With home match fourteen comes victory number fourteen as Paul Hughes’ Hayes & Yeading side maintained their 100% home league record as we close out February’s fixtures with a 5-2 win over lowly South Park at the SKYex.
United made two changes to the starting XI that had edged past Ware the previous Saturday with Elliot Benyon replacing the tireless Lee Barney who was given a rest on the bench while the return from suspension of skipper Scott Donnelly was facilitated by an injury to Josh Chamberlain that kept him out of the side.
The home side were once again quick out of the blocks, taking the lead in just the fourth minute of the game. A quick Joe Wilson throw-in to Scott Bridges saw the ball returned to the young United wing-back who whipped in a cross from the side-line that saw Elliot Benyon get in front of his marker at the near post to glance a header beyond the reach of Michael Eacott in the South Park goal.
The visitors almost found an instant reply however as former United striker Great Evans collected the ball in the middle, took a neat touch, and fired in a shot that just cleared Charlie Burns’ crossbar.
United were soon back on the charge though. Toby Little collected a return pass from Chid Onokwai on the left and broke towards the bye-line before cutting the ball back to Kunle Otudeko who hit a dipping shot from 20 yards that only just cleared Eacott’s goal.
On 14 minutes a surge forwards from the back by Ed Asafu-Adjaye saw him pick out Benyon who with a deft 
touch played Asafu-Adjaye through on goal, his first of the season was not forthcoming though as Eacott managed to push his effort wide.
Within seconds a Scott Donnelly free-kick from the left was partially cleared to Otudeko, he fed Bridges on the far side of the box, his initial shot came back to him and as he went down under a challenge in the box the loose ball ran to Asafu-Adjaye on the penalty spot and this time he made no mistake in bagging his first goal of the campaign by firing past Eacott on the turn.
Two more United openings before the half hour mark came and went with Little being the creator on both occasions. Firstly a surge up the left wing resulted in his low centre finding Otudeko who was just wide with a first time effort and then a few minutes later his deep corner kick from the right found Joe Wilson at the far post, his initial header was blocked out by Eacott who then managed to hold the United man’s follow-up shot as well.
Moments later Asafu-Adjaye’s cross from the left found Benyon just beyond the far post but the striker could only find the side netting with his header. As we arrived in the 45th minute United struck for a third time in the game, Donnelly’s deep corner was headed out but only as far as Bridges who fired goalwards from the edge of the box, Asafu-Adjaye applying a neat flick on the edge of the six yard box to net his second of the game, and indeed second of the season.
Not sitting back, stoppage time brought United another when Donnelly played in a superb free-kick from the left side that saw Benyon dart in front of his marker to head past the on-coming Eacott into the vacant net for his second of the evening also, and United went in comfortably 4-0 up at the break.
Somewhat unexpectedly based on the first half showing, the visitors came out after the break looking to push forwards more and indeed actually “won” the second half 2-1.
The first opening did fall the way of United though as Nathan Webb played an almost perfect throughball from the halfway line that saw Benyon chase on beyond the visitors defence, Eacott just managing to dive on the ball as the United striker slid in.
A minute later the visitors reduced the arrears when a swinging cross from the right touchline was met by Ryan Richefond who headed the ball neatly over the out-coming Burns into the United net.
Not really affected too much by the set-back, United continued to play their expansive football spraying the ball around the park and not surprisingly more openings kept coming for Paul Hughes’ side.
Wilson collected the ball wide on the right and fired a low centre into the South Park six yard box, the covering defender totally missed his kick at the near post and the ball ran to Benyon who was caught a little by surprise that the ball had come all the way through and his shot was wide of the target.
Five minutes later Eacott was put to work again, this time a neat interchange of passes between Little, Onokwai and Otudeko saw the latter turn his marker on the edge before hitting a shot that Eacott did well to turn wide.
United almost “fluked one” in the 72nd minute when a Donnelly shot looped up high and almost caught Eacott off guard, the ‘keeper clawing the ball out at full stretch but only to United substitute Lee Barney who saw his driven shot blocked out by Eacott at point blank range.
With eleven minutes remaining Benyon completed his hat-trick. Donnelly sprayed the ball wide right to Wilson who raced ahead into the Sparks’ area and again drove the ball low across the six yard box, this time Benyon was perfectly placed and he slid the ball home at the far post.
The scoring did not end there however as just two minutes later the visitors got a second of their own as Hayden Skerry was in the right place inside the six yard box to flick home a downward header from Evans.
One late chance apiece still remained but the scorer was not troubled any further. For South Park Dan Stone’s cross from the right picked out Richefond in the middle but he headed wide while at the other end Benyon met a Bridges near post corner on the volley but his effort was just the wrong side of the post.
The game played out with United 5-2 victors which sees a seventeen point gap opened up at the top of the table with second placed Bracknell Town having a couple of games in hand on United.
Report by Kevin Watts.
Photos by Montimagemedia ©.
United Man of the Match: Joe Wilson.
Print the Teamsheet: Here.
