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Salisbury 4
Hayes & Yeading Utd 3
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Hayes & Yeading exited this seasons Buildbase FA Trophy in a thrilling topsy turvey encounter at the RayMac as Salisbury exacted revenge for United taking three points from them just a week earlier, on this occasion United came from two down to lead only to have everything snatched away by two Salisbury goals at the death.
Manager Paul Hughes had a selection dilemma with several key players out injured or nursing injuries and this led to a re-shaped side that included just one established centre-back in Keano Robinson with full-backs Johnville Renee and Jack Williams making up a central three. The game also saw two debuts with Enock Ekongo coming in on the right of the defence and Oxford United loanee Aaron McCreadie anchoring the midfield.
The re-shaping for United took it’s toll early on as the home side raced into a two goal lead within 20 minutes. An early opening saw Darren Mullings feed the ball to Dan Fitchett on the left of the United area, his low driven cross just evading the sliding Toby Holmes in the middle.
The Whites were to open the scoring in the twelfth minute, Jacob Wannell picked out Shaquille Hippolyte-Patrick on the left side, his low centre being turned home by an unmarked Mullings from eight yards out.
Five minutes later the home side had another, James Clark was caught in possession midway in his own half and the ball was played instantly into the run of Bay Downing who clipped it over the advancing Jack Smith to double the Whites lead.
United’s first opening came a couple of minutes later when Scott Donnelly picked out Enoch Ekongo on the right flank, he turned and raced beyond Wannell before playing a deep cross to Elliott Buchanan who hit his volley into the ground and wide of the target.
On a soft skidding pitch with rain falling, chances were starting to come at both ends. A Salisbury corner picked out Nathaniel Oseni at the far post but he headed wide and within a few minutes at the opposite end Donnelly whipped in a free-kick that home stopper Gerard Benfield did well to push away.
A low cross from the home side again whizzed across the United six yard box without a touch before Donnelly won possession for United and found Buchanan in an advanced position, the striker turning his marked before shooting into the side netting of the hosts goal.
Three minutes from the break United were thankful to stand in skipper Keano Robinson. A long punt from Benfield was flicked on by Fitchett to Holmes, he in turn poked the ball past Smith’s dive but Robinson chased the ball back to clear it away inches from the goalline.
In stoppage time it was a brilliant clearance off the line at the other end that denied United a goal, Donnelly’s free-kick was flicked past Benfield by Ogo Obi only for Wannell to superbly head the ball over from under his own crossbar while facing his own goal and it was a two goal deficit for United at the break.
The second half in fairness took a while to even look like producing any further goals, let alone the five that it did. The first noteworthy chance came on 58 minutes and again went to the Whites as a Hippolyte-Patrick drive from 20 yards was well held by Smith diving to his left.
Within a minute it was United who almost struck as Obi collected just inside the box before turning past two defenders to get a shot away that was blocked by Oseni, Obi recovered the ball and fed Aaron McCreadie but his shot from 20 yards was wide of the target.
Just beyond the hour mark Mullings should have netted his second when the ball dropped kindly to him six yards out he only managed to fire straight into Smith’s grateful arms.
United finally brought the game back into the balance on 68 minutes as Donnelly worked the ball wide right to Buchanan, his low driven cross being turned home at the far post by Obi for his eleventh of the campaign.
Just two minutes later Smith was again at his best when a low drilled cross was deflected goalwards, the stopper blocked out the effort but only as far as Mullings who then saw his drive also blocked out by the in-form United ‘keeper.
United again started to crank up the pressure looking for an equaliser and it came on 73 minutes as Toby Little collected the ball on the left and crossed deep to Buchanan, the striker volleying home in spectacular fashion to level the tie at 2-2.
Neither side wanted a replay it appears and play continued to ebb and flow from end to end. Little found Obi and the left side, his centre picked out Buchanan but his header was straight at Benfield and this was quickly followed by a break away at the other end whereby a sliding attempt to block a cross by Johnville Renee would have ended in his own net but for a fine reflex stop from Smith who turned the ball wide.
Just a minute later United had the lead for the first time and again it was Buchanan who found the net, this time he collected a lofted ball in the Whites area, drifted past Benfield and fired home with his unfamiliar right foot finding the far bottom corner of the hosts net.
Five minutes from time United had a chance to extend the lead when a neat exchange between McCreadie and Ekongo set up substitute Hassan Jalloh but he shot straight at Benfield. A minute later Smith was on hand once more to block out a close range effort to keep United ahead but this was soon to be shattered in fine fashion.
With just a minute of normal time remaining, Lewis Benson’s cross from the right appeared to be well punched clear by Smith only for the ball to drop to Alex Lafleur who smashed it back on the volley into the far corner of the United net giving Smith no chance and we were level once more.
Sadly for United a replay was not to be as the home side struck the killer blow four minutes into stoppage time when a deep cross was knocked down to Warren Bentley on the edge of the box, initially he slipped and totally missed his kick only to recover in a flash to fire low and hard past Smith into the bottom corner and that was to be it for another FA Trophy campaign.
Report by Kevin Watts.
United Man of the Match: Scott Donnelly.
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