Hayes & Yeading bounced back from a narrow defeat to table toppers Truro City at the weekend by claiming maximum points at the Xcel Sports Hub, beating Walton Casuals by the odd goal in five although the margin could and maybe should have been larger.

With Paul Hughes deprived of the services of Hassan Jalloh, Elliott Buchanan and Afolabi Coker amongst others through injury, the manager gave places on the bench to recent signing Jamie Hanlon, son of assistant manager Ritchie, and under 18s skipper Joe Weight was again in the match day squad having made his debut a week previous.

The home side were to create the first opening in the fifth minute, veteran defender Jay Gasson getting his head to a corner from 12 yards out, his on target effort being headed away by Toby Little from inside the six yard box.

United soon created two openings of their own, firstly Johnville Renee collected the ball on the right flank before feeding Omar Rowe infield, he shaped to make space for a shot only for his effort to be partially blocked with former United under 18 stopper from ten years ago Alex Tokarczyk catching the ball comfortably.

Just a few moments later Gasson headed away a Little centre but only as far as Rowe who fired back a volley that was inches wide of giving United the lead.

The hosts started to push forwards themselves soon after with former United winger Rohdell Gordon proving to be a real thorn for the United defence as firstly he set himself for a 20 yard curler that was too high to trouble Jack Smith and just a few minutes later he picked out Gasson in the middle with a free-kick, the defenders header from six yards out being pushed wide by the United ‘keeper. The resultant corner kick was again worked to Gordon, this time Smith was able to hold his low drive from the corner of the box.

The scoring commenced in the 28th minute and not surprisingly the man with the golden boot was Gordon, having worked a short corner exchange with substitute Cheyce Grant, Gordon moved inside before curling a perfect shot over Smith into the far top corner of the United net.

United however were behind for just four minutes as Renee broke away down the right side, his cross was deflected across goal and wide of the far post and while the Casuals defence assumed it would go out for a corner, Little chased and caught the ball before pulling it back to James Clark who fired home from close range for his 10th of the campaign.

More openings of note came before the break. First up was the home side as the pacey Grant broke from the middle of the park, Renee and Keano Robinson did well to hold up his charge by forcing him to shoot from the edge of the box, the effort being deflected wide without troubling Smith.

United created a good opening in the dying moments of the half as Rowe, Jake Sheppard and Renee all combined in a neat move with the latter picking out Clark in the middle but the strikers touch was not firm enough and then a minute later Rowe collected 30 yards from goal before outpacing two defenders, his shot sadly curling just wide of the target leaving the two sides level at 1-1 as we went in for the half-time break.

United came out in determined mood and within ten minutes of the re-start had earned a two goal cushion courtesy of strikes from Rowe and Donnelly. Rowe’s strike came on 50 minutes, Jack Williams and Donnelly exchanged passes with the former’s shot being blocked back to Rowe who fired the ball past Tokarczyk with the aid of a deflection.

Three minutes later he almost had another after Williams charged down a clearance before playing the ball forwards to Rowe who saw his drive on the turn go inches wide of the Casuals upright. A third was only a minute away though, the home side won possession on the edge of their own area, Rowe mugged the ball player with an excellently timed tackle with the ball running to Donnelly who precisely curled the ball away from Tokarczyk’s reach into the far corner.

This quick two goal salvo seemed to awaken a response from the home side as Gordon and Grant again combined, this time the latter setting himself before firing wide of Smith’s goal from just inside the area.

Chances were free flowing at this time, Rowe bore down on goal again only to be denied by Tokarczyk and when Rowe regained possession and fed Clark, the United striker’s effort was powerful and from a tight angle but flew over the top of the hosts goal from close range.

Tokarczyk then held a Rowe free-kick before Smith was needed at the other end when Wayne Brown collected the ball inside the United area, his drive being tipped wide by the United stopper who then coolly claimed the resultant corner.

With ten minutes remaining Tokarczyk was at his best to deny United a fourth, having pushed away a Little corner he reacted quickly to push wide a Donnelly drive and then when the corner was pulled back to an unmarked Donnelly another on target drive was once more pushed away by Tokarczyk.

Excellent 'keeping at one end was followed within a minute by a fine save at the other when Rene Howe was given too much space in the area, the big striker controlling the ball before firing towards the far corner, Smith brilliantly tipping his effort around the post. Sadly confusion reigned at the corner and as the ball came low across the United area a total mix-up between ‘keeper and defenders led to Casuals substitute Charlie Fox tapping the ball into a vacant net to reduce the arrears.

It was however United that finished the stronger and I am still not quite sure how the lead was not increased in a dominant three minute spell just prior to stoppage time. On 88 minutes Rowe collected the ball in the Casuals area, turned his marker and fired past Tokarczyk who got just enough on the ball to allow Jude Mason to chase and slide the ball off the line.

A minute later United went even closer, Smith’s clearance upfield was flicked on by Rowe to Sheppard who noticed Tokarczyk off his line and instantly lofted the ball over him only for it to come back into play off the face of the crossbar and then just seconds later Rowe was again denied, probably by the save of the match as the United man saw his powerful close range header pushed out one handed by the home skipper but it was United who saw the game out to claim three points and move up to tenth in the table still with several games in hand on most.

Report by Kevin Watts.

United Man of the Match: Omar Rowe.