Paul Hughes’ Hayes & Yeading United side smashed their way into the clubs record books with a 9-1 demolition of bottom side Arlesey Town on a cold wet January afternoon although it didn’t look like this was on the agenda when the home side drew level on 21 minutes.

The Gaffer made three changes from the last United outing at Thame as debutant Renell McKenzie-Lyle replaced older brother Kai between the sticks, skipper Tom Smith came in for Keano Robinson while an injury to Scott Donnelly saw Spyros Mentis return to the centre of the United midfield. Also returning from injury was Duncan Culley who took a place on the United bench.

Credit first must go the home side for even getting the game on with the rain of recent days and not surprisingly the pitch was somewhat heavy and took a little adjusting to by both teams.

The first real effort on goal was to produce the first of ten goals to warm the crowd of 111. Toby Little played the ball in from the left side, the home defence partially cleared the ball but only to the on-coming Ola Olajubu who cracked a low drive from 25 yards into the bottom corner beyond Lewis Elsom’s dive to give United the lead.

United were quickly pushing for another, Tom Smith played the ball forwards to Ismael Ehui, the striker controlling the ball before firing off a shot on the turn that Elsom fumbled before gathering the loose ball. The home side did cause some problems for the United defence soon after as Tony Williams dropped a corner into the United box with Kim Forsythe having his shot from 8 yards blocked and cleared by the United back-line.

Williams was to turn goalscorer two minutes later though as Forsythe collected a long ball on the left, his perfect pass sent Williams through and he coolly slotted the ball past the diving McKenzie-Lyle to level the game on 21 minutes.

Equalising may have been the worst thing the host side could have done as it really seemed to fire up Paul Hughes side, United finding the net three times in the next five minutes. First to find the net and thus give United back the lead was Ryan Kinnane, the big central defender rising above Elsom’s hand to head home a Little corner from close range.

Next up was top scorer Manny Duku who rose to meet a Laste Dombaxe centre, his header crashing home of the underside of the crossbar for his twentieth of the campaign. Within 60 seconds United had another as Ehui broke forwards, his shot ricocheting back from the ‘keeper against the United man with the ball flying into the Arlesey net.

United were now in dominant mood, and with a big lead were free to express themselves. Adam Cash’s low driven cross from the right just evaded a sliding Duku in the middle before Ehui ran at the Arlesey area, his shot from the edge being beaten away by Elsom.

Elsom saved soon after from Cash and Ehui headed a Little centre over the top. Number five came just as the half was about to enter stoppage time, Duku collected in the Arlesey box and appeared to have been denied by a well timed Henry Musay tackle, the defender clearly taking the ball first before the man, it was therefore somewhat surprising when referee Mr Wilson pointed to the spot. Duku himself stepped up and netted his second from 12 yards and United closed the half with a 5-1 lead.

United came out hungry for more in the second half and were soon awarded a second somewhat controversial spot kick. Duku fired a low teasing cross through the six yard box, Elsom only managed to push the ball out to where Ehui collected it with his back to goal before being adjudged to have been brought down by a challenge from behind. Duku duly stepped up once more and completed his second United hat-trick with goal number 22 (just three behind Josh Scott’s Club record for a season).

A rare sortie forwards by the home side saw Williams go close again, this time a dipping volley from the right corner of the box that sailed over McKenzie-Lyle but thankfully wide of the far post.

United were straight back on the offensive, Spyros Mentis firing the ball across the field to Little, his first time volley being superbly tipped over by Elsom. Cash then went close with a free-kick that just cleared the Arlesey goal while at the other end Taylor Rhiney was inches wide with a volley after latching on to a Bill Plumpton centre.

Just before the hour mark Duku made his final contribution before being rested, his slide rule pass sending Ehui away to slide the ball past the out rushing Elsom for his second of the game.

Just over ten minutes later Ehui was to complete his own hat-trick, his first for United. Substitute Duncan Culley and Little combined on the left side, Little pulling the ball back to Ehui who smashed it past Elsom for his thirteenth of the season.

Things got even worse for the home side in the 79th minute when a tackle from behind by substitute Dammy Nickels-Benson was deemed dangerous and the referee produced a straight red card.

Five minutes remained and Culley was unlucky not to find the net on his return when he fired a Little cross goalwards, the ball taking a deflection off Joe Steele and flying straight into Elsom’s arms.

Little was to have the final say just in to stoppage time as Culley sent him away, the wing-back drawing Elsom before firing home under his desperate dive for United’s ninth of the game.

A scramble in the Arlesey box two minutes later almost saw United make it double figures but after two shots were blocked at close range a third was deflected over the top, the corner came to nothing and referee Wilson brought a close to United’s record breaking win – "#9 for Cyrille", how apt.

Report by Kevin Watts.

Photos by Ray Peploe.

United Man of the Match: Ismael Ehui.