Hayes & Yeading United started 2013 with a victory as a goal at either end of the match saw Maidenhead beaten by two goals to nil at York Road.

Manager Bas Bashir brought two former United favourites back into the side as both Adam Bygrave and Jamie Hand donned Hayes & Yeading colours for the start of their second spells with the club.

Sam Cox was to have the first effort on goal in just the fifth minute, his curling effort from 25 yards being saved by Magpies keeper Jesse Joronen diving to his right. Two minutes later United stopper Brandon Hall had to be at his acrobatic best as Chris Flood pulled the ball back to Brentford loanee Alfie Mawson who hit a shot from just inside the box that Hall superbly tipped over.

In less than a minute though it was the visitors who broke the deadlock. Kudus Oyenuga collected the ball on the left side of the Magpies area, he held the ball up long enough for support to arrive as he picked out Josh Ekim who stroked the ball past Joronen (above right) for his first League goal for United.

Dan Spence and Josh Ekim exchanged passes on 17 minutes, the latter cutting inside from the right and hitting a left foot shot that Joronen dealt with comfortably before good work from Tom Cadmore and Sam Cox set up Daniel Wishart who made space for himself and rifled in a shot that only just cleared the bar.

Just before the half hour mark the home side really should have leveled the game when Patrick Kanyuka knocked down a free-kick to Alex Wall, the striker totally missing his kick inside the six yard box and the danger was cleared.

Joronen held onto an Oyenuga shot shortly afterwards then it was Hall's turn to panic as he threw himself full stretch to a Flood drive that only just missed the top corner of the United goal.

With the heavy pitch playing a big part, it was no surprise that the second half took a while to get going. It was actually almost on the hour when another chance came along, and it came to United. Daniel Brathwaite and Jamie Hand combined on the left to pick out Oyenuga, the striker darting between Kanyuka and Bobby Behzadi before curling a shot that only just failed to find the top corner of Joronen's net.

Joronen held onto a 25 yard Wishart free-kick before at the other end Flood burst onto a David Pratt flick on, his angle being too tight and he smashed the ball wide of Hall's goal.

Seventeen minutes remained when Wishart came to the rescue for United, Daniel Brown sent Flood away on the right side this time, his low driven cross going through to the far post where Wishart had tracked back, the striker sliding the ball away for a corner as Leon Solomon arrived.

In the 90th minute it looked like a real case of deja vu as substitute Mark Nisbet's deep cross was headed home at the far post only for the Magpies celebrations to be halted by a raised offside flag from the referee's assistant.

It was not until the fifth minute of stoppage time that the result was assured. With the Magpies throwing everything forwards, substitute Jamal Lowe took the ball from Solomon deep in United territory before embarking on a solo run of more than half the field and still having the composure to steady himself and beat Joronen from the edge of the box for a debut goal.

Report by Kevin Watts.



Photos by Ray Peploe.



United Man of the Match: Adam Bygrave.