On a day when the club celebrated the under 14s section winning the Middlesex Youth League title, the Hayes and Yeading United irst team sent themselves into the play offs with a confidence boosting large win over Barton Rovers.

The beginning of the game was very open before United established control. The first half chance came to United when Scott Donnelly retrieved a deep Toby Little cross and hit a low centre which Duncan Culley just failed to get a proper connection with, the ball dribbling through to Barton goalkeeper Matt Finlay. United were able to maintain the pressure with Culley testing Finlay’s handling to a greater extent on eight minutes but it was still a fairly comfortable catch. Play then switched to the other end where an Andrew Phillips shot from outside the area was easily dealt with by Zaki Oualah.

Just a few minutes later, United were on the attack again as Donnelly’s long shot cannoned off team mate Manny Duku deflecting the ball en route to goal but not deceiving Finlay. However, the game at this point was end to end and Oualah was called upon again, first to block a Phillips shot after the forward had got in behind the United back line and then to parry Dan Jarvis’s goalbound long range shot on the rebound. Play continued to ebb and flow at a frantic pace and Duku looped a header from a deep free kick onto the roof of the net.

On 18 minutes, Manny Folarin crossed for Kaan Fehmi and although he missed the header, Culley volleyed goalwards, but straight at Finlay. A minute later, United were somewhat harshly denied by referee Robert Ablitt adjudging that Culley had fouled Finlay as Duku put the ball into the net following the keeper’s spilling of a Toby Little cross, but the disappointment was soon squashed by United’s opener as Laste Dombaxe created space in the area before curling the ball in off the far post to give United the lead they deserved.

United were in no mood to take the foot of the gas and Donnelly’s left wing cross was headed down powerfully by Duku, producing a fine low reaction save from Finlay. Then after a fine build up down the left involving Dombaxe and Culley, Little’s low centre was controlled by Duku who put his low shot just wide of the left hand post, and soon afterwards, Donnelly hit a piledriver high and wide following a half cleared corner.

On 40 minutes, United finally got the second goal that their growing dominance merited and their 100th league goal of the season as Donnelly passed to Folarin whose ball forward found Spyros Mentis in an advanced position on the right. His cut back was perfect for an unmarked Culley who picked his spot in the corner of the net. Still United looked hungry for goals as Donnelly’s long shot from a cut back corner was deflected over with a brave header from Hugh Alban-Jones. Duku was then denied from close range by Finlay’s legs after more forceful running from midfield by Donnelly.

After a steadier start to the second half, United scored with their first meaningful chance as Keano Robinson won an aerial battle and his powerful header cleared the Rovers back line. Mentis latched onto the loose ball before applying a deft lob to clear Finlay and score. He almost turned provider soon afterwards as once again, Duku’s downward header from his looping cross was saved by Finlay. United were well on top now and Donnelly blasted wide after Little rolled the ball to him from a free kick. Another low Little ball was just touched away from Culley’s path by Harry Bean but the resulting corner from Little was headed firmly into the net by an unmarked Mentis to make the score 4-0.

The dominance was unrelenting. Culley fired at goal but straight at Finlay and substitute Sahr Kabba was very unlucky with a low shot into the side netting after good work to get himself the space to shoot. Play settled down for a while and in a rare attack, Rovers midfielder Jarvis attempted to lob Oualah from 25 yards but his attempt drifted wide right.

Towards the end of the match, Culley went close to extending the lead further as he held off his marker before firing across the face of the goal. Rovers then went quite close to getting a consolation as Phillips looped a header onto the roof of the net. However, on 88 minutes, a fifth game came for United as Duku touched in a Little cross from close range. Even after that, the opportunities to score continued to come and Culley crossed from the left. At the far post, Mentis fired a volley back across goal, just evading the stretching Kabba. It wasn’t to matter though as the points were convincingly won already to send Hayes and Yeading United into the play offs in high spirits.

Report by Nick Bell.

United Man of the Match: Spyros Mentis.

Hugh Alban-Jones