First keeper to see action at the Abbey Stadium was Hayes & Yeading's Steve Arnold as he had to come sharply off his line in the eighth minute as Adam Marriott advanced onto a Conal Platt throughball, the United keeper grabbing the ball from the on-coming players toes.

Hayes & Yeading were soon on the attack themselves as Daniel Wishart, making his first start of the season, pulled a cleared corner down and switched the ball to his left only for Cambridge skipper Michael Wylde to block his shot. The loose ball was swiftly moved upfield by the home side to Ashley Carew who cut inside Curtis Ujah and then lost all his composure and fired wildly over Arnold's goal.

Next to test U's keeper Danny Naisbitt was Pierre Joseph-Dubois whose shot seemed to be going wide anyway but the home keeper made a real mess of gathering the ball which resulted in his fumbling it wide for a corner, the corner sadly came to nothing for the visitors.

Hayes & Yeading's best move of the first half saw home skipper Wylde rescue his side. Nathan Elder flicked the ball on the Wishart who advanced on the left before hitting a low centre to a sliding Elder who was denied by a fine Wylde interception in the six yard box that took the ball over his own crossbar, again the corner came to nothing.

Just five minutes later the best chance of the half fell to the home side. Marriott made his way into the United area on the right and despite being stopped by a tackle, the ball ran loose to Carew 8 yards from goal and with just Arnold to beat he fired across the face of goal and wide of the far post.

Nas Bashir made a change at the break which saw new signing Hector Mackie, who had just returned from the World University Games with a silver medal playing football for Team GB, replace Wishart.

Just four minutes into the half the home crowd were stunned into silence by their former loanee Mark Bentley who mugged Luke Berry in the middle of the U's half before looking up and placing a perfect 25 yard curler into the top corner of Naisbitt's goal.

Sadly for the visitors though they did not have time to absorb taking the lead as it lasted just five minutes. James Jennings found space to cross on the left, Jordan Patrick arrived at the far post but his header was pushed away by Arnold with the loose ball falling perfectly to Platt who lashed the ball into the roof of the net from close range.

This seemed to be the push the home side needed as they started to push forwards for the winner. Just after the hour mark a free-kick was met at the far stick by Wylde who headed back across goal to an in-coming Josh Coulson who kept his header down but luckily for Hayes & Yeading it struck the base of the post and was hacked clear.

Platt and Berry then combined well on the edge of the area but the latter's weak effort was easily fielded by Arnold. Then with just five minutes remaining Hayes & Yeading were denied a first away point of the season when a long Wylde throw-in was allowed to pass over two defender's heads and bounce in the six yard box where Berry was on hand to sweep in the winner.

Report by Kevin Watts.

Photos by Ray Peploe.

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