Hayes & Yeading stopped the run of defeats with a point at Hanwell Town on Bank Holiday Monday as a late Adam Liddle strike cancelled out the hosts fourth minute opener. After Saturdays showing the gaffer made three changes to the starting XI with Amos Nasha, Ben Shroll and Ayo Faniyan coming in for Hassan Jalloh, Sean O’Brien and Sam Ashton with the latter two dropping to the bench for this one. The hosts were to hit United early doors, Dan Carr broke away on the right and cut inside the box, his low shot was pushed away by Jacob Adams but the loose ball fell nicely to Sam Evans who got his toe to the ball before Jerry Wiltshire could clear with the striker poking the ball into the net from close range. Evans was looking for a second on 22 minutes when he broke free to run at Tarik Moore-Azille, having turned past the United central defender he shaped to shoot but the United man was quick to recover and got in a fine block to take the ball out for a corner that was to come to nothing. Soon after United’s bench was left a man short as coach Clerk Jenner was shown a red card by the referee one can only assume for dissent. As we passed by the half hour mark a long range effort from skipper Sanmi Odelusi was too high and this was shortly followed by a header from his opposite number, Calum Duffy, at the other end that looped over the United goal. Omar Rowe fired too high for United before an injury to Wiltshire saw him replaced by Steve Ngunga with United rotating to a standard back four in a system re-shuffle. Four minutes from the break United were indebted to Adams in keeping the deficit to one. Former Met Police man Herson Alves fired in a free-kick that was met by an unmarked Dwayne Duncan just yards from goal, his effort being superbly palmed away by Adams in the United goal. As the large amount of additional time came towards its conclusion the hosts saw Carr fire the ball across the United six yard box with the touch evading all and sundry and then a minute later the Geordies had the ball in the net once more as Carr tapped home only for the referees assistant to rule the ball had gone out of play earlier in the move much to United’s relief and the half ended with the hosts a goal ahead. United’s second half didn’t start great either as Ben Shroll appeared to collide with the pitch surround and after a lengthy spell of treatment he left the game on a stretcher having already been replaced by Jamie Hanlon, we wish Ben a speedy recovery. A minute later Adams was once more in action as Alves cut inside and hit a shot that the United stopper did well to tip away to safety and play quickly switched ends as Hanlon fired an excellent cross-field pass to Ngunga who cut inside and drew a smart save from George Legg in the hosts goal. Just past the hour United’s final change saw Ayo Faniyan, making his first start in over a year, replaced by Sean O’Brien and three minutes later United were again down to ten men with referee Harris showing a second yellow card to Jack Williams it did however take the busy assistant to advise him that it was Jack’s second yellow and after a discussion he went back and corrected his error by showing the red card. The resultant free-kick was fired over by Alves and then an unusual situation at the other end when Hanwell substitute Callum Woodcock was cautioned while warming up for throwing the ball away.
United seemed to take real issue at being reduced to ten men and started to finally impose themselves on the home side with due reward coming in the 84th minute as Hanlon maintained the ball well on the left corner of the Hanwell area, his second cross attempt caused a bit of pinball in the middle that resulted in Adam Liddle sweeping the ball past Legg into the far corner for the equaliser. Despite the numerical disadvantage, it was United who continued to push for a winner as firstly Rowe and then Liddle tried from distance but never looked like troubling Legg.
In the first minute of added time the hosts should have taken the win as substitute Conrad Lucan broke away towards the United goal leaving defenders chasing his shadow, once in the box however he was denied a goal by another excellent save from Adams whose outstretched leg took the ball away from goal for a corner that was easily dealt with. Then almost with the final kick United almost stole all three points as O’Brien collected the ball just inside the area and despite beating Legg’s desperate dive the ball struck the base of the post and went away to safety with United ending the day with what looked an unlikely point when being reduced to ten men but it seems there is fight in the team so onwards and upwards.
Report by Kevin Watts. United Man of the Match: Amos Nasha.