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Hayes & Yeading Utd 3
Slough Town 1
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HYUFC TV - Watch the highlights of this match here courtesy of FC Video
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Hayes & Yeading’s defence of the Southern League Challenge Cup continues as Paul Hughes’ side moved into the third round with a 3-1 victory at the SKYex against Premier Division high flyers Slough Town despite playing the final 35 minutes with 10 men.
Both teams took the opportunity to give new and/or squad players a chance to impress with United giving debuts to Xavi Comas in goal and Darnell Shakes at left wing-back.
United started at speed and could have taken the lead after just 30 seconds when Ismael Ehui sent Manny Duku through, the United leading scorer taking a touch away from goal before firing wide of the target.
United stayed in the ascendancy for a while after, Shakes cross from the left, Komal Llewellyn-Reid flicked the ball on to Keano Robinson who got his header on target but Jack Turner in the Rebels goal held firm.
Two minutes later Turner produced a fine save to deny Luke Joyce-Dwarika, the United midfielder moving on to a neat through ball by Ola Olajubu to strike goalwards only for Turner to push his drive over the top diving to his right.
Ehui then fired inches wide for United before a scare at the other end saw Comas come out for a Tom Williams cross but having slipped his allowed Tom Biss a heading chance at a vacant goal but the newly signed Slough striker headed well wide of the target from just inside the box under challenge from a recovering Comas.
Within a minute Turner made an even better stop for the visitors when Llewellyn-Reid met a Scott Donnelly corner at the far post, the United defender’s header looked to be going in the bottom corner only to be kept out by a full stretch dive to his left by Turner who pushed the ball away to safety.
Shakes and Donnelly then exchanged passes with the latter firing agonisingly just the wrong side of the post although the deadlock was soon broken as Ehui played the ball forwards to Duku, the United striker using his strength to battle past his marker before firing the ball past Turner for his twelfth goal of the season.
Three minutes from the break the visitors should have been back in the game when Simon Dunn dispossessed Llewellyn-Reid in the United half, he slipped the ball to former United youngster Nathan Webb who dragged his shot wide of the target and United went in a goal to the good at the break.
The second half started well once more for United as Duku was quickly through on goal courtesy of a fine Olajubu pass, this time though Turner got the better of him and blocked away his shot one on one.
A second goal for United was only a minute away however and came in somewhat fortunate circumstances as Robinson’s cross from the right flank sailed over Turner’s head and in off the far post much to the defender’s obvious delight.
Joyce-Dwarika went close to another for United before Comas was called into action on 53 minutes, the United stopper doing well to block out an angled drive from Sean Fraser.
Two minutes later United were somewhat farcically, although I believe totally correctly on behalf of referee Mr Greaves, reduced to ten men when the already cautioned Matt Hall returned to the pitch without permission having been sent to adjust his playing attire shall we say, and he was duly shown a FIFA instructed yellow card for such an offence and was sent off.
With the visitors now having a man advantage, it was no surprise that they started to push themselves forwards although United did maintain good discipline throughout the side which kept them at bay for long periods.
In fact it took 20 minutes for them to get anywhere near Comas’s goal, Tom Williams left wing cross being helped on by the slightest of touches from Dan Read which then saw Shakes slice the ball within an inch of his own net.
As we entered the final few minutes, Webb fired over after collecting a deep Williams free-kick and then Comas had to get down sharply to block away a Read shot after the ball was deflected into his path close to goal.
A minute remained when the Rebels finally breached the United rear guard, Biss crossing low from the right side with Rebels skipper Lee Togwell arriving to tap home from close in.
Opposite to what has happened in the past couple of seasons, United didn’t seem to panic at this point, instead they just went and scored a third, Joyce-Dwarika collecting the ball in the centre circle before out running the remaining defenders and firing past the unprotected Turner.
Even as we hit the fifth minute of stoppage time another opening, this time for the visitors, came up with a Biss shot going across the face of the United goal before grazing the post and coming back into play, the follow up effort moments later was fired over the top and United progressed to the third round to remain unbeaten in every tie in this competition having won the cup at the first time of asking last season.
Report by Kevin Watts.
United Man of the Match: Komal Llewellyn-Reid.
Print the Teamsheet: Here.
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Slough Town |
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Tom Williams 
