Hayes & Yeading moved into the top half of the table for the first time since September after smashing five first half goals past a bewildered Hartley Wintney side in Hampshire this afternoon, eventually running out 5-1 victors after the home side upped their game after the break while United seemed to relax a little too much.

Playing down the slope, United were on the front foot from the off going close in just the second minute as Afolabi Coker played the ball down the right side to Omar Rowe, the midfielder pulling the ball back neatly to Hassan Jalloh who was just off target from 20 yards out.

Paul Hughes’ side didn’t have to wait long the break the deadlock however as with just five minutes played Jalloh took over possession in the middle of the park and picked out Johnville Renee on the right wing, the wing-back’s run and cross being turned home by Rowe at the near post.

With the hosts barely getting a look in, United doubled the lead in just the 13th minute. Renee this time providing the ammunition as his pass found Rowe on the right, his quick feet and turn of pace left former United defender Tom Bird dead in his tracks as the United man turned his marker inside out before finding Jalloh who touched the ball home from close range.

With United totally dominating proceedings, the visitors went close again on 21 minutes when a short corner was played to Jalloh, he fed the ball low inside to Rowe who saw his effort deflect wide for a corner by Shane Hollamby. The corner kick itself was met by Jalloh but his header was off target on this occasion.

Worse was to come for the Hampshire side on 24 minutes as United scored a third as Aaron McCreadie played an inch perfect ball over the home defence to Elliott Buchanan who took possession, moved confidently around ‘keeper Luke Williams’ dive to roll the ball home.

Just after the half hour mark the hosts seriously troubled the United defence for the first time with an excellent Jack Smith save being needed as the United stopper reacted superbly to push out a Tyron Smith effort after the Hartley midfielder had connected with a corner from the left side, the United defence eventually clearing the danger after the ball had bounced around freely in the area.

Just a minute later United were again on the march forwards, Jalloh collected a Scott Donnelly pass on the right side before cutting inside and unleashing a shot that Williams blocked wide.

Two minutes later however three became four for United as Rowe controlled the ball in the middle of the park before clipping the ball perfectly over the middle of the home defence whereby Buchanan moved onto the ball and instantly lobbed over the on-coming Williams into the vacant net.

With the United defence feeling very little pressure, stoppage time saw United hit a fifth of the afternoon as Jalloh collected the ball inside the area and advanced before squeezing the ball between Williams’ fingertips and the post from an acute angle.

At the break discussions could be heard amongst both sets of supporters with the question on both sets of lips being “how many are they going to get?”

Credit however must go to the home side who despite being well beaten came out with an excellent and positive attitude and they almost, and probably should have, pulled one back just three minutes after the re-start. Joshua Webb fired in a corner from the right that was headed against the crossbar by former United striker Adam Cornell from about a yard out, the resultant scramble seeing the ball hacked off the line on two occasions before finally being smashed clear.

The 52nd minute arrival from the bench of Hartley striker Reece Miller paid off immediately as the arrears were reduced just three minutes after his introduction, the striker collecting the ball on the left corner of the United area before turning past Coker to fire beyond the despairing dive of Smith.

On the hour Rowe went close to getting his second and United’s sixth but his curling effort from the edge of the box after good approach work from Donnelly was just off target.

The final 30 minutes saw little in the way of chances for United, two half chance fell to the home side however, the first seeing former United man Joe Grant hit a drive from inside the box that Renee did well to slid across to block away and then in the dying embers Miller found space in the box and played the ball nicely inside to fellow substitute Louie Paget who blazed over when well placed and with that the game closed out with 3 points coming back to Middlesex with United in emphatic fashion.

Report by Kevin Watts.

United Man of the Match: Liam McDevitt.