Nas Bashir's side is starting to show signs of cohesion but the lack of firepower must be a cause of concern for the United boss as several chances went begging at the RayMac, indeed with better finishing United could have been three goals to the good after just 8 minutes.

Hayes & Yeading's first opening came just 25 seconds into the game when former United man Jack Pattison was caught in possession in his own area by Aaron Woodley who took the ball off the defenders foot and then with just keeper Will Puddy to beat fired straight at him allowing the home stopper to block the ball away.

In the seventh minute United again threatened, this time Louie Soares was quickest to a throughball, he managed to lob the ball over the advancing Puddy but the ball appeared to hold up in the longer than normal pre-season grass and this gave Ryan Brett time to hack the ball off the line.

Less than 60 seconds later it was Pattison to the rescue for the home side as Woodley beat Puddy to the ball and rolled it towards the vacant net only for Pattison to race back to cover by clearing off the line once more.

While United should already have been ahead, in the tenth minute it needed an excellent touch from United keeper Billy Lumley to stop us falling behind as Matthew Wright flicked a cross goalwards. Lumley at full stretch managed to tip the ball onto the inside of the post and defender Curtis Ujah was on hand to clear the ball off the United line.

After the frenetic opening ten minutes, the game started to settle down with defence's taking control. A snap shot from Soares for United whistled wide of the post while at the other end Tom Cadmore did well to deflect a Wright volley wide of the target.

A minute before the break United were denied again, this time by post and defender within seconds of each other. Diak John made his way to the bye-line before picking out Soares who saw his shot deflected against the upright with Julian Owusu's follow up being blocked wide. The resultant corner saw a header from Salisbury striker Wright that appeared to be heading for the top corner of his own net before a header off the line saved his blushes.

With substitution being the operative word in the second half it was not surprising that the game lost some of its fluidity, it did however see the deadlock finally broken. The home side started the second period by far the better, it was almost as if they had come out a totally different side and it took United a little by surprise.

Lumley saved easily early on from Daniel Fitchett before stooping to grab hold of a Ben Adelsbury free-kick from inside the D. Lumley however may be a little annoyed at being beaten at his near post on 56 minutes as the hosts took the lead through a 20 yard shot from Adam Kelly.

Five minutes later it could have been two for City as Wright's flick on was just too far ahead of Darrell Clarke inside the six yard box and Diak John was able to clear.

United started to once more find some forward rhythm and were denied a cast iron penalty when a defender blocked a cross from the right quite clearly with an arm and both referee and assistant ignored United's appeals and awarded a corner kick.

Still United pressed for the equaliser, Soares forced a diving save from substitute keeper Tommy Smith with a 25 yard effort before Jerome Federico's cross was played by a defender straight to Pierre Joseph-Dubois who placed his shot past Smith only for it to again come back off the upright.

United finally levelled the game on 78 minutes when Papa Agyemang collected a cross from Jordan Patrick on the left and turned his marker before firing past Smith with the aid of a deflection.

Having got level, it was the visitors who started to push on for a winner as Phillip John collected the ball 20 yards from goal and hit a shot on the turn that Smith did well to palm out with the loose ball being played out for a corner. The corner was played to the near post where Smith managed to push the ball straight at Jack Saville but he had no time to react and the ball bounced wide.

Then the final blow was struck by the home side three minutes from time. Nathan Webb appeared to be fouled near his own corner flag only for a throw to be awarded to the home side who quickly took advantage of United's hesitation to find Clarke who arrowed a superb 20 yard shot past Lumley into the top corner.

The final effort of the game came from Patrick who saw his 20 yard drive take a slight deflection but it was held by the diving Smith.

Report by Kevin Watts.