As we approach the business end of the season this is a tough time for clubs as squads are stretched with injuries and suspensions impacting availability as most teams find themselves playing Saturday, midweek, Saturday, and this can sometimes impact the quality of the game, and this was probably the case at Yate on Saturday. United were on their third consecutive away game and had back-to-back Saturdays with games down the M4. Manager Paul Hughes had made three changes to his starting line-up with Tarik Moore-Azille who signed during the week making his debut for Cameron Green who had moved to Bromley at the same time, Jacob Adams returning after injury in goal and Jean-Baptiste Fischer swapping places with Amos Nasha . This game appeared to be heading for a 0-0 as we approached the 6-month anniversary of our last 0-0 against back on the 20th of August at Hartley Wintney. Neither team really had really troubled either keeper significantly as we had played just over an hour of the game. With the defences in control of the game it took the two United centre halves to create the opening goal in this game. When the hosts cleared a free-kick into their penalty area out to the left hand side, Charlie Wassmer collected the loose ball and crossed for fellow centre half Tarik Moore-Azille who controlled the ball and laid it nicely for Moses Emmanuel who in the middle of the penalty area drove a low shot goalwards that home keeper Martin Horsell got a foot to which only took the pace off the ball as it trickled over the goal line. The goal led to an improvement in the game and just seven minutes later came the best move of the game and a delightful second goal for United, Roger James fed Paul Field on the left and the full-back had time to check onto his right foot, and having done so he sent over a fantastic cross for the experienced Danny Green who guided the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the goal witrh a deft header. With just over 20 minutes remaining United were looking to add to their lead whilst the hosts were looking to get back into the game to see if they could find anything to boost their relegation fight but United seemed in control and defending comfortably until 9 minutes to go. The hosts won a free-kick midway in United’s half and the ball was pumped into the penalty area where yet again Wassmer met the ball, but Yate recovered the second ball and found their substitute, Alex Lambert, who headed home from close range. The game seemed to open up approaching the 90th minute but Jacob Adams returning back into the United goal was not troubled much. With referee Peters signalling there was seven minutes of stoppage time to be played United could have expected that their hosts would try and lay siege to their goal but that wasn’t the case. United dominated the closing minutes as they looked to add the third that would have settled the game and they spent most of that time in the Yate half and only a fine save from Horsell was to deny Emmanuel a second and then Wassmer headed just over from a corner. Yate were looking for one big chance to snatch a point and they got it in the 4th minute of additional time when their scorer Lambert found himself all alone in the left hand side of the area but today fortune was on Uniteds side as he fired tamely into Adams grateful arms. The remaining time was seen out comfortably by the visitors who controlled possession, in fact James nearly added a third in the penultimate minute of injury time. The first half had been a generally forgettable affair both defences resolute and well organised limiting chances for both teams and Moore-Azille and Wassmer looked comfortable throughout, Wassmer providing one of the more remarkable moments of the half when, on the ground, he stretched out and headed the ball clear to prevent the hosts attacker getting to the ball first. Wassmer also had the first sighting of goal firing into the side netting in the 9th minute after a free kick from the left-hand side. The hosts had a speculative effort from distance by Zak Drew on the 12th minute that gave Adams a chance to make a good save in his first game back after a lengthy spell injured. The 16th minute saw the clearest chance of the half when Emmanuel found himself bearing down on goal but he blasted over. Four minutes later a sweeping move from United saw James fire just wide as the half briefly threatened to open up but defences were on top predominately in the first half. Six points from three consecutive away games is a good return with a tough run of home games coming up in the next week or so. Report by Nick Griffith.