United boss frustrated after match called off due to waterlogged Poole
IT was a frustrating weekend for Hayes & Yeading United as their trip to Poole Town was postponed early, but with little action in the division they remain in the playoffs in the Southern League Premier South.
They retained their place there with a point at fellow play-off hopefuls Swindon Supermarine last midweek who, by chance, are this weekend’s visitors for their latest home clash.
Manager Paul Hughes is hoping his side can up their game a notch for the return fixture.
“We went into the game positive – we could win it and after taking an early lead I was a little disappointed we couldn’t see it through,” he said.
“That’s twice in two games we’ve let these leads slip. They’re third in the league and they’re certainly a club that want to be in the National League South so it was always going to a tough away fixture. A point isn’t the end of the world and we have a chance to go for them again this week at home.
“Let’s see if they can handle us at our place on our pitch. I think they struggled to cope with the pace we have up top and with the size of our pitch we’ll have plenty of opportunities to get in behind them, so we certainly won’t be timid in our approach. That second game has turned into a big one because we seem to be competing with them for that play-off spot.
“When we did catch them in possession and broke we looked dangerous but too often our final ball was sloppy or we made the wrong decision. These are the margins you win and lose games by. If we made the right choice or chose the right option I’m pretty sure we’d have won the game.”
He added: “They were hard working all over the pitch and anyone watching the game can see why they’re sitting where they are in the league. Our boys proved again that whoever we’re up against we will cause problems.
“I think it’s this confidence we now carry into all of our games and I want a toe to toe performance and attitude come next Saturday. Every game from now until the end of the season has to be treated like a cup final.
“I’ve always believed that fortune favours the brave and that means going out to win every game we play and making sure that everything we do on the pitch we do with conviction. When we play like that we are very tough to play against and if someone can outplay us then we have the humility to hold our hands out and give them the respect they deserve, as I’d expect the opposition to do for us.”
With Swindon Supermarine the visitors in the league in this Saturday, Walton Casuals visit the following week. In between, on Tuesday March 10, United travel to Spelthorne Sports in the Middlesex Charity Cup.
The club have announced they will be hosting a Fan’s Forum on Wednesday March 11 at 7pm.
Hughes and representatives of the club will be available in the bar to give an update on everything at the club. The U18s match is scheduled to start at 7.45pm and it is hoped that those attending the forum will stay on and give the U18s their support.