Everitt: We’ll be tough to beat
Boss Haylock tipped to get Hayes & Yeading back on the right track
Haylock became the club’s first boss following the merger between the two clubs in 2007 and is back at the helm after replacing Tristan Lewis.
He oversaw promotion to the non-league top flight via the play-offs in 2009 and spent two years in the Conference Premier with the club before departing in May 2011.
Things gradually went downhill following his exit as Nas Bashir’s boys slipped through the the Conference Premier trapdoor and they were relegated again under Phil Babb.
They were given a reprieve from the second relegation due to Hereford’s demise but again struggled to stay up last season as the former Liverpool star failed to see out the campaign in charge.
Lewis, who had stepped into the breach, was rewarded for keeping them in Conference South by chairman Tony O’Driscoll as he was handed the reins full-time for 2015-16.
But when the opportunity arose to bring back Haylock it was too good to refuse and the former Exeter City first-team coach has been backed to sort things out by a man who knows him well.
United’s 33-year-old full-back Everitt is familiar with Haylock’s managerial methods having worked under him at Yeading in 2007 before the merger of the two clubs.
And he is confident Haylock’s back to basics approach will help turn their fortunes around.
He said: “Garry brings brilliant organisation.
“I remember when he took over the first time when I was at Yeading and we went unbeaten for our first 11 games or so because we had real structure and organisation.
“He makes us hard to beat first and foremost, then we can be more expansive after that but we must build on a solid base to begin with.”
This was evident in Haylock’s first match back in charge as Hayes and Yeading kept a clean sheet to secure a home draw with Gosport Borough.
He added: “Our defensive display against Gosport was really good because of the discipline more than anything.
“We were told the shape to play, we kept it well and also kept our concentration for 90 minutes.”
Everitt holds the title as the first player to score for Hayes FC, Yeading FC and Hayes & Yeading United.
United produced another fine defensive display at the weekend as they kept out Bishop’s Stortford in a goalless draw.
He will be hoping to score his first goal of the current campaign as United jet off to Concord Rangers this Saturday. HILLINGDON ABBOTS made it four wins out of four as their terrific start to the new Herts/Middlesex One campaign continued at Bank of England.
The Abbots climbed to the top of the table with a thrilling 39-32 victory over a BoE side who showed more quality than their league position would have you believe.
Elliott Wake kicked Hillingdon into an early lead before debutant Ashton Obikpo burst through the Bank defence to score the first try of the game, although the hosts soon added one of their own.
After a lengthy stoppage for a nasty dislocated finger for Simon Coldwell, play resumed with an immediate try down the wing as Brad Buckingham got in on the act.
This sparked Abbots’ best spell of the game. Adam Wenham and Neil Gordge both crossed the line, with Wake adding the conversions and another penalty to put them firmly in the driving seat.
Bank narrowed the gap slightly but when Kyle Buckingham scrambled across the tryline it appeared the points were secure.
Two late tries and a penalty for BoE threatened to see the spoils shared, but Hillingdon held on and now earn a well-deserved week off before facing secondplaced London Welsh Amateurs at home.