Paul Hughes’ Hayes & Yeading side travelled to Creasey Park on Saturday to commence this year’s Emirates FA Cup campaign and after a hard fought cup tie both sides’ must do it again at the SKYex after the game finished without a goal.

The Gaffer threw four recent signings straight into the starting line-up and while Liam McDevitt and Scott Donnelly both featured heavily in last year’s championship winning side, both have only just returned to the fold while newcomers Jack Williams and Omar Rowe also came into the side.

The home side were the first to get forwards within the first minute when an early cross in from the right side was met by home skipper Leon Cashman in the middle, his header going straight into the arms of the returning Jack Smith in the United goal.

United also created a good opening in the first ten minutes. Omar Rowe collected the ball wide on the left side, his whipped in centre being turned over his own crossbar by Newman Carney. The resultant corner fell to Lyle Della-Verde in the box, his low shot through a crowd being cleared off the line by the hosts defence.

Just before the midway point in the half both ‘keepers were again called into action. First was Smith for United who fielded a long range effort from Ashton Grant after he had been set up by former United man Nick Elliott and a couple of minutes later Jacob Cook and Della-Verde combined on the right before the latter fed the ball inside to Rowe who saw his curling effort pushed wide by home stopper Dan Green.

Soon after United lost James Clark to injury, his replacement being Ogo Obi and it was not until stoppage time that another opening showed when Grant’s cross was only partially cleared as far as Kyal McNulty, his 20 yard volley going just wide of the United goal and we went in goalless at the break.

A formation and personnel change at the break saw Della-Verde replaced by central defender Taofiq Olomowewe as United pushed harder for a breakthrough in what was to be a much more flowing second half from the visitors, perspective.

Five minutes after the restart Jack Williams headed the ball forwards to Toby Little who took a touch and fired a shot across Green from the edge of the box, just missing the target by a matter of inches. Minutes later substitute Olomowewe tested Green, Cook and Rowe combining after a corner had been part cleared, the ball dropping to the United defender who got his shot away only for Green to push it wide.

Almost instantly, one of many long punts forwards by Green was knocked down by Cashman to Josh Crawley, his attempted lob clearing Smith and the United goal without much cause for alarm.

United continued to dominate play, the impressive Keano Robinson broke away down the right before pulling the ball back from the bye-line to Obi, his shot being blocked away by the outstretched leg of Green in the home goal.

Ten minutes later United went even closer when Rowe’s made his way across the edge of the box before laying the ball nicely to Little, the United wide man’s effort beating Green only to come back off the upright before being played to safety by the home defence.

United continued to dominate possession without finding the key to unlock the home defence. McDevitt headed back another long punt with the header finding Obi who ran at the defence before curling the ball just the wrong side of the post and then a couple of minutes later Little collected on the left of the box and beat his marker before pulling the ball back to Rowe, his driven shot was pushed in the air by Green only for Obi to head over from close range.

With three minutes to go the last chance of the game actually fell to the home side when a long Green kick was excellently controlled by Martell Powell just outside the United area, his effort from 20 yards however was easily held by Smith and back to the SKYex a week on Tuesday we must go.

Report by Kevin Watts.

Photos by Montimagemedia ©.

United Man of the Match: Keano Robinson.