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Hayes & Yeading Utd 2
Northwood 2
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A lacklustre performance from United’s under 18 side saw a draw snatched from the jaws of defeat as two stoppage time goals earned United a share of the spoils and therefore retained our unbeaten record in the Ryman Youth West Division.
The first half saw very little in the way of attacking invention from either side although the game could have opened up if Dylan Kearney’s early far post effort had not been well saved by Northwood ‘keeper Kamal Foster.
Foster saved again midway through the half diving to his right after Josiah Benjamin had got his head to a Jack Thomson-Wheeler corner then he was well placed to palm away a Kearney shot with the rebound being fired across the face of goal by Matt Marques.
As the half drew to a close both sides had a chance to break the deadlock with Michael Brown meeting a corner on the volley without really troubling George Upton while at the other end Kearney’s deep centre was met on the volley at the far post by Ben Slade but his effort went across goal and wide.
Changes at the break by United saw a more fired up attack with Kearney playing in a more withdrawn role behind the newly arrived Cole Brown and Chris Rose. Indeed Rose went close just after the hour mark when beating the on-coming Foster to the ball only for it to go wide of the target.
By now Brown was causing the Woods defence all sorts of problems, having outrun his marker to collect a Charlie Mitchell throughball, his shot just cleared the crossbar as Foster came out to meet him. Minutes later he went even closer when he collected a Kearney pass and hit a dipping shot that cannoned back off the underside of the bar. In between these two efforts for United, Upton had to be alert to gather in another effort from Brown for the visitors.
Minutes later the deadlock was broken against the run of play. Northwood earned a corner on the left, Jack McDonnell’s in-swinging kick beating all and sundry before going in at the far post.
Foster then did well to collect a Sinclair volley before Woods skipper Jamie Doolan was given far too much time and space twenty yards out and he picked his spot in the top corner of Upton’s net to double to visitors advantage.
United however continued to push for a way back into the game and this finally came in the second minute of stoppage time as Mitchell collected the ball and forced his way into the area before firing past Foster to reduce the arrears.
Two minutes later the game was all square, Kearney sent Mitchell marauding again into the box, this time Foster kept out his shot but the ball fell kindly to the alert Sinclair who forced it home from close range to earn a somewhat unexpected point.
Report by Kevin Watts.
United Man of the Match: Charlie Mitchell.
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