Hayes & Yeading United claimed their second victory out of two in the Ryman Youth League in a comfortable and dominant manner, defeating Northwood 3-1.
Defenders Jake Rawlings and Elijah Bristol and midfielder Eddie Keen came in for their debuts as manager Simon East made changes to the line up which beat Bedfont Sports last week and all three played their part in the victory. However, the approach play of David Manu, Flavio Tavares and Alan Musoke proved to be the main difference between the two teams, particularly in the first half.
With just four minutes gone, Musoke looked threatening as he rode a challenge from David Palmer but the tight angle he was left with meant that he could only steer his shot into the side netting. However, Keen and Manu combined well to create the first shot on target, the later shooting firmly, but straight at Luke Humphrey.
United had a golden chance to open the scoring on 22 minutes. Andrew Dean sent over a tantalising cross which beat Humphrey, but as it reached Tavares, it bounced higher than expected and he couldn’t quite control the volley right in front of goal as the ball ballooned over the bar.
United continued to press. Romaine Palmer went close with a flicked header from Tavares’s corner. However, on 29 minutes they got their reward. A Lewis Cole corner was met by Alan Musoke and although his header was blocked, Prosper Ezewuzie was alert enough to get on the loose ball and steer it through a crowd of players and into the far corner.
Tavares hit another shot over the bar whilst latching onto Dean’s throughball but it wasn’t long before Untied doubled their lead, Eddie Keen controlling the ball 25 yards out and then lashing the ball into the corner of the goal beyond Humphrey’s dive.
To complete a productive half for United in which Northwood were unable to fashion a chance on Melvin Minter’s goal, Romaine Palmer came close to adding to the goals tally, hitting the post from close range via a deflection off Humphrey after Manu had got to the by line and found him with a low centre.
The second half started in much the same vein as the first, with United on top. Tavares sent a corner into the danger area and Keen’s flicked header would’ve gone in but for the timely intervention on the line from Rummell Coombs. However, Northwood were powerless to stop the ferocious volley on the turn from Musoke, who showed excellent technique to rifle the ball into the roof of the net and score the third.
Within a minute, Northwood threatened United’s goal for the first time as Minter was called upon to tip Michael Ciderfield’s powerful drive around his near post. This heralded Northwood’s best spell in the game and they got a goal back five minutes later as Minter fumbled a Coombs corner and after quite a scramble, David Palmer prodded the ball home off the post.
The game entered a lull from that point and only livened up in the closing stages once United maintained control again. Substitute Dylan Hern’s angled shot was pushed away by Humphrey and Keen volleyed the rebound over. The Northwood keeper then comfortably held two efforts, both from Riquel Samuel. Rawlings collected a square pass from Bristol and tried an audacious long shot which unluckily came back off the bar. Then Musoke laid the ball off to Dean whose rising shot was tipped around the post by Humphrey and with the final chance, Samuel headed back across goal and wide of the far post from Manu’s deep corner.
Report by Nick Bell.
United Man of the Match: Alan Musoke.
