Hayes and Yeading United earned a good away draw at Kettering Town to make it four points out of six in four days on the road. And despite conceding that the home team had the majority of the chances, United will rue a golden second half opportunity missed that might have claimed all three points.
United took an immediate lead, as it took just 28 seconds for Yannis Ambroisine to head in over the top of Paul White, connecting with Cole Brown's far post cross to net his first goal for the club. Stung by this, Kettering asserted themselves on the game and their first opportunity came on five minutes when Kaid Mohamed burst down the left flank, his low centre was laid off by Aaron O'Connor and Wilson Carvalho fired a shot towards goal which Louis Wells pushed wide.
Wells was again called upon to field Rene Howe's header which was luckily straight at him. Then Liam Canavan's shot was blocked by the United keeper and Harold Joseph made a vital clearance when the ball went loose. Mohamed then tested Wells' reflexes with a deflected effort which required a sudden adjustment on Wells part to take the ball cleanly. United still looked dangerous on the break, and Brown almost added a goal to his assist with a rising 25 yard shot which just missed the right hand post.
The frantic pace abated for a while but Wells was again called into action on 35 minutes, to beat away Lewis Hornby's long range pile driver low to his left. Then, as half time approached, Canavan slid the ball sideways to Howe, who fired just over from 15 yards.
The second half was far less of a spectacle than the first half and it certainly took a while to get going. The first effort on goal was Kettering's equaliser on 59 minutes. Mohamed got to the by line on the left channel and drew defenders towards him before cutting the ball back to Canavan who slotted the ball into the bottom corner just beyond Wells' despairing dive.
United had a golden chance to retake the lead on the break ten minutes later when Brown latched onto a weak back header from James Haran and took the ball past White but under pressure from Bateman, he blasted over from point blank range with the goal at his mercy. Soon afterwards, Adam Everitt tried a speculative effort which was on target but easy for White to gather in.
Kettering finished the game strongly, and Wells twice denied Howe at the near post in quick succession, both times from a tight angle. This was to cap a fine performance from the keeper who contributed fully to a battling team display which claimed a point from an experienced and well organised Kettering Town team.
Report by Nick Bell.
United Man of the Match: Louis Wells.
