Hayes & Yeading United’s recent winless run continued with a narrow defeat at the hands of Ashford Town (Middlesex) at Short Lane on Monday.

Conor Moody and Perry Luckins were the stars of the show for the home side and they combined three times early on to cause United problems. Luckins collected Moody’s forward pass before shooting towards goal, only for Tarek Sebiat to deflect his shot wide. Then another Moody pass to Luckins led to a lob which just cleared the cross bar. A one two between the pair soon afterwards created another opening for Ashford but Moody’s shot went wide.

The home side continued to press without reward in the first half. Mitchell Fountain hit a free kick just wide and Luke Daley blocked Moody’s shot with a great point blank save. Then when Luckins beat the onrushing Daley to a ball over the top, his shot beat the keeper but not Chevy Hart on the goal line.

The pressure got to United and Hart was booked before half time for blocking off his opponent’s run.

The home side continued to dominate in the second half. Bairoh Conteh’s long pass was latched onto by Charles Gerson but the winger’s shot was well blocked by Daley. The United keeper then pulled off a great save to deny Moody who had seized upon Luckins’s flick on from Elijah Bristol’s long ball.

In the 58th minute, Ashford took the lead as Fountain’s deep cross from the right flank was headed in at the far post by Gerson.

Daley was once again keeping his side in the game with a fine tip over from Moody’s shot before he was left powerless by some generous defending that allowed Luckins to cut inside and fire home just inside the far post.

Daley’s heroics were not to stop there as he pulled off a fine double save to deny Max Webb and then bravely block at the feet of Fountain. However, United got a way back into the game when Nicke Kabamba cut in from the left flank and was tripped by Bristol. Joel Jacobs hit the penalty into the roof of the net to reduce the arrears.

However, hopes of an equaliser took a severe dent when Hart left the pitch without the referee’s permission whilst a team mate was receiving treatment and thus earned his second yellow card for doing so. Being a man short made United’s task much harder, but amazingly, they had a great chance to snatch a late equaliser when Dale Woodford burst through on goal from Kabamba’s forward pass, but Jordan Danson was quick to get off his line and block the shot.

Report by Nick Bell. Photos by Ray Peploe.

United Man of the Match: Luke Daley.