A solid defensive display by United coupled with two early Toby Little strikes saw three points return south from a tough trip to Wrexham's Racecourse Ground.

Garry Haylock made one enforced change to his starting line-up as a fit again Justin Cochrane replaced the suspended Scott Fitzgerald while new attacking options came to the bench in the form of the returning Staforde Palmer and new arrival Craig Watkins.

Hayes & Yeading took the game to their hosts from the off and after just four minutes James Mulley fed the ball down the right flank to Esmond James, his deep cross being met at the far post by Sean Canham but at full stretch the striker was wide of the target.

United didn't have to wait long to break the deadlock however, James breezed past the challenge of left-back Mike Williams before picking out Sean Canham, his flick (below) appeared to be going in but just to make sure Toby Little slid in to make sure that it did. Two minutes later Little and Canham were again in the thick of the action as goal number two arrived. Little found the striker on the right side, his centre saw Mulley closed down well but as the ball span loose Little again dived in to touch home via the knee of defender Ashley Westwood (below left).

The home side were finally stunned into action by United's onslaught but it still took until the 25th minute for a meaningful effort. Gareth Taylor fed the ball into the area where Wes Baynes dragged the ball across his marker before firing wide of the far post from 15 yards.

By the time the next effort on goal came both sides had been forced into replacing an injured defender. For United Matt Ruby departed after a whack to the head to be replaced by Sami El-Abd and then the home side lost right-back Spann who was replaced by Hedi Taboubi. Things could have been made worse for the home side on 36 minutes when keeper Chris Maxwell's weak clearance saw Justin Cochrane play an instant one-two with Mulley before trying his luck from 40 yards as Maxwell backpeddled, sadly he was off target.

This was the last action of a first half that had seen both sunshine and driving rain, pretty much like the two teams performances as the home team were booed from the park by their own faithful.

Wrexham must have had a roasting at the break as they came out positively, giving Simon Overland some work to do at last when a skidding shot from Baynes needed to be turned around the post by the United stopper who also comfortably dealt with a weak Baynes shot minutes later.

Things became easier for United on 52 minutes when Wrexham's Senegalese forward Lamine Sakho took a tumble in the area and was rightly booked for simulation by referee Mr Davison. I can only imagine words were said about the "dive" as the home player immediately "lost it", by head butting Esmond James (pictured here by the BBC). A 22 man melee followed with Sakho rightly seeing a straight red followed by cautions for Wrexham's Curtis Obeng and United's Justin Cochrane.

With discipline on a knife edge for both sides nothing constructive came about for a good ten minutes before football again came to the fore. Just after the hour mark United were indebted to Overland, Neil Taylor found namesake Gareth who helped the ball into the path of Baynes who advanced on goal only to see his shot well blocked by the United stopper's outstretched legs.

Just a minute later Andy Fleming made space for himself just outside the area but his shot was just too high to trouble Overland. The home side, looking better with ten than they had with eleven continued to push for a way back into the game. Gareth Taylor met an Obeng cross at full stretch but could not hit the target before Fleming set up Baynes but Overland palmed his drive down and comfortably gathered.

A rare sortie forwards towards the end saw Sean Canham forced wide by Mansour Assoumani, the United striker managing to pick out namesake Marc who set up Adam Green but his drive from 20 yards was just off target. The final chance came deep into stoppage time when a dangerous Taboubi cross was taken from the head of Gareth Taylor by Sami El-Abd who was a whisker away from beating his own keeper as the home side left to a resounding chorus of boos and the United faithful celebrated.


Report by Kevin Watts. Photos by Ray Peploe.

United Man of the Match: Tom Cadmore.