Hayes & Yeading put in one of their most complete all around performances to bring home all three points courtesy of a 2-0 victory over fellow promotion challengers Cambridge City on a pudding of a pitch at St Ives Town on Saturday afternoon.

Manager Paul Hughes made a single change to the starting XI that had comprehensively beaten Bedford Town a week previous with Ryan Kinnane missing out through illness, his place being taken by the fit again Priestly Farquharson. The United bench saw the addition of newly signed former Royston Town striker Kaan Fehmi.

On a sandy sticky pitch, it was the hosts ‘keeper Charlie Bannister who was to be tested first as Toby Little set up a shooting chance from distance for Laste Dombaxe, the Angolan midfielder hitting the target only to be denied by Bannister who saved diving to his right.

Two openings in quick succession came the way of the home side minutes later. James Hall received the ball on the right flank, his pull back to the Division’s top scorer Ryan Sharman set up a clear shooting chance 15 yards out, Sharman’s effort being well blocked by Farquharson. The same player found himself in a good position within seconds as Ryan Towner sent in a swinging cross, this time Sharman met the ball on the volley but failed to trouble Danny Boness in the United goal.

United then started to find their feet on the soft surface with chances coming and going at a good frequency for the visitors. Scott Donnelly clipped a free-kick into the box, skipper Tom Smith slid in to toe the ball past Bannister only for the shot to go across the face of goal and wide of the far post. This effort was quickly followed by Donnelly sending the ball to Duncan Culley on the outer edge of the box, the United striker moved with ease past Adam Capel before firing a near post shot that Bannister scrambled wide.

Culley was presented with another chance a minute later, Dombaxe won possession in the middle of the park and fired it forwards to Manny Duku, his deft flick took the ball on to Culley but he dragged his shot across the face of goal and wide.

Just after the half hour mark the home side were fortunate to stay level, Duku fired in a 25 yard free-kick that Bannister palmed out straight at one of his own defenders but rather than flying back into the net, the ball dropped to the side and was hacked clear of danger.

The final chances of the first period fell to the home side, Nathan Olukanmi broke into the United box on the right, his pull back to Hall gifted a shooting chance that Boness did well to block away and then a minute from the break a deep Ryan Towner corner picked out the towering figure of Jordan Gent but the big defender headed wide of the United goal and we went in scoreless at half-time.

The home side almost hit United with a few minutes of the re-start as Salim Relizani received the ball inside the United box, Boness made the initial save but as the ball flew skywards, the dropping ball was headed off the line and an opposition head by the ever alert Farquharson.

Chances continued to come for both sides and the next two fell to the visitors as first Ola Olajubu received a Little cross only for his shot to be blocked and scrambled away and then just before the hour mark a quick Adam Cash throw-in found Donnelly who tried his luck from 20 yards, his shot just clearing the Lillywhites goal.

The Lillywhites almost capitalised on a rare error by the United defence as a weak headed clearance from a Ben Seymour-Shove cross saw the ball drop to Hall, his drive being pushed wide by Boness. Play immediately switched ends as Olajubu won the ball in the middle of the park and sent Little away to run at the home defence, the United wing-back firing from the corner of the box but only managing to hit the side netting of Bannister’s goal.

Two minutes later though the deadlock was finally broken and it was Donnelly who un-locked the home defence. Dombaxe won the ball on the right side and sent it inside to Cash who advanced before sending Donnelly through, his initial effort was well defended as a defensive block took his shot on to the crossbar, Donnelly however was the quickest to react with the midfielder heading home into a vacant net from close range.

United with the goal advantage did not sit back, Paul Hughes’ side went forwards searching for another almost immediately with Little bringing the ball out of defence and into opposition territory before feeding Duku, the 25 goal man being denied by Bannister who held onto his shot.

Ten minutes remained and United’s persistence saw goal number two arrive. Culley did well in the right hand corner, holding the ball up against three defenders before picking out substitute Spyros Mentis in the middle, he in turn slipped the ball left to Little who drove the ball past Bannister for his eighth of the campaign to cap a fine United performance that saw them move up to a season high third place at the final whistle.

Report by Kevin Watts.

Photos by Ray Peploe.

United Man of the Match: Toby Little.