Hayes & Yeading tasted pre-season defeat for the first time, going down 2-0 at Leighton Town with the hosts scoring either side of half-time to claim victory. After a pretty non-existent opening twenty minutes in the scorching heat the first series raid on goal went United’s way as Hassan Jalloh collected the ball in the middle of the park and charged towards the Leighton box before laying the ball into the path of Amos Nasha who saw his shot deflected inches wide without troubling former United stopper Xavi Comas. Five minutes later Luke Pyman played a smart pass forwards to Archie McClelland who held it up well inside the United area before setting up Jack Harvey, his deflected shot drew a superb reflex save from United’s ‘keeper Jacob Adams as he changed direction to push the ball away one handed. United’s stopper had a simpler task two minutes later when he fielded a long range effort from another former United man in the shape of Lewis Toomey. The hosts then took the lead three minutes from the break with a peach of a strike, Toomey moved onto a long ball forwards that one of United’s trialist defenders failed to deal with, he took possession and fired the ball across to McClelland who took aim from 20 yards out and placed his shot perfectly beyond Adams into the far top corner. Within a minute of the re-start, Jalloh ran at the box once more but his shot was comfortably fielded by Comas and just a few minutes later a break down the left side saw Ben Spaul cross low, Toomey stepped over the ball leaving Ayo Akin Bobola a simple far post tap-in to double Leighton’s lead. In the 55th minute United nearly got one back as Cole Brown fed Nasha down the right side, his cross was miscued against his own crossbar by Ethan Flanagan and when the loose ball dropped to Mo Bettamer he rushed his effort and fired wide of the far post. United continued in the ascendancy without forcing Comas into a save until the final embers, he was beaten however on 72 minutes by United midfielder Manny Adebiyi only for his dipping drive to crash back off the woodwork to safety. The final few minutes saw Jalloh fire in a 20 yard drive that Comas opted to punch away and on 90 minutes the ball dropped kindly to Nasha in the box but his shot was too high from 12 yards out. The hosts had the final chance of the game, hitting the side netting on a break away in stoppage time but it was not to be United’s day and Leighton claimed the victory. We would like to thank Leighton Town for their hospitality this afternoon and wish them well for the coming season. Report by Kevin Watts.