Hayes & Yeading’s Academy side slipped out of the Middlesex Youth Cup at Wealdstone on Wednesday evening as two defensive slips allowed the hosts to overhaul Ben Slade’s first half opener.

United made the early running and almost benefitted in the 12th minute when a defender met Matt Sinclair’s corner at the near post and was inches away from heading into his own net.

A few minutes later the Stones created a decent chance of their own as Adrian George raced away up the right wing but could only hit the side netting with his angled shot.

On 24 minutes United took a deserved lead. Dylan Kearney intercepted a weak pass on the right, he rolled the ball into the path of Ben Slade who fired across the dive of Stones ‘keeper Marco de Lauri with the ball finding the net via the far post.

United continued to push for a second, Kearney laid the ball to Charlie Mitchell and continued his run into the centre, getting his head to the defenders cross but going too high to trouble de Lauri.

Slade almost had a second when he turned past two defenders and hit a shot that took a deflection before being fumbled wide by de Lauri.

George Upton in the United goal was drawn into action ten minutes from the break when Adrian George flicked on a cross, forcing the United stopper to push his effort aside.

United really didn’t get going in the second half but did defender stoutly with the hosts first creating a scare on 77 minutes. Connor Spinks was put straight through, Upton denied him by coming sharply off his line and when the loose ball fell to a Wealdstone player, he was denied by an excellent sliding block from Colin Mugoya.

Then with seven minutes remaining disaster struck for the United ‘keeper, who has been in excellent form, a free-kick by Dean McDonnell floated towards the top corner and as Upton attempted a catch, the wet ball slipped from his grasp and dropped over the goal line to gift the hosts an equaliser that saw the game move into extra time.

Upton saved at point blank range in the opening minutes of extra time as Spinks found space in the box and then at the other end United went closer when Slade beat the on-coming de Lauri to the ball only for his lob to come back off the crossbar to Matt Sinclair who saw his effort well blocked by a sliding defender.

On the stroke of half time in extra time United were again denied by a superb defensive block from the home side as Jack Thomson-Wheeler exchanged passes with Slade before firing low only for his effort to be blocked.

The home side got a second at the start of the second period when Upton and defender Curtis Cyrus got in a pickle on the edge of the box which allowed Spinks to basically walk the loose ball into the United net.

United tried for a leveller but couldn’t find one. Sinclair was inches wide with a diving header from Mitchell’s centre and with just a minute to go having seen the home side fire against the United post, substitute Max Mutlow was put through on goal only to fire straight at de Lauri.

Report by Kevin Watts.

United Man of the Match: Jack Thomson-Wheeler.