Hayes & Yeading’s pre-season warm up continued on Tuesday evening with a single goal defeat to Bostik Premier side Harrow Borough at the SKYex.

The visitors started well with Jack Smith being forced to turn away a 20 yard effort from Finbarr Robins in just the third minute.

An even but eventless 20 minutes followed before a neat United move saw Frankie Jones pick out Danny Blanchett in an advanced position on the left, he rounded former United under-18 ‘keeper Melvin Minter only for his cross back into the centre to be headed clear by former United man Howard Hall.

Mergin Qarri then went close for United from distance before the deadlock was broken by the visitors with 10 minutes left in the half. Charles Banya being given a little too much space, he turned his marker on the edge of the box and fired low into the corner beyond Smith’s dive.

Borough made six changes at the break while United gaffer Paul Hughes sent the same XI in to battle once more. With United making the most of the visitors changes, Qarri again found space on the right of the box, his centre being met on the volley by Michael Mbella but it flew wide of Minter’s goal.

The introduction of striker Ismael Ehui seemed to breed new life into the United attack and within minutes of coming on, he started a move that saw Peter Skepetis receive the ball before touching it to Steven Cairns who saw his effort somehow blocked by Hall who was on the floor in the box.

Within a minute Ehui himself went close as Jack Smith fired a perfect clearance into Frankie Jones’ path on the right, he advanced before crossing to Ehui who saw his volley go within an inch of the outside of the post.

Shortly after a quick breakaway saw another former United under-18, Michael Bryan race forwards away from the chasing defenders, he shot however was weak and easily held by Smith.

A combo of Borough substitutes nearly doubled the advantage in the 76th minute as Will Turl flicked on a free-kick to Curtis Cumberbatch but his effort could only find the side netting.

The final five minutes saw United twice denied what would have been a deserved equaliser. Spyros Mentis picked out Gurkan Gokmen who saw his 20 yard dipping shot tipped over by Minter and then as the watch struck 90, Ismael Ehui met an Omar Daidouh corner only for his header to come back off the post with Minter well beaten.

Report by Kevin Watts.

Adam Richards