Hayes & Yeading came from behind at Grosvenor Vale to take the spoils against a good Wealdstone side who only just missed out on promotion last season from the Ryman Premier.

United welcomed back an old favourite in Charlie Wassmer at the back while the Stones fielded three ex United faces in Nathan Koo-Boothe, Nathan Webb and Esmond James.

Both sides had early chances with Stefan Cox for United and Esmond James for the home side firing across the opposition goals without troubling either keeper.

After an even opening, United started to get a bit of a grip on proceedings around the 20 minute mark. Jack Pattison played the ball in from the right to skipper Luke Williams who saw his shot dip just over the top and then within seconds a similar effort from the same player ended with Stones keeper Jonathan North holding his shot.

Headers from Tom Bird corners by Dean Inman on the half hour and just before the break were both marginally off target and the sides went in level at the break.

The home side made six changes at the break with only their back four and keeper coming out for the second period, United made just one change with Szymon Sidorowicz coming on for Inman.

It was almost first blood to United as within sixty seconds of the restart North was forced to dive to his right to deny Medley who had hit a sweet half volley from the edge of the area.

The next ten minutes belonged to the home side who found the net once but it could have been more. Peter Dean cut the ball back to Lewis Putman who saw his drive deflected wide by Wassmer, this was quickly followed by Putman picking out an unmarked Dean in the box but the former Hayes FC man screwed his shot back towards the touchline.

Chris Moore then found himself through on goal only to shoot straight at Bradshaw before the was broken on 51 minutes when Putman collected the ball on the left of the United box and unleashed a superb shot across the face of Bradshaw's goal and in off the far post.

United quickly picked up their game though and just before the hour Kamaron English fed the ball wide to Williams who skipped past a tackle into the box and pulled the ball back neatly to Merrifield who chose placement over power and put his effort over the top.

The equaliser soon came though, Medley collected on the left corner of the box, his shot (pictured right) taking a slight deflection towards North's near post and although the Stones keeper was down quickly to the ball he allowed it to squirm from his grasp and roll into the net.

Three minutes later United were ahead, English swinging in a tantalising cross from the left that Koo-Boothe appeared to handle and with the appeals being waved away Merrifield nipped in and fired past North (pictured below).

Medley should have had his second shortly after when English broke onto a Williams pass and picked out the unmarked striker at the far post but he missed the target.

The Stones suffered an unfortunate blow with 15 minutes remaining when scorer Putman appeared to catch his studs in the ground under challenge from Sidorowicz and had to leave the field on a stretcher, hopefully he will make a speedy recovery but it looked bad for him as he left the ground at the end.

With just six minutes left the home side really should have levelled, United had just made four changes and were still re-organising when Dean picked out an unmarked Moore in the centre but he fired straight into the waiting arms of Ashley Harris in the United goal.

Three minutes later the result was confirmed when United substitute Mourice Harrison won the ball inside the Stones area and cut inside on the edge of the six yard box and unleashed a left foot drive into the roof of the net giving North no chance.

Report by Kevin Watts.



Photos by Ray Peploe.