Hayes & Yeading’s under 18 side came through a hard fought match against Bedfont Sports on the Beaconsfield Road 3G on Wednesday evening with United running out 2-0 winners in a game of few chances.
An early opening for United saw Dean King spray the ball right to Simeon Olarein, his first time centre was met on the volley by Jake Sobalak but his effort cleared the Sports crossbar.
It took 24 minutes for either ‘keeper to be tested to any extent and it was Bedfont’s Luke Russell who was called into action after a good build up between Olarein and skipper Jack Roper, the ball being laid off to Rashid Enayat who saw his low drilled shot well handled by Russell.
With the visitors not causing much alarm to a well marshalled United defence, the breakthrough finally came on 39 minutes as a Sobalak free-kick was met at the far post by Zayn Daniels, his header squirming its way through Russell’s arms to nestle in the far corner.
Within a minute Russell did well to keep United from adding a quick second. Daniels brought the ball out of defence into the Bedfont half before finding Enayat, he in turn found Olarein on the right side and his cross was once again met by Sobalak on the volley, this time his effort was goal bound but for a good save from Russell who pushed the ball away to safety.
United’s only real scare of the half came a minute before the break when ‘keeper Alex Ravenhill came out of his area to kick clear, his kick striking Reiss Spencer-Parson before rolling wide of the United goal.
Spencer-Parson also had the first chance of the second half as he collected on the left of the box, his shot going across the face of the United goal and well wide of the target.
In the 54th minute United should have extended their lead, good work on the right of the box by Enayat saw the striker pull the ball across the box to Nicolas Hounto who air-kicked in front of goal and the danger passed.
Minutes later United were indebted to Ravenhill for staying ahead, Bedfont skipper Nic Osbourne hitting a drive from 20 yards that Ravenhill pushed up in the air only for the ball to bounce back off the top of his crossbar into his waiting arms.
Goal number 2 for United came a minute later courtesy of former United under 18s defender Dan Edwards who dived to meet an Argeno Ahmataj cross only to divert the ball past his own ‘keeper who again will maybe feel he should have done better in keeping the ball out.
Ten minutes later Ravenhill got down quickly denying Mohammed Reda and the only other opening came two minutes from time for the home side as Sobalak curled a free-kick around the wall from the left corner of the box, Russell getting the faintest of touches to take the ball onto the post and wide of the target.
Report by Kevin Watts.
United Man of the Match: Harvie Gardiner.
Troy Reader 
