Hayes & Yeading’s under 18 side advanced to the next round of the FA Youth Cup at the SKYex on Wednesday evening with a Marcus Pancho hat-trick easing United to a 3-0 victory over Ashford Town (Middlesex).

A cagey opening ten minutes saw both sides’ assessing each other before United struck for the first time a minute later when a deep Jahrome Evans cross from the right wing was met at the far post by Marcus Pancho who headed home his first goal for United’s under 18 side.

There were almost 30 minutes played before another chance went into the notebook, again for United and this time hard working midfielder Joe Gasper fed the ball neatly through to last week’s goalscorer Rocco Alessi, the United striker shooting wide while off balance.

The other side of the half hour mark Gasper almost set up Alessi again, this time the midfielders deflected left wing cross just evaded the on-coming striker and visiting ‘keeper Joshua Wilson pounced on the loose ball quickly.

Wilson was quickly in the action again as Pancho ran at the Ashford defence before sliding strike partner Alessi through on goal, Wilson however was quickly off his line to block his effort away with his defence doing the tidying up thereafter.

The half closed out with Wilson working wonders to keep United from getting a second. Firstly the stopper did well to push wide a drive from United skipper Henry Lukombo who had burst through the centre and then as the half closed out Alessi broke through only to be thwarted by Wilson who again was quickly off his line to block the ball away to safety and the half ended with United dominating but just the one goal to the good.

United’s first half pressure continued after the break and within two minutes the hosts had a second. United worked the ball well around the edge of the Ashford area before feeding Pancho who struck the ball low and hard from 18 yards, beyond Wilson’s outstretched hand, into the bottom corner.

Just before the hour Lukombo hit a dipping shot from 25 yards that only just went over and on the hour the visitors got a glimpse of goal for the first time really as the impressive Ethan Hellyer met a deep cross on the volley at the far post but his effort was just wide of the target.

The same player went close again for the visitors five minutes later while two shots within a minute soon after from United substitute Emmanuel Robe saw the first just miss the target with the second, a swerving 20 yard effort, being held by Wilson.

On 70 minutes though United and Pancho netted a third effectively ending the game as a contest, the striker latching onto a smart Lukombo throughball before firing firmly past Wilson.

Six minutes from time United stopper Reece Mbanini had to be sharp when a clearing header by Anton Oni dropped nicely to Hellyer who struck a firm volley that the United stopper did well to push wide.

The final couple of minutes saw a chance apiece go begging. For United, centre-back Barsa Mirtahmasebi rose highest to meet a corner kick only for his header to go just the wrong wide of the post and then at the other end Hellyer fed the ball to Alfie Poole who saw his 20 yard shot well held by Mbanini.

United now progress to a first qualifying round tie where they will visit Allied Counties Youth League side Hanwell Town.

Report by Kevin Watts.

United Man of the Match: Marcus Pancho.

David Trindade

Marcus Pancho