Phil Babb’s Hayes & Yeading side went down to a third consecutive defeat as a single strike from Boro’s Harry Grant was enough to take all three points at Cherrywood Road on a wet Saturday afternoon in Hampshire.
United included in the starting line-up the returning Ben Gerring while Calum Kitscha, Adam Everitt, Ashleigh Artwell and Louis-Rae Beadle all returned to the starting line-up in changes from the side at Eastbourne on Tuesday.
An early chance apiece saw a Lewis Ferrell free-kick being knocked down to Dean Inman by Ben Gerring, he in turn fed it back to Ferrell who was only just wide of the target from 25 yards. At the other end minutes later a shot from distance by Michael Richens was comfortably swept up by Calum Kitscha.
The 25th minute saw two good opportunities, again on per side. The home side’s ‘keeper Charlie Grainger punted the ball forwards, Adam Everitt won a clearing header but the ball dropped invitingly to Louie Theophanous who hit a fierce volley that Kitscha palmed down before gathering and launching the ball upfield where Pat Cox received, took a touch and hit a volley of his own that was again just the wrong side of the upright.
Cox had another chance to break the deadlock shortly after when he moved onto a neat Rhys Murrell-Williamson back-heel but again from 18 yards he failed to work the ‘keeper with his shot going wide.
Ten minutes before the break the home side went even closer when a low angled drive from Theophanous struck the outside of the post and went wide. Everitt came to United’s rescue five minutes later when Fejiri Okenabirhie received the ball in the centre of the box after good work out on the left, his driven attempt being blocked wide by a perfectly timed slide from the United left-back.
United started the second half well and just a few minutes in Ashleigh Artwell played the ball across the park to Murrell-Williamson who cut inside and hit a shot that took a double deflection before Grainger got down to gather the ball diving to his right. Artwell himself soon after collected a loose ball and ran at goal only to shoot straight at Grainger under pressure from a recovering Farnborough defence.
On the hour United were put under pressure from a Boro corner, the initial kick being headed into the ground before being headed just wide of the post by centre-back Darryl Siaw. The home side were now in their best period of forwards possession in the game as firstly Reece Beckles forced a low save from Kitscha and then on 71 minutes they broke the deadlock when Harry Grant was allowed time and space to line up a shot from 20+ yards that arrowed low and hard into the bottom corner just avoiding the desperate dive of Kitscha.
Twice in the final ten minutes United went close, both times with strikes from defenders. Ferrell’s free-kick was controlled and fired goalwards by Inman only to be denied by the intercepting head of Boro substitute Courtney Fearn who cleared the ball away for a corner. Then with just a couple of minutes remaining a corner was played back to Everitt who saw his volley deflect off an outstretched boot which took it just over the crossbar.
