A 68th minute strike from Josh Scott, just five minutes after his arrival into the fray, was enough to bring all three points home from Gander Green Lane giving Manager Garry Haylock his second win in his fifth game in charge, a period that has also seen the side keep four clean sheets which have been something of a rarity over the past few seasons.
The gaffer made a couple of changes from the starting XI that were defeated at Dartford, skipper Adam Everitt returned from suspension and starting for the first time was 17 year-old Academy winger Cole Brown with Jhai Dhillon and Mason Spence dropping down to the bench.
On Sutton’s impressive looking 3G pitch, it was the home side who had the early run of possession without creating anything, in fact the first chance of the game fell to Hayes & Yeading in the 8th minute when Luke Williams and Elliot Benyon combined on the left with the ball being returned to Williams who had moved inside, his curling shot being pushed out one handed by the diving Ross Worner.
Within a minute Sutton had carved out an opening of their own only to find our own Dan Lincoln in fine form between the sticks. Tom Bolarinwa and Simon Downer broke down the right side with the latter finding space for a shot that Lincoln pushed out before blocking again as the same player followed up from a tight angle.
The next openings saw both sides find the net only for referee Mr Yianni’s whistle to deny them. The visitors were first as Benyon latched on to a Devante McKain clearance to smash the ball past Worner only for the assistant referee nearby to raise his flag for a foul in the aerial challenge that had preceded him receiving the ball. Then five minutes later the home side thought they had the lead when former United man Dan Wishart’s centre was helped on to Dan Fitchett by a defender only for the assistant’s flag at that end of the pitch to be raised to flag the striker for being offside as he chipped the ball past Lincoln.
The only other openings of the half both fell to the home side as Ross Stearn collected a cross field BOlainwa pass only to fire wide under pressure from Jim Fenlon and then a corner from the right was met by Sutton skipper Jamie Collins but his header was too high to trouble Lincoln and we went in all square and goalless at the break.
The second period started in similar fashion to the first with Williams being denied by Worner. This time it was a free-kick earned 20 yards from goal that the United midfielder fired past the wall only to again be denied one handed by Worner diving to his stronger left side.
As with the previous half play then switched ends and for a while it seemed like a Sutton goal was inevitable, but United’s defence seems much more stubborn of late and the form of ‘keeper Lincoln is impressive. A long Sutton punted clearance was controlled by Craig McAllister who found Stearn but he was denied by a sharp stop from Lincoln.
Either side of the hour mark saw two more excellent pieces of goalkeeping from Lincoln as first he saved with his legs as a long clearance put Bolarinwa through on goal and then a corner from the right was met by Dean Beckwith who was denied as Lincoln was quickly down on the ball at the foot of the post.
The 68th minute was to prove decisive as a through ball found substitute Josh Scott through between two defenders, the returning striker advancing into the box before firing across Worner with his weaker right foot and into the bottom corner to the delight of the somewhat small, but very vocal, United following behind the goal.
As the game entered its final fifteen minutes, not surprisingly most of the action was around the Hayes & Yeading goal however the visitors were not without chances of their own in this time. Lincoln made maybe his only faux pas of the game when he spilled a shot that ran to Bolarinwa, he made immediate amends though by acrobatically tipping over the winger’s follow-up shot.
At the other end though the visitors lead could twice have been extended by skipper Adam Everitt, revelling in his new midfield role, his first driven effort being well blocked six yards out by Beckwith. The second came about after substitute Dylan Kearney used his strength to retain possession in the middle of the park before finding fellow sub. Mason Spence on the right side, his cross bouncing to Everitt who tried a volley with his weaker right foot that was just too high to trouble Worner.
As play rapidly approached 90 minutes the home side started to throw all but the kitchen sink at Lincoln and his defence but we defended solidly as a team. Five minutes remained when the home side thought they had broken our defence, Bolarinwa broke clear on the right side before picking out Stuart Fleetwood, his first time effort being blocked at point blank range by Lincoln.
Just two minutes of normal time remained when a ball bouncing around the box fell to Bolarinwa eight yards out, his goalbound shot being met by the finest of touches from the diving Lincoln before the ball struck the post and rolled back into the ‘keepers grasp.
A driven effort from Craig Dundas was then deflected inches wide of the post by a fine Everitt interception before deep into stoppage time Benyon had a chance to double the lead when he outjumped Worner to a long hit bouncing ball only for his header to bounce wide of the upright with the final whistle blowing soon after it was another good day at the office for Garry Haylock and his players.
Report by Kevin Watts.
Photos by Ray Peploe.
United Man of the Match: Dan Lincoln.
Print the next H&YU fixture poster: Here.
