Hayes & Yeading’s defence of the newly named BigFreeBet.com (BFB) Challenge Cup started with a first round victory over Ashford Town (Middlesex) with both Manager’s using the fixture to give some game time to a number of fringe players after Saturday’s Emirates FA Cup ties.

Not surprisingly the changed line-ups took a while to settle in to the game with the first opening not coming until the 15th minute when a long ball from the back by the visitors was misjudged by Orlando Rodrigues in the United defence allowing Jabir Laraba to take possession and hit a shot from 20 yards that Jack Smith got down well to hold.

United’s first sortie of note came five minutes later when Danny Hutchins played the ball forwards to skipper for the night Ismael Ehui, the striker turning his marker before firing inches over from the edge of the box.

Minutes later a surge up the left side by United saw James Taylor pick out Tre Mitford, the wide man cut inside his defender onto his right foot and tried to squeeze the ball inside the near post, Ashford ‘keeper Jake Tayler getting down well to save.

Ashford went the closest yet to opening the score on 25 minutes when Yahya El-Khabouche collected the ball on the edge of the box and steered his low shot past the diving Smith only for the ball to come back into play off the foot of the post.

Just a couple of minutes later the deadlock was broken, by United. Hutchins sent Joakim Ehui away on the right side, he outpaced Alex Fisher to the bye-line before pulling the ball back to Andrew Ofosu who turned away from Tayler who was in close attention before firing home on the turn.

Five minutes later the lead was doubled as Ofosu was sent tumbling in the area by a clumsy challenge. Hutchins, on debut, stepped up and duly sent Tayler the wrong way from the penalty spot.

The final five minutes saw the game open up more, mainly with United pushing on for a third. Mitford again cut in from the left, this time beating Tayler only for his shot to go wide off the post and this was quickly followed by Ofosu racing clear of the defence only to be denied by the outstretched boot of Tayler.

Jack Smith got down well to field a James Cottee drive just before the break and there was also another opening for United before the whistle blew that saw Tayler deny Ismael Ehui after he had been fed by Ofosu.

The second half was to see less goalmouth action, mainly due to United effectively killing off the contest with a third strike on 52 minutes. Hutchins played a perfectly lofted ball over the Ashford defence to Ofosu who beat defender Samad Kazi and ‘keeper Tayler to the ball to slide it into the net just inside the post (below).

Ashford themselves though did not let their heads drop in credit to them and just 2 minutes after United scored, Smith had to be alert to push away an El-Khabouche drive with Rodrigues clearing up after the loose ball was played back in to the danger zone.

In the next move, a long ball forwards caught the United defence out as Laraba sprung the offside trap only for the striker to be denied by Smith who at first looked to be way to far out of his box, the United stopper blocking the effort away with his foot some 30 yards from goal.

With little of note happening now with the result as good as sealed, the final opening of the game came five minutes from time when Scott Weight sprayed the ball wide to Elliott Poley the Ashford full-back, his deep cross picked out substitute Harry Salmon at the far post and he was denied a clear strike at goal from close range by a superbly timed sliding block from a retreating Joakim Ehui.

Report by Kevin Watts.

Photos by Ray Peploe.

United Man of the Match: Andrew Ofosu.

Print the Teamsheet: Here.

Scott Weight