Hayes and Yeading United v Ascot United Men

Report

ASCOT CRUISE TO HAYES VICTORY

 

Yellamen triumph 3-1 to move to within a point of safety

 

Ascot United produced an outstanding team performance to record a double – and a vital win on the road – over Hayes and Yeading United to reignite their survival prospects. Positive from the start, the visitors led and were pegged back before half-time, but dug deep in a superb second half showing to earn three much-needed points.

 

Yellamen cling to hope heading to Hayes

Three points from safety, seven games to go and without the luxury of games in hand, The Yellamen came into the game more in hope than optimism. They would realistically need to overhaul two of their three closest relegation rivals to do that – Binfield, Littlehampton and Metropolitan Police – but the trio’s own form, with a mixture of four and three points from their last six matches, has at least kept Ascot in touch.

 

The visitors also demolished Hayes in the reverse fixture, and although the home side’s own play off chances looked improbable, they were led by Racecourse hero Jamie Tompkins. And, the home side had more than an air of familiarity with six ex-Yellamen in their squad – four in the starting line-up – three of whom spearheaded the league and FA Vase double under Tompkins three seasons earlier.

 

Fellow Londoners Harrow Borough succumbed to a rare double at the hands of Ascot recently; what price on them repeating the trick?

 

Positive Ascot dominate early-on

Impressively, it was the visitors who were on the front foot for much of the first thirty minutes and earnt their first chance at scoring when Ibby Sankoh’s free kick sailed just wide – hitting the goalframe’s support post – after Kai Allsopp had earlier been fouled in a central position.

 

But they were rewarded in the fifteenth minute when David Oupuh streaked clear down the right – carrying the ball at pace for half the length of the pitch – before saving enough energy to pick out Jaheim Kamara’s run to the near post, and he scooped the ball past Rhys Forster first-time.

 

At the other end, Hayes were wasteful and George Sippetts epitomised a poor display with a weak attempted lob after Henry Curtis had got himself in a mess.

 

But the home side clawed their way back into it – although Jordi Ebanda fluffed his lines at the far post with a free header down into the ground – before he was involved in the equaliser six minutes before the break.

 

Josh Edwards had done well to shepherd Nick Dembele’s dangerous left-wing cross behind for a Hayes corner, and although Kie Plumley produced an incredible save to turn Ebanda’s thumping header from Harry Grant’s resultant corner onto the bar, Brendan Matthew pounced to slot home – although the goal was only given by the assistant referee as Plumley gallantly recovered to hook the ball from just beyond the goal-line.

 

Ascot mounted a mini-spell of pressure before the break but couldn’t regain the lead, and it was one-all as the sides changed ends.

 

Where has this performance been hiding?

The home side would surprisingly replace Ebanda at half-time, and manager Tompkins would ultimately roll four of his bench dice to try and ignite his mis-firing troops as the game went on, but take nothing away from Ascot – this was truly deserved.

 

They started brightly again and Lui Edwards up top finally showed his worth in the absence of Harry Rice, glanding a header wide, via a deflection, from man-of-the-match Allsopp’s cross.

 

But it was Oupoh who would restore his side’s lead on the hour mark. Having been forced to change his shirt at half-time – ripped down the middle from the home defence’s first-half attempts to stop him – he nipped onto a through ball down the inside left channel. The angle was against him, Forster narrowed it further, but be somehow squeezed a cross-shot past the home ‘keeper and watched as it trickled into the far corner, despite the desperate attempts of the covering defence.

 

Once again, the assistant referee stepped up. It was close, but the eight traveling fans behind the goal celebrated.

 

Kie reaches the highs – and low down.

At the other end, Hayes responded. In a 66^th minute game of penalty box pinball, Plumley would get down well to superbly block substitute Tyler Hayes’ rasping low effort, and even when he was beaten three minutes later by fellow replacement Jack McKnight’s thumping first time volley from Grant’s corner, the crossbar came to his rescue.

 

“It was that little bit of luck we needed”

Having survived the mini-onslaught, Ascot were gifted the chance to put daylight between themselves and Hayes in the 74^th minute, although the home defending was abysmal.

 

Having seen Ascot taken a throw-in from the left, the ball bounced twice, unchallenged, allowing Luis Le Paih – a pivotal and welcome quick return to the side – to pounce. He dinked a short lob inside for striker Edwards, the ball sat up, and he guided a sweet volley across Forster and into the bottom right hand corner to make it 3-1.

 

The visiting fans and players celebrated together, but there would still be sixteen minutes to play, plus seven of overages.

 

Rule number one: game management. Rule number two: follow rule number one

After going 3-1 down, the proverbial kitchen sink never arrived.

 

However, take nothing away from Ascot, they threw everything behind the ball.

 

Curtis hammered one clearance so far out of the ground that the ball boy was betwixt and between taking either an Uber or Scuba – into Yeading Brook. George Lock, on for his 324^th appearance, cleared one off the line and Allsopp, who was simply outstanding at both ends, mopped up deep in injury time to ensure no late drama.

 

Noah Hay scooped over for the home side from long range in his side’s only real chance late-on, but it was all about Ascot.

 

As for Forster, he would shake the hands of all the visiting fans after the game, much to his credit.

 

And, it didn’t take him long to do that – he has more digits on them than the quantum of the Yellas standing in the sun at full time – but despite their diminished numbers they made it clear he will always be a yellow hero, and how they appreciated their side’s incredible effort.

 

The battle goes on – onto Hanworth Villa – and anything goes right now!

 

Ascot United: Plumley, Hobbs, Gale, J. Edwards, Curtis, Sankoh, Oupoh (Tanner 74’), Le Paih, L. Edwards (Lock 88’), Allsopp (Wynn 90+7’), Kamara (Dehghani 84’). Sub unused: Osbourne.

 

Venue: The SkyEx Community Stadium, Hayes

Attendance: 218

Weather: 15c, sunny

Ascot United MOM: Kai Allsopp

Entertainment: 4

Away fans estimate: 10

One-word summary: Outstanding