A strong Hayes & Yeading side progressed in the Middlesex Senior Charity Cup with a comfortable 4-0 victory at an under strength Northwood on a wet windy December evening at the AcreTweed Stadium.

Paul Hughes’ side got off to a perfect start, breaking the deadlock on eight minutes when Ogo Obi’s cross found Elliott Buchanan in the box, his shot was charged down but when the ball came out to Toby Little, United’s record goalscorer shifted the ball to his weaker right foot and fired past Joe Ringer who will maybe feel he should have kept it out.

United from going one up continued to dominate the chances as Little sent Obi away on the left side, United’s top scorer cutting inside before seeing his driven shot blocked wide by a well-timed Jordan Payne interception.

On 22 minutes Hassan Jalloh worked Ringer, the Woods stopper doing well to push the United man’s drive around the post and then just past the half hour mark a deep Little corner kick was headed towards his own goal by Azeez Alabi only for a teammate to bail him out by heading the ball off the line.

The home sides only real sight of goal came on 34 minutes when the ball was pulled back from the left side to Kris Puffour who hit a low drive that had United’s debutant ‘keeper Salva Ribera scrambling but the effort went inches wide of the upright and United deservedly stayed ahead.

Within a minute United almost grabbed a second when Johnville Renee broke away on the right flank, his low cross was met at the near post by Obi but his flick went into the side netting of the Woods goal. Four minutes later the same pair in reverse created another opening, this time Renee collecting the cross from Obi but again the shot was marginally wide of the target.

The final chance of the opening half unsurprisingly fell to United. Scott Donnelly played a fine cross-field pass to Renee, he set the ball nicely for Gabriel Piorkowski, who has been playing for the Woods recently on dual registration, his shot was pushed wide by Ringer for a United corner. The dead-ball kick was swung in by Little and met by Obi but his header was too high to trouble the Woods goal.

United made a change at the break with skipper Liam McDevitt being replaced by under 18s skipper Joe Weight who was making his senior United debut after patiently waiting having been an un-used substitute several times this campaign.

United were on the attack searching out a second and almost immediately Little sent Omar Rowe through on goal, the United man somehow managing uncharacteristically to put his shot out for a throw-in when he only had Ringer to beat from 20 yards out.

Shortly after Jack Williams and Obi combined before the latter fired the ball across the six yard box towards the on-coming Buchanan but he could not get a firm enough touch on the ball and it sailed through for a goal-kick.

Just before the hour mark Ribera was called on first the first time to deny the Woods an equaliser, the United stopper doing well to push away a 20 yard Puffour drive and then two minutes later the ball was in the net at the other end as Buchanan set the ball nicely to Piorkowski and he drilled a shot from the right corner of the Woods area beyond Ringer into the far corner to double United’s advantage.

At the midway point in the half United almost had another when Donnelly ferried the ball right to Buchanan, his deep cross was collected by Obi who chipped the ball back across to Buchanan but he couldn’t keep his effort down and it sailed over the top of the Woods goal.

With fifteen minutes to play a chance fell to both sides within seconds of each other, the home side won possession through Yiannis Constantinou who then ran at the United box before seeing his shot blocked away by Keano Robinson, the ball was quickly fired to the opposite end where Buchanan sent Rowe through on goal only for Ringer to react quickly to push the effort to safety.

The final three minutes belonged to United as Paul Hughes’ side struck twice more to give a more apt look to the final score. First to find the net was Obi who fired into the top corner after good work out on the left side by Little and Rowe, the latter rolling the ball to Obi who found the top corner from just inside the box.

Woods substitute Malcolm Podier then went close to pulling one back only for his header from a corner to drift wide but as we hit the ninety minute mark Obi broke away and played the ball inside to Rowe, his initial effort was well blockedby a sliding defender but when the ball came straight back to him he made no mistake firing low into the bottom corner to seal a convincing win for the visitors.

Report by Kevin Watts.

United Man of the Match: Gabriel Piorkowski.