The weather rather than the referee was to play a major part as Hayes & Yeading United departed an FA competition for the second time this season having let a two goal advantage slip, this time in the FA Trophy at a wet and windy Corby Town.

Nas Bashir named the exact same 16 that demolished Chelmsford on Tuesday evening and at half time all was looking rosy in the United camp with goals from Mark Bentley and Luke Williams seeing United hold a two goal advantage. Sadly after the re-start with the wind now heavily favouring the home side and the rain getting harder the tie slipped from United's grasp in the dying seconds.

United started quickly and after just four minutes Corby keeper Paul Walker had to be on his toes as Kudus Oyenuga slipped the ball to Daniel Wishart on the left, he cut inside and outpaced Stefan Galinski only for Walker to push away his angled shot.

Despite playing against the wind the home side started to settle soon afterwards and create a few openings of their own. Tom McGowan found Avelino Vieira on the left, he turned inside Yassin Moutaouakil only to blaze over the crossbar and minutes later Vieira was again in the United damger zone, this time nodding the ball down to Sam Ives but his first time effort went just the wrong side of the upright.

The game fell a little flat for ten minutes of so before chances again started to flow at either end. Ryan Semple's cross from the right was headed over by Liam Hughes under pressure from Moutaouakil who was soon in action at the other end as he played the ball to Oyenuga in the right side of the Steelmen's box, the United strikers pull-back finding Luke Williams but his shot was part blocked by Piergianni before being hooked clear.

United were to open the scoring four minutes later however. Williams' free-kick from midway inside the Corby half perfectly picking out Bentley at the far post, the United midfielder leaping behind Paul Malone to squeeze his header into the top corner of Walker's net (Pictured left).

Walker kept the deficit to one minutes later when Oyenuga slid the ball to skipper Sam Cox, his stinging drive from 25 yards being pushed away at full stretch one handed by the Corby stopper. Less than a minute later the home side really should have been level as McGowan's cross from the right saw Hughes throw himself at the ball but his diving header from 6 yards went wide of the target.

United were to finish the half stronger, Oyenuga sped between both Galinski and Piergianni to get a shot in that Walker did well to block away at the near post, the Steelmen's keeper showing good strong hands to deny United's top scorer.

Walker then held onto a low Tobi Joseph drive before being beaten for the second time. Luke Williams picking the ball off the toes of Malone before advancing into the box and firing a left foot shot across Walker into the far corner of the Corby goal.

There was still time for another chance for United in the final seconds, Dan Spence broke free on the overlap, his low centre caused mayhem in the Corby defence but Joseph's shot was well blocked inside the six yard box and United went in at the break two goals to the good.

With the wind and rain now in their favour and no doubt their manager's words ringing in their ears, Corby were to come out a totally different side in the second half and never has a truer word been said than by Nick Bell at half time "the next goal is crucial", and indeed it was.

Hughes was only just off target for the Steelmen on 50 minutes when he got his head to a Vieira centre but just six minutes later that crucial next goal came. Former Stockport defender Piergianni, who had scored twice against United last season, rising highest at the far post to head a Semple cross beyond Hall into the top corner.

Just three minutes later a long Walker punt ricocheted straight to Semple but Hall got his body behind his shot, the United keeper denying the same player again in the 68th minute after good build up play from Lewis Webb.

15 minutes remained and it looked like maybe it was going to be United's day. Semple robbed Spence in the left-back area, his low cross falling to Hughes who despite beating Hall fuond Moutaouakil well placed on the post to clear the ball off the line.

Then with eight minutes left on the clock the home side levelled the tie. Substitute Leon McKenzie wriggled free from Spence's attentions on the right side of the United area before firing a low cross to the far post where his skipper and former Northampton Town player Jason Crowe arrived to force the ball home from close range.

Four minutes later and with United well and truly on the back foot now, a long ball ran straight through to McKenzie, the Corby striker being denied by a fine outstretched leg from Hall who spread himself in front of the clean through Steelman. The resultant corner was met by Piergianni, this time his header was cleared off the line by Spence.

In the first minute of stoppage time the tie was settled in favour of the home side. United substitute Manny Williams was caught in possession in his own area, the resultant cross from the right being touched home by McKenzie to seal 45 minutes of woe for Nas Bashir's side.

Report by Kevin Watts.

Photos by Ray Peploe.

United Man of the Match: Yassin Moutaouakil.