Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
DUKU’S GOT THE MAGIC DUTCH IN UNITED ROUT
A MANNY DUKU brace fired Hayes & Yeading United to a demolition job against Egham Town in a Southern League Division One East clash on Saturday.
Dutchman Duku, who has netted 37 times this season, opened the scoring before Mitchell Wiseman’s equaliser briefly gave Egham hope.
That was extinguished by strikes from the United’s Tom Smith, Sahr Kabba and Spyros Mentis. A second Duku effort and one for striker Duncan Culley capped a 6-1 rout at the SkyEX Community Stadium.
United manager Paul Hughes admitted surprise at the scoreline against what he called a “decent” team.
He said: “I didn’t think it was a 6-1 game. They were better now than when we lost to them [in March]. They’ve got some decent players and a good style of play. That’s a very good result.”
Proceedings started frantically when an unmarked Ryan Kinnane scuffed his effort after connecting with a floated free-kick in the second minute.
In the 14th minute Duku showed great footwork to deceive the Egham defence and slam home from just inside the box.
The hosts looked dominant but were stunned on 32 minutes when Wiseman punished slack defending to level from a corner.
But Hughes’s troops found themselves back ahead two minutes before the break from a corner of their own, when captain Smith nodded in.
Simon Lane’s Egham conceded again on the hour when the impressive Kabba was put clean through and calmly finished past keeper Matt Nolan.
The introduction of Mentis after half time brought balance and his two most telling contributions came in quick succession.
Firstly he pounced on a rebound after Duku headed against the post from a 63rd-minute corner. The former Royston man then found Duku five minutes later with an incisive pass, and the striker duly slotted home.
Substitute Culley settled things in the final minute after sleepy defending allowed him to fire in his 20th goal of the season.
Proud United boss Hughes singled out Duku, Scott Donnelly, Ola Olajubu and Mentis for praise.
Former Chelsea midfielder Hughes said: “Ola and Spyros grabbed hold of the midfield.
“That’s what swayed the game for us. Scott Donnelly always does a fantastic job in there and Duku’s got another two goals – fantastic for him.”
United have amassed 97 league goals this campaign and Hughes put that down to determination and enterprise.
The manager added: [It’s] just hard work, getting balls in the opposition box, clinical finishing and creating chances. We tend to create a lot. There’s a lot of ways we can score goals.”
United face a mammoth clash at Beaconsfield on Saturday and Hughes claimed his side are “up for it”.
He said: “Those games, they don’t need the motivation. They know it’s a big game so should be up for it. May the best team win.
“[Beaconsfield are] obviously a good team, otherwise they wouldn’t be where they are. We know it’ll be a tough game.”