Hayes & Yeading’s grip on the Southern League Cup, now titled as the BFB Challenge Cup, remains following victory at Egham Town on Tuesday evening courtesy of a 4-2 penalty shoot-out win, the game having finished 1-1 with Ola Olajubu netting his first United goal.

The first opening of the game came the way of the home side as Ryan Debattista sprayed the ball across the park to Alex Nolan, the defender’s 25 yard effort being fielded comfortably by Kai McKenzie-Lyle in the United goal.

United’s first chance came with a dozen minutes played, Toby Little fired in a deep corner kick, Ryan Kinnane won the ball in the air and put it back in to the middle where returning skipper Tom Smith saw his header held by Sarnies ‘keeper Aaron Bufton.

The home side again went close on 20 minutes as Liam Tack raced away down the right side of the United defence, his low driven cross being played off the line by a well placed Kinnane.

Ten minutes before the break United top scorer Manny Duku went close, Scott Donnelly’s free-kick was flicked on at the near post, Duku tried to hook the ball in from behind himself only for a slight deflection to edge it wide of the post.

The half almost closed in spectacular style as a clearance went as far as Spyros Mentis, the United midfielder instantly firing the ball back from 35 yards, sadly it was just too high and the half closed out without troubling the scorers.

Having conceded a lot of first half possession to the home side, United came out with a different approach in the second half and took the game to the hosts.

Manager Paul Hughes made a change at the break with newly arrived wing-back Adam Cash replacing Keano Robinson on the right side.

The first opening however came from the United left, Little collecting the ball and firing across a first time centre that was met by a flying Duku in the centre of the box but his diving header was wide of the target.

Ismael Ehui then collected the ball and fed Cash, the debutant trying his luck with his weaker left with Bufton easily gathering his effort. Ehui and Duku then combined to provide a shooting chance for Donnelly but he also was off target.

Just over twenty minutes remained when Little and Donnelly worked space from a short corner on the left side, the former’s whipped centre just evading Duku before finding Kinnane at the far post but his half volley was too high to trouble Bufton.

Just minutes later the deadlock was finally broken. Olajubu ran through the Sarnies defence like an NFL Linebacker only for his shot to be blocked wide. The resultant corner was again quickly played between Little and Donnelly, this time Little’s low driven centre was forced home by Olajubu for his maiden United goal.

Sadly for United the advantage was only held for ten minutes as the Sarnies rallied to draw level as a ball in from the right side found an unmarked Imedd Kartita and the impressive front man calmly fired past the unprotected McKenzie-Lyle’s dive.

Despite almost 10 minutes of added time, while a damaged corner flag was replaced amongst other things, neither side really troubled the opposing ‘keeper and off to penalties we went.

The key component of the shootout being the saving of the opening two Egham spot kick’s by McKenzie-Lyle and even allowing for Bufton denying Ehui, United progressed to the quarter-finals with a 4-2 shootout victory.

Report by Kevin Watts.

United Man of the Match:
Ryan Kinnane.