United’s pre-season preparations are nearing completion and at Honeycroft on Tuesday evening it was another victory for Mickey Lewis’s side as the hosts were beaten 4-1.

Hayes & Yeading were out of the blocks quickly, taking the lead on 5 minutes with yet another for Dylan Kearney. Jack Mills found Lloyd Macklin on the right, the striker moved across the box and despite being fouled managed to feed Kearney and courtesy of an excellent advantage by the referee, the young striker cut inside a defender before firing low past Paul McCarthy in the Reds goal (pictured right).

With both sides sizing each other out it was not until the 24th minute before another noteworthy opening came, James Harper’s deep free-kick being met by Colin Mugoya but his header went wide of the target.

Jim Fenlon then squared to Macklin who saw his shot saved by McCarthy before at the other end a Wayne Carter free-kick was flicked on in the middle but volleyed over by a Reds striker arriving at the far post.

A minute from the break that man Kearney did it again. Macklin and Mills again combined to feed the ball in to the striker who controlled the ball at the near post before forcing it under McCarthy’s dive. United were denied a third in stoppage time as McCarthy held on to a Harper drive from 20 yards.

Uxbridge came out quickly in the second half and Louis Wells had to be sharp soon after the re-start saving low after a corner was only partially cleared.

Just after the hour mark Kearney was denied a hat-trick by a fone save from substitute ‘keeper Sam Gray. The striker receiving the ball with his back to goal in the box, managed to hold off no fewer than four defenders before hitting a shot that Gray did well to palm away.

The Reds went close almost immediately with a shot that dipped just over the United goal. On 76 minutes Gray made an even better save for the home side, pushing away one handed a goalbound Matt Sinclair effort from the corner of the box.

An 83rd minute trip in the area gave United the chance to extend their lead, Ismael Ehui stepping up to beat Gray from 12 yards. Two minutes later the home side got a deserved goal of their own when the centre-forward neatly turned home a low near post cross.

The reduction did not last long though as just 60 seconds later United had a fourth, Ismael Ehui crossing low to Tom Collins, Gray saved well at point blank range but the ball fell back to Collins who stabbed it home from close range.

Report by Kevin Watts.

Photos by Ray Peploe.