Hayes & Yeading United came back from a 2-0 eighth minute deficit to take a point which gives United their first league draw of the season and in turn we become the first side to come away with any points from the Silverlake Stadium.

United got off to the worst possible start at the Silverlake Stadium as Eastleigh eased into a 2-0 lead with only eight minutes played. Anthony Riviere opened the scoring in just the second minute when he nodded the ball past left-back Steve Perkins before beating Delroy Preddie with a low shot. The second came just six minutes later when Matt Bodkin fed the ball backwards to Luke Byles, his perfect cross was met by the unmarked Jamie Brown at the far post and he headed past a defenceless Preddie.

Still within the first 15 minutes it could have been worse for United when a corner fell nicely to Byles at the far post but his shot was well saved by Preddie right at the foot of his post.

It was 20 minutes before United had an effort of their own and this was created by Josh Scott on the left who having beaten two defenders slipped the ball inside to Kieran Knight but his shot on the turn was wide of the Eastleigh goal. Nevin Saroya then went close with a header from a Steven Gregory free-kick before Preddie again kept United in the game, reacting quickly to stop a Brown effort, again at the foot of his post.

Just a minute later United were back in the game, Scott picked up the ball inside his own half and advanced straight through the middle, a quick interchange with Will Hendry released the striker who left Tom Jordan in his wake as he reached the edge of the area and coolly slotted the ball past Jason Matthews in the Spitfires goal.

The home side almost caught United cold within seconds of conceding as Taggart sent Matt Groves though on the right side, his shot over the advancing Preddie sailed across goal and wide of the far post. Ten minutes remained to the break when a Scott chip forwards was met perfectly on the volley by Knight who was only denied the equaliser by a superb one handed Matthews save and Jordan cleared the ball before Scott could head into the vacant net.

The Spitfires respite was short lived though as just sixty seconds later the scores were level. A Gregory corner from the right was flicked on by Saroya to Scott who finished with a well controlled side foot volley from six yards out (pictured left).

In contrast to the first, the second half could not have started better for United as just 82 seconds had passed when we took the lead. Marwa and Knight were involved in the build up with the later finding Scott on the left side, Scott beat two before firing across a low ball that Marwa went for along with Matthews and Jordan at the near post. The loose ball came to Knight who calmly fired across the goal into the top corner from a very acute angle.

Sadly for United the lead lasted just six minutes, Taggart crossed from the right side to Brown and he volleyed home at the far post. Marwa then fired weakly at Matthews before a quick Spitfire break ended with a low cross/shot from Andy Forbes being played off the line and then hacked clear by the quick reactions of an already grounded Preddie.

A purple patch for the home side towards the end of the game saw Jordan head inches wide and Preddie did well to tip away a Forbes effort before the same player headed wide when well placed to trouble Preddie.

The final few minutes though belonged to United, Matthews saved from a James Mulley shot and Scott Fitzgerald did well to drag down a Preddie clearance and with his back to goal tried an overhead kick that had Matthews scrambling but the ball cleared the bar by less then a foot. In the sixth minute of stoppage time United did have the ball in the net when Fitzgerald headed home a Gregory corner, unfortunately the whistle had already blown for an infringement as the ball came across.

Report by Kevin Watts. Photos by Ray Peploe.

Match Highlights available at www.fcvideo.co.uk

Website United Man of the Match: Josh Scott.