Hayes & Yeading left it late to secure a fifth away victory from just seven Skrill South outings as Phil Babb's side took advantage of being only one of two fixtures on the day to move up to fourth in the table.

The gaffer made just one change to the side victorious at Basingstoke as Anthony Furlonge returned from suspension in place of Seb Schoburgh as United reverted to a flat back four at the Rushmoor Community Stadium.

Both sides started well and both keepers were in action within the opening five minutes. United's Luke Williams forced home stopper Kevin Scriven to push his angled drive over the top in just the third minute and then two minutes later at the other end Dan Bennett's low cross was turned towards his own goal by Furlonge, Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz reacting well to keep it out before the ball was fired clear.

In the 12th minute the home side did break the deadlock as Scott Donnelly's corner from the left side was met powerfully in the middle by Josh Huggins giving Jaimez-Ruiz no chance with a clinically headed opener.

This early strike however failed to ignite the game any further and only one real opening came in the remainder of the first half and that fell to United on the half hour when Jack Mills fed the ball left to Louie Soares who struck a powerful shot across Scriven but it went narrowly the wrong side of the far post and that was it for the first 45 minutes.

The second half however was to be a different story with chances aplenty at both ends. Phil Babb made a half-time change with striker Kelvin Bossman replacing full-back Furlonge who had gone down under a hefty challenge in the first half, this saw United revert to a back three as played at Basingstoke the week previous.

First chance of the half came to the home side as Donnelly sent Elvis Hammond into the United box, his effort from an angle striking the side netting and just six minutes later the woodwork came to the home sides rescue when Dean Inman's header from a Tom Bird corner went over Scriven only to come back off the crossbar before being cleared for a further corner by Alfred Bosch-Corbera. Bird's corner again found Inman but his header went just the wrong side of the post.

Chances were starting to come thick and fast as the game really opened up. Phil Page curled an effort just past the top corner of the United goal after excellent approach work from Bennett and Steve Laidler and on the hour a neat Williams chip through found Bossman with just Scriven to beat but he rushed his shot and blasted over.

The woodwork came to Uniteds rescue a couple of minutes later when Page ran onto a Reece Connolly flick only to see his shot beat Jaimez-Ruiz and come back off the far upright. United again brought the best out of Scriven in the 72nd minute when a one-two across the width of the box between Soares and Bird saw the former strike a volley that the 'Boro keeper pushed away at full stretch.

Three minutes later Scriven did well to this time deny Bossman then in the 79th minute a Jaimez-Ruiz punt forwards was flicked on by substitutes Bossman and Geoff Mitchell to Soares who advanced and hit a shot that took a deflection off defender Adam Doyle and flew into the back of the 'Boro net.

Having got back into the game, two minutes later United nearly gifted the home side the lead when Bennett nipped behind Bird who was trying to shepherd the ball out for a goal-kick, he cut back inside and tried to squeeze the ball in at the near post only to be denied by the outstretched boot of Jaimez-Ruiz before the loose ball was hacked clear.

In keeping with the whole of the second half, chances came quickly at both ends as the end of the game approached. Frankie Merrifield fed Bird on the left, his low driven centre found Soares arriving at the far post and with the ball coming to him at pace he managed to hit his shot straight to Scriven with the goal beckoning.

Bennett then sent Boro substitute Dave Tarpey away on the right, with United players in attendance he still managed to get his cross come shot in and with Lloyd Macklin arriving at the far post Jaimez-Ruiz did well to push the ball out with Charlie Wassmer whacking it to safety.

There was still more to come in stoppage time as Bossman sent Bird through only to be denied again by Scriven and then as we entered the third minute of stoppage time, a partially cleared United corner was collected on the right by Merrifield who with his back to goal span around between two defenders and just as he hit the sideline of the Boro box he was sent sprawling by Macklin's challenge and referee Mr Bristow pointed to the spot. With regular taker Jake Reid off the pitch, Mills took the responsibility and duly sent Scriven the wrong way to seal another away victory for United.

Report by Kevin Watts.

Photos by Ray Peploe.

United Man of the Match: Frankie Merrifield.