TWO DEFEATS PUT UNITED ON THE BRINK
UNITED SLIP FURTHERER INTO MIRE
HAYES & Yeading United gave leaders Chippenham Town a run for their money on Sunday but an injury-time winner for the visitors – combined with St Neots’ win over Redditch less than 24 hours earlier – pulled up the safety ladder from the Holloways Park side.
St Neots’ win lifted the Cambridgeshire side six points clear of third-from-bottom United, who are now looking to reel in fifth-from-bottom Kings Langley in the Evo-Stik Southern League Premier.
The latter have a three-point – and 11-goal – advantage over United but Ritchie Hanlon and Paul Hughes’ side had a game in hand ahead of the scheduled visit of Weymouth lastast night (Tuesday) and Saturday’s trip to Biggleswade.
And the United managers will have had an eye on results elsewhere last night with Kings Langley set to o host a fourthfrom-bottom Cambridge City side occupying thee final relegation berth before playing at home to Stratford Town on Saturday.
There were reasons to be optimistic for Uniteded on Saturday with new signing Ramoneamone Rose marking his debut with the opening goal in first-halfalf injury time to prompt hopes of an upset against the leaders.
Rose had started arted in lively fashion, going closee with two headers in the opening five minutes before his breakthrough from the edge of the D as half-time approached.
United hopes were lifted higher as keeper Danny Boness pushed away a David Pratt penalty in the 51st minute and Anthony Edgar hit the post for the hosts as United more than held their own, but William Richards hit an equaliser seven minutes from time and Pratt was not to be denied, pouncing to claim the winner in the first minute of added time. There was still time for United substitute Dylan Kearney to fire wide four minutes later but the game ended in a second defeat in five days, after the eventful 2-1 loss at Dorchester last Tuesday that deepened United’s relegation fears. Jake Mawford had given Dorchester the lead after just 70 seconds on a heavy pitch before Edgar won and converted a penalty for the equaliser 10 minutes before half time. With United’s Connor Toomey playing out the game despite being sick on the pitch at half-time, Edgar appeared to be fouled on the edge of the Dorchester area in the 56th minute only to be sent off by the official for a perceived offence and the 10-man visitors were unable to find a way back.