareff Roque who rose to head home a corner and then it was Mehmet who completed his hat-trick after a sweeping move from the back encompassing Lindsay and James who squared for Mehmet to tap home.

Five minutes remained when the eighth arrived from an unlikely source. Centre-back Aga Brianidt picked up the ball on the halfway line and set off upfield, played a neat exchange with Roque before moving into the area and finishing like a veteran centre-forward.

Almost straight from kick off Carterton netted a consolation goal, something that was indeed deserved for the effort they put into the game and the fact that they continued to play football even in the face of a demolition by United. The ball was worked out left and fired across the area where Stephen Reed arrived to fire past Faley from six yards.

United could have matched their first round result in the last minute but McAuley having taken the ball around Floyd could only find the side netting, much to the amusement of big brother and former Hayes midfielder Shaun.

Report by Kevin Watts.