Nas Bashir’s Hayes & Yeading United side lost to title chasing Wrexham on a blustery afternoon in North Wales.
Bashir, who gave a debut to on loan Stevenage striker Michael Thalassitis, will no doubt be looking for a reaction from his team on Tuesday evening at relegation zone rivals Bath City after finding the going a bit too tough at the Racecourse Ground.
Despite playing into a fierce wind, Wrexham were able to stamp their authority on the game fairly early on. Carl Pentney was alert to stop Andy Morrell from close range following Steven Leslie’s clever throughball, Phil Walsh completing the clearance as the ball rolled towards goal. Next it was Yassin Moutaouakil’s turn to clear from the goal line but this time from his own misplaced back pass which deceived the advancing Pentney.
United’s midfield began to probe the Wrexham defence but found it difficult to release lone striker Thalassitis, and it was a long clearance from defence which created Wrexham’s opening goal as Jake Speight held off Moutaouakil and cut inside before tucking his shot beyond the dive of Pentney and into the bottom corner.
Speight was denied by Pentney from a tight angle after a one-two with Neil Ashton and then from Leslie’s corner, Nathaniel Knight-Percival’s header hit Morrell and spun narrowly wide. Wrexham were convinced that they’d made it 2-0 soon afterwards when Michael Creighton’s header beat Pentney, but referee Amy Fearn had already spotted a foul on a United defender in the build up.
United were just beginning to settle once again and without really threatening Joslain Mayebi’s goal, did earn a succession of corners, but it was an error at the other end which was to deliver a telling blow just before half time, Pentney parrying Adrian Cieslewicz’s low cross straight at Creighton’s feet and he couldn’t miss from close range.
Four minutes into the second half, Daniel Wishart collected Luke Williams’s throw in and a deceptive turn allowed him the space to shoot. Mayebi fumbled but recovered before Thalassitis could challenge for the loose ball.
In the 58th minute, Wrexham added to their lead when a short corner was cut back to Jay Harris who delivered the ball into a crowded penalty area and it eluded everybody including the diving Pentney before nestling into the far corner. Then after Leslie had gone close from a free kick, another short corner and another delivery from Harris led to the fourth goal after a scramble was put in by Mathias Pogba with United defenders appealing for offside in vain.
Pentney made two classy saves to prevent further damage, first from Harris’s long range effort, and then from his rising shot after good link up play with Cieslewicz. However, United’s players did provide something for the die hard fans to cheer right as the end as substitute Julian Owusu powered forward from Mark Bentley’s pass and took on Daniel Alfei before firing in a powerful shot which Mayebi fumbled into Thalassitis’s path, giving the debutant an easy tap in.
Report by Nick Bell.
United Man of the Match: Pelé.
|
