Hayes & Yeading received Terry Brown’s table topping AFC Wimbledon at Church Road on Tuesday evening and while a goalless game was not what either side required it was a point well earned for United in the battle against relegation.

Garry Haylock made two changes to his starting line-up as Adam Green replaced the suspended Tom Cadmore and Andy Yiadom came in for Elliott Buchanan who took a place on the bench.

The opening twenty minutes rarely saw a threat to goal although a sixth minute header from Drewe Broughton after good work out wide by Fraser Franks and Danny Kedwell gave some early action for United keeper Delroy Preddie who plucked the powerful header out of the air.

The first threat from United was not to be until the 22nd minute when Jamie Hand fed the ball to Jefferson Louis who manoeuvred the ball onto his left foot but his effort was blocked wide by an interception from Brett Johnson.

With ten minutes to go the game finally came to life as both sides hit the woodwork within a minute. Louis had just tested Wombles keeper Seb Brown before a long ball upfield saw Preddie race from goal to kick clear. The clearance went straight to Kirk Hudson who tried to play it back into the United net from 45 yards, his shot was off target but with Preddie still recovering his position, the ball fell to an on-coming Kedwell only for Preddie to throw himself at the shot which deflected it onto the post and the United keeper grabbed hold of the loose ball.

Sixty seconds later it was keeper to the rescue at the other end to deny United this time. Hand won a firm tackle against Rashid Yussuff in the middle of the park and with referee Whitton deciding not to stop the game with the Wimbledon man down the ball ws played left to Lee Brown. Brown’s cross was met on the volley by Andy Yiadom drawing a superb one handed save from Brown and as the rebound dropped to Adam Green, his goalbound volley was touched onto the inside of the post by the visiting stopper before the ball nestled in his arms.

Just a couple of minutes remained and Preddie was again required, this time to deny his former play-off winning team-mate Steven Gregory. Hand lost possession in the middle of the United half and Gregory tried his luck with a 30 yard drive that swerved in the air, Preddie doing well to parry the ball before clutching it to his grateful chest.

The second half was to also be a tight and closely fought affair as both sides looked to find that elusive first goal. Green quickly found Louis in the area, his sharp turn giving a shooting chance but his effort was too high.

Around the hour mark it was a well placed Green who kept the scoresheet blank as he chested a Johnson header from an in-swinging corner off the line with Preddie doing the sweeping up job.

Minutes later United created another opening at the other end when Bradley Pritchard and Louis combined, the former running onto a neat chip through but on his weaker left foot he volleyed wide of Brown’s goal.

As play continued to swing from end to end, Franks cross from the right was volleyed goalwards by Kedwell but Preddie was equal to it and two minutes later former United favourite James Mulley’s cross from the left picked out Yussuff in the middle but he headed wide of the far post.

Six minutes from time recently arrived United substitute Ben Wright advanced onto a neat Hand lofted throughball but his first time volley was comfortably held by Brown in the Wombles goal.

Two half chances in the dying embers of the game fell to the visitors as firstly two Wimbledon substitutes combined with Ryan Jackson picking out Christian Jolley at the far post but the striker fired over. In the fifth minute of stoppage time Adam Bygrave slipped and was caught in possession by Jolley who raced menacingly towards Preddie’s goal only to be denied a shooting opportunity by a perfectly timed tackle inside the area from United Man of the Match Charlie Wassmer (pictured right with the bubbly).

Report by Kevin Watts.

Photo by Ray Peploe.

Barnhill Community Centre
Man of the Match: Charlie Wassmer.

Highlights courtesy of FC Video here.