Paul Hughes' Hayes & Yeading side departed from this year’s Emirates FA Cup competition with their heads held high, losing 2-0 against high flying League One side Oxford United in front of a SKYex record crowd and the live BT Sport cameras.
With four divisions between the two sides it was not surprising that the visitors started well with an early shot from Tarique Fosu being held comfortably by Jack Smith in the United goal.
United did show some spark of their own going forwards too, a neat clip down the right side found Hassan Jalloh inside the Oxford box, his shot hitting the side netting.
Just before the 15 minute mark a centre from the left was met by Rob Dickie but his header was wide of the target and just a few minutes later the visitors had the ball in the net, Matty Taylor slotting home a low Chris Cadden centre only for the offside flag to rule it out.
The league one side continued to press looking for the opening goal, Taylor was just wide with a far post header and this was soon followed by a dipping shot from Fosu, the ball beating Smith before coming back off the crossbar where Liam McDevitt cleared as Taylor looked to profit.
Another United sortie up field saw Ogo Obi collect in the left channel, his low centre evading the on-coming James Clark and Omar Rowe, play soon switched back to the other end with Oxford skipper James Henry exchanging passes with Taylor before blazing over from 12 yards.
Still the visitors pressed, McDevitt did well to block a Taylor drive, the follow-up lob being tipped over by Smith, the resultant corner being worked short before a shooting chance fell to Henry who fired too high.
The breakthrough was soon to come though, Anthony Forde’s corner kick was headed goalwards by Taylor, Smith tipped it on to the crossbar only for Sam Long to head the loose ball home to break United's resolve.
With Oxford continuing to dominate possession, just before half time Fosu struck a free-kick from 25 yards that struck the post before hitting Smith in the back and staying out as the United stopper gratefully grasped the ball.
The hosts almost ended the half on a high as Jalloh held off three tacklers before sending Joe Grant away, his instant cross just evading Obi in the middle and the half ended with the much higher ranked side just a single goal to the good.
Paul Hughes changed things up at the break with Toby Little and Connor Toomey joining the fray in place of Omar Rowe and Scott Donnelly alongside a change of formation.
An evenly matched opening ten minutes after the break almost saw United almost produce an equaliser when Obi found space on the right, his low centre being back-flicked toward goal by Grant but sadly straight at Simon Eastwood in the Oxford goal.
This was soon followed by a Fosu drive that was "gang blocked" by the United defence with the game becoming a midfield battle of limited chances until beyond the hour mark.
In the 65th minute Obi brought the best out of Eastwood, the United striker collecting the ball wide on the left before cutting inside and shooting for the top corner from a tight angle, the visitors 'keeper superbly tipping the ball over.
Soon after a twisting run into the United box by Shandon Baptiste ended with his effort being cleared by Grant before Oxford gaffer Karl Robinson pulled off a master stroke with a substitution that saw Forde replaced by Rob Hall on 69 minutes.
The reason for this being a master stroke was because within a minute the substitute had doubled the visitors lead, Fosu found Taylor who played an incisive pass straight into Hall's path and with his first touch he clipped the ball past the diving Smith into the United net.
Play continued to flow from end to end with the home side continuing to search for a goal to put pressure on the League side. Connor Toomey had a drive snuffed out by the Oxford defence and this was quickly followed at the other end by a cross-shot from Fosu that only just evaded Taylor and the far post.
From the Smith goal-kick the ball was collected by Jalloh who tried his luck from distance, Eastwood touching his low shot around the post.
Try as they might in the closing stages it was not to be for Paul Hughes’ side, none more so than nine minutes from time when Jalloh got his head to a Little corner only for Eastwood to pull off another fine save, reacting quickly to push the effort away before catching the following corner kick comfortably.
With a minute to go quick feet from substitute Lyle Della-Verde saw an opportunity open up but his shot was straight at Eastwood who saved easily.
As stoppage time commenced Hall played the ball to Taylor but Smith was equal to his shot, blocking the effort away and it was Hall himself who had the final chance of the game only for his shot to fly wide of the far post and United were out but certainly far from disgraced.
Despite going out of the competition, everybody at the club and on the terraces can only show massive pride in the team’s performance against a side that look to be heading toward the Sky Bet Championship on current form, well done to all and good luck to Oxford for the rest of the season.
Report by Kevin Watts.
Photos by Ray Peploe.
United Man of the Match: Jack Smith.
