A slip at the back cost Hayes & Yeading the chance of a place in the semi-finals of the Lucas Fettes Cup as Woking capitalised to score the only goal of a tight game at Farm Park on Monday evening.

First chance of the game came in just the sixth minute when Woking’s Philip Moore pounced to collect a Leonel Da Goma clearance, his shot going across goal and just wide of the far post.

With the visitors having a large share of the possession but failing to breach the United defence, the next chance actually went to United but was not until the 22 nd minute as Lewis Cole drove the ball from 25 yards but Woking keeper Liam Allen showed confident hands, catching the ball under his own crossbar.

Just after the half hour mark United’s Luke Daley was called into action as James Rogers-Oben got his head to a right side corner, the ball going comfortably into the arms of the well placed Daley.

Six minutes from the break United were indebted to Andrew Dean’s bravery in front of goal. Moore flicked the ball to Adam Bellmaine just inside the United area, his drive beat Daley only to cannon back off the underside of the bar to Moore who looked a certainty to open the scoring but for Dean throwing himself into the firing line to deflect the ball wide.

Final chance of the half fell to United’s Cole again, the midfielder cutting inside from the left and looping a shot across goal and narrowly wide of the far post.

United started well after the break and could have scored just two minutes in as Aristede Bassele showed good power to fight his way into the box on the left before firing across Allen but agonisingly wide of the target.

Play soon switched ends as Michael Milne hit a volley from just inside the area that Daley dived fully to his left to push away for a corner. The corner itself was met by Cardinals skipper Ashley Crowe but his header looped tamely into Daley’s arms.

What was to be the killer blow came exactly midway through the half. A tame looking ball across the box was crying out for Daley to take control, instead he left it to Da Goma who missed his kick allowing Moore to take the ball and fire low past Daley from an angle.

With the ball spending the bulk of the time in the middle of the park, it was not until the 87th minute that another goal even came close as Woking substitute Ryan Fraser lofted the ball over Daley only to see it clip the post and go wide.

United almost had the final say in stoppage time as Jeffrey Kimoto rose highest to Flavio Tavares’ free-kick but he could not keep his effort below the bar.

Report by Kevin Watts. Photos by Ray Peploe.

United Man of the Match: Adam Butler.