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Hayes & Yeading Utd 1
Stratford Town 2
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Hayes & Yeading
were denied a stonewall penalty deep into stoppage time which could have seen Paul Hughes’ side earn a vital point in the final stages of this seasons relegation fight when Barry Fitzharris dragged the ball under control with his hand right in front of referee Anastasiou who despite vociferous shouts of protest from United players and fans alike, took no action.
The visitors started well and created a decent opening within the first couple of minutes when Edwin Ahenkorah crossed deep to the far post, Cole Brown’s clearing header only finding James Hancocks who used his chest to set himself for a volley that only just cleared the crossbar. Minutes later the dangerous Ahenkorah broke away on the opposite flank and fired a low centre across the United six yard box that a sliding Simeon Tulloch only just failed to connect with.
United’s first chance was soon to come, Mitchell Weiss dispossessed Hancocks in the corner of the Stratford area but his driven shot was too high to test Niall Cooper in the visitors goal. In took 3 minutes though for Weiss to break the deadlock. Sahr Kabba sent a raiding Brown down the ride side line, his low cross was fumbled by Cooper with Weiss firing home the loose ball for his 13th United goal of the season.
Sadly the United lead was to last just ten minutes and not surprisingly the man to bring his side back into the game was Ahenkorah who fired an unstoppable curling left foot drive into the top corner of the United net from fully 25 yards giving Danny Boness no chance.
With United looking a little deflated from conceding, the visitors went on to dominate the chances up to the break. Boness held on low down after Jamie Spencer set up Ahenkorah on the edge of the box before the same player found space and drove the ball firmly goalwards only to be denied by Boness who pushed the ball wide.
As the half drew to a close referee Anastasiou had to deal with a melee just outside the Stratford area aftervisiting defender Wayne Thomas appeared to bring down and then stamp on United’s Frankie Jones, after cooling he players and speaking to his assistant the referee deemed a yellow card was sufficient punishment much to the annoyance of the United players.
The final action of the half saw Tulloch break away on the left and present Spencer with a shooting chance but the striker fired wide and we went in all square at the break with a chance for both sides to calm down.
United started the second half quickly, despite losing Jones to the first half injury just three minutes in. It was Jones’ replacement Ryan Hope who had the first opening of the half when Kabba held the ball up well before feeding Hope who tried to pass it into the net only to fire straight at Cooper.
Soon after Weiss broke away from the halfway line, cut inside from the left and hit a powerful shot that Cooper did well to block out with his defenders doing the rest to clear the danger.
Disaster struck for United with just 20 minutes remaining and with the visitors first sortie of danger in the half. Stratford substitute Ben Stephens received the ball just outside the United box, his dipping volley being superbly tipped over by Boness. Sadly the United ‘keeper could do little with the resultant Will Grocutt corner as central defender George Forsyth arrived unchallenged to power home a header from 6 yards.
United continued to push immediately for an equaliser, Kabba chased down a through ball but Cooper just got to the ball first and within minutes the same player raced away on the left wing only to be unceremoniously smashed to the ground by Cooper who had come flying from his goal, earning the stopper a caution.
As minute 90 arrived, United were again kept in the game by Boness as Stephens broke forwards and found Grocutt who with just Boness in front of him found the United stopper in fine form as he pushed the well struck shot to safety.
Then in the fifth minute of injury time came the already mentioned “non-penalty” incident and the visitors took all three points back north leaving United with just three games to avoid the drop for a second year running.
Report by Kevin Watts.
United Man of the Match: Danny Boness.
Print the Teamsheet: Here.
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Hayes & Yeading United |
Stratford Town |
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Niall Cooper 
