Hayes & Yeading’s first pre-season outing of 2018/19 saw Paul Hughes side defeat a Queens Park Rangers under 23 side courtesy of a first half strike from last season’s top marksman Manny Duku.

For me personally it was great to start pre-season knowing more of the side than not which has not been the case with United for many seasons however it was our visitors who worked the first opening in just the second minute as United’s trialist ‘keeper backtracked as Deshane Dalling bore down on goal, the stopper standing firm though to block away the winger’s effort.

Minutes later United’s first opening came courtesy of a deep Toby Little corner that was met by Ryan Kinnane at the far post, the big centre-backs’ header just clearing the R’s crossbar. Minutes later Little was again involved in a forwards push as he combined with Lewis Toomey to set up a chance for Manny Duku who touched the ball past his marker only to be denied by R’s ‘keeper Seny Dieng who blocked his shot wide.

Dalling almost turned provider for the visitors on 16 minutes as his low near post centre was turned over by Amrit Bansal-McNulty from inside the six yard box.

Minutes later United skipper Scott Donnelly was forced to leave the game with what appeared to be a muscle pull, his replacement Scott Bridges taking less than sixty seconds to make an impact as he fired in a free-kick from the right flank that Duku met with a perfect diving header to guide the ball just inside Dieng’s near post to give United the lead.

Having taken the lead, United started to push forwards and control the game. Bridges fired in a corner from the left that was met by Duncan Culley, Dieng doing well to tip the ball over the top before Bridges himself went close, Ola Olajubu did well to hold possession in the middle of the park before laying the ball to Bridges who smacked it goalwards from fully 30 yards only for his effort to go behind off the R’s crossbar and that was the last of the action in the first 45.

Wholesale United changes at the break saw only Bridges return to action from the eleven that ended the first period, the visitors making no changes at this point and they were quickly on the front foot as just three minutes in Bansal-McNulty broke through but his shot was well held by Luke Daley in the United goal.

In the ten minutes to the hour mark United made a few openings without extending the lead. Ismael Ehui intercepted the ball inside the visitors half and found Kaan Fehmi who moved past his marker only to be denied by Dieng. Minutes later one of the United trialists collected the ball in midfield and found Ehui, the striker’s 20 yard effort being tipped over the top.

On the hour, another chance for the visitors saw Mickel Platt send Kingsley Lewis-Eshu away on the right side, his low shot being well held by Daley who was also required minutes later as a low cross from the left found Bansal-McNulty who under pressure from Priestly Farquharson fired weakly at the United stopper.

The R’s made five changes of their own just after the hour mark giving them fresh legs to push for an equaliser, Hugo Cardoso picked up the ball on the right and fed Faysal Bettache in the box, the midfield man dragging his shot across Daley’s goal and wide of the far stick. This was quickly followed by a chance for United as last season’s under 18 skipper Jack Roper collected the ball on the right corner of the R’s area, his rasping drive being well held by the R’s replacement ‘keeper.

Daley saw United to victory with two saves in the final minutes, first he denied Cardoso who had found himself unmarked in the box, his low drive being well saved by Daley and then with two minutes to play United were caught in possession as the R’s ferried the ball sideways to Dalling but Daley was equal to his shot and United came away victorious against a very talented QPR under 23 side.

Report by Kevin Watts.

Photos by Ray Peploe.

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