Hayes & Yeading progressed to the first qualifying round of this season’s Emirates FA Cup as club records tumbled at The Meadow with United securing their biggest ever FA Cup win alongside striker Lee Barney becoming the first ever United player to hit the net five times in a single game, eclipsing Kieron Knight and Mitchell Weiss who each scored four times against Chelmsford City and Chalfont St Peter respectively.

In the picturesque setting of Brimscombe, it was United who carved out the first chance of the game in just the fifth minute when Lee Barney collected from Josh Chamberlain and took the ball to the bye-line, his low centre being met by a sliding Duncan Culley along with a home defender, the ball ending up in the grasp of home stopper Ashley Gale.

Minutes later the hosts showed their own intent as Jack Horrell and Harrison Reeves worked their way up the right flank with the latter crossing to Ollie Pitt who set the ball sideways to Sam Blackie who saw his low shot well held by James Shaw in the United goal.

The deadlock was broken by Paul Hughes’ side on 20 minutes. Culley collected the ball in the middle of the hosts half and found Barney on the edge of the box, he shifted the ball past Kyle Pitts onto his left and smashed the ball past Gale into the near top corner of the Brimscombe net.

A rare foray forwards from the home side just before the half hour mark saw Reeves pull the ball back to Blackie but on this occasion he screwed his effort well wide of the target.

The other side of the half hour mark saw United grab a deserved second with Culley again the catalyst, his ball down the right finding Tom Jelley and his perfect centre saw Chamberlain rise unchecked to plant a header perfectly into the far corner of the hosts goal with Gale barely moving.

Goal three came on 40 minutes as Culley and Jelley again combined, the latter’s low first time cross finding it’s way through to Barney at the far post and he fired past Gale comfortably (below right).

First half stoppage time saw an opening apiece as firstly a ball upfield was controlled by Culley who again fed Barney, the striker missing out on a first half hat-trick as his volley just cleared the goal. Seconds later at the other end a quick break, after Scott Donnelly and Culley had both had shots blocked for United, saw Pitt break into the United box and hit a shot from an angle that Shaw pushed wide with referee Smith blowing for half-time before the corner could be taken.

The second half was to be even more one sided than the first as United’s clinical finishing really took it’s toll on the home side who to their credit did not let their heads drop and continued to try to work something in the forward third right to the final whistle.

The half almost started in vlistering fashion for United as the tireless running of Culley saw the striker get his head to a Toby Little cross just 15 seconds from the re-start but his header went the wrong side of the upright. Two minutes later though Barney had his hat-trick and once again the provider was Culley who sent his strike partner through the middle and while the defence appealed for an offside that would never come, and Gale stood static almost in his goal, Barney played to the whistle and raced on to fire easily past the home stopper.

Just four minutes later Gale survived what would have been a calamity when he allowed a low shot from the edge of the box to go straight through his arms, off his chest, onto the crossbar, back down onto the line and into his grasp!

Number five however was to arrive just before the hour mark and no surprise it was Culley again the provider, his unselfish chipped cross being met by Barney who volleyed home his fourth of the game from close range at the far post.

Ten minutes later, substitute Hassan Jalloh received a Jelley cross but struck his volley inches over the home goal but number six soon arrived as Barney outpaced Nathan Marks on the left side, he pulled the ball back to another substitute in the shape of Kaan Fehmi who in turn rolled the ball to Donnelly who fired into the bottom corner from 20 yards out for the skipper’s first of the season.

United were not finished yet though and with the ball barely leaving the Brimscombe half, it was no real surprise when Barney netted his fifth and United’s seventh on 79 minutes. Jalloh broke away up the left side and cut inside the Brimscombe box, his low drive was palmed out by Gale but only for Barney to nip in to tap home from close range.

The final five minutes saw even more chances for United but the lead did not increase. Donnelly sent Little away up the left, his centre finding Barney who was denied a sixth by Gale diving to his left and in stoppage time substitute George Ademiluyi was twice denied by Gale, firstly he got onto a loose ball after Gale had denied Jalloh but his effort was blocked wide and then when the corner kick was played to the defender on the edge of the box, his well struck drive was helped over by Gale with referee Smith closing off the game seconds later as United advance to the next round in style.

Report by Kevin Watts.

Photos by Ray Peploe.

United Man of the Match: Lee Barney.