Hayes & Yeading's run in the Emirates FA Cup came to an abrupt halt at AFC Hayes on Saturday losing 2-0 to our Ryman Premier visitors, Worthing, in a match where United had to play over an hour with 10 men after the 26th minute dismissal of Harold Joseph for a professional foul on Omar Bugiel.
It was a slow start by both sides although the visitors did appear to have a larger share of possession during the 
first quarter hour without troubling the United defence at all. Chances started to come soon after though, the impressive Zack Newton broke to the right side by-line and played the ball to Will Hendon who chipped over the advancing Louis Wells to the near post where Yassin Moutaouakil was in place to head the ball away from inside the six yard box.
Newton was soon on the ball again as he collected a long clearance from the back and fired across Wells but just missed the far corner of the net as his shot went wide of the post. Just a minute later and United had a great chance to take the lead, Dylan Kearney collected a neat Cole Brown pass on the left side, turned Hendon inside out and crossed into the middle where Sam Humphreys leapt above former United defender Sam Rents but could not direct his header under the crossbar and it went over Rikki Banks’ goal.
What proved to be a pivotal moment in the game came on 26 minutes, a ball up field from the back was headed on by Bugiel and the United defence seemed to freeze with Newton appearing offside however he made no move for the ball and Bugiel himself chased his own flick in a race against Joseph with the defender being adjudged to have brought him down outside the box, after consulting his assistant referee Johnson brought out a red card.
Wells was soon quickly off his line to block away a Bugiel effort before Newton raced away from James Taylor and picked out Bugiel, this time the striker fired straight into Wells’ midriff from close range. United created an opening when a quick Taylor throw-in was flicked on by Melford Simpson and was headed out by a defender only as far as James Harper who volleyed goalwards but wide of the upright.
The visitors with the extra man continued to push forwards, Bugiel headed a corner wide and then a near post effort from Brannon O’Neill was pushed wide by Wells. Still they came forwards, Newton raced past two defenders only to be denied by Wells’ legs and eventually we went in goalless at the break.
With a man advantage, the visitors from Sussex were out of the blocks quickly, forcing Wells to dive low to push wide a Newton shot in just the second minute of the half. From the resultant corner they took the lead, Brannon O’Neill’s in-swinging corner was cleared and when played back in by Ross Edwards, Wells palmed the ball upwards with Bugiel appearing to shove Yannis Ambroisine at the far post to head home from close range.
Virtually from the re-start United feel they should have had a spot kick when Kearney and Brown combined on the left, the latter’s low centre heading for Simpson who appeared to be bundled over in front of goal only for a corner to be given. From this United went as close as they would all afternoon as Ambroisine rose to meet a deep Harper corner, his downwards header beating Banks only to come back off the face of the post with Simpson hitting the loose ball high and wide from 6 yards out.
After the early rush of chances the game slowed down until just after the hour mark when the visitors struck a killer second, a good spell of “keep ball” saw the ball played in to Bugiel on the right and he crossed low to Harvey Sparks who fired first time across Wells into the far corner of the United goal.
A chance apiece was to follow in quick succession, Kearney collected after Banks had fumbled a high ball from Taylor under pressure from Simpson, but despite being out of position, the visitors ‘keeper did well to push away the United striker’s effort. At the other end Bugiel moved onto a long Banks kick, headed the ball over the advancing Wells only for the quick thinking Moutaouakil to follow the ball back and head clear off the line.
In the final minute another breakaway from Newton saw Wells go down low to save with Ambroisine and Taylor sweeping up and that was the end of the FA Cup dream for another season.
Report by Kevin Watts.
Photos by Ray Peploe.
United Man of the Match: Louis Wells.
Print the Teamsheet: Here.
