Despite dominating possession, Hayes & Yeading United’s defensive frailties of late really hit hard at Church Road on Tuesday evening when four goals were conceded in defeat against a Fisher side who had just one point from 18 on their travels.

Manager Garry Haylock made two changes to the side that drew at Eastleigh, Peter Collins replacing Steve Perkins at left-back and Esmond James coming in for the injured Josh Scott.

United in fact were out of the traps like whippets and could have found the net twice in the first 60 seconds. Both chances were created by James on the right, the first saw keeper Simon Overland beat Kieran Knight to the ball and seconds later Knight was picked out but his shot was wide of the far post.

The Fish then found some forward movement and were twice denied by Delroy Preddie who first palmed away a Michael Kamara close range header before a diving stop from an Omari Coleman drive.

The first goal came to the visitors in controversial fashion in the 16th minute. Danny Allen-Page was clearly hit in the face by a Fisher hand and despite the referee being just yards away no free-kick was awarded and Fisher winger Alex Bentley advanced to the edge of the box and hit a swinging drive that somehow beat Preddie at his near post.

Having fallen behind, United went on to dominate the rest of the half as chance after chance either went begging or Overland kept them out. Knight saw a 20 yard goal bound drive pushed away by the Fisher stopper before the same player was denied as Overland appeared to reach backwards and claw out his shot.

Danny Allen-Page, Ram Marwa with a diving header, and James all went close within a matter of minutes before Kamara was superbly placed to head away a Will Hendry shot just two yards from the line that appeared to be heading for the top corner.

The second half goal fest started after just five minutes as United finally got the deserved equaliser. Allen-Page found space to cross on the right and Marwa dived in at the near post to head home. Sadly for United the scores stayed level for just three minutes before the Fish scored another when a Bentley cross from the left, with nobody in the centre, sailed over Preddie’s head and nestled in the back of the net, much to the amusement of Coleman who laid on the floor laughing.

Again all of the pressure started to come from United, Kamara cleared off the line when a Marwa back heel was almost played into his own net by Andy Sambrook and Knight saw a shot on the run fly inches wide of the target with Overland beaten. Centre-back Matt Ruby then went close with a shot before a superb one handed Overland save denied James Mulley who had met a Knight cross perfectly on the volley.

Just a minute later though it was like the parting of the seas as Fisher substitute Sam Higgins strode through the non existent United back line before firing past Preddie. It took United just seven minutes to reduce the deficit though as Knight latched onto the ball 20 yards out and fired a shot past Overland into the far top corner of the Fisher net.

The 82nd minute saw a chance apiece as firstly Preddie saved from Coleman and then as play switched ends James’ shot on the turn was pushed away to safety by Overland. The game was now in the last minute and with United pushing for an equaliser we were again found wanting at the back when Nevin Saroya appeared to get the wrong side of Higgins who took the ball and advanced before again sliding the ball past Preddie.

United did find the net again in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Knight rose to head home an Allen-Page cross but it was all a case of too little too late and the Fish went back south of the river with the three points.

Report by Kevin Watts. Photos by Ray Peploe.

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