Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
UNITED GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO IMPRESS BOSS
HUGHES APPLAUDS SIDE AFTER TAKING THREE POINTS FROM TWO LENGTHY AWAY GAMES
HAYES & YEADING UNITED boss Paul Hughes reckons Truro City paid them “a huge compliment” by changing their shape as his men went down 3-0 in Cornwall.
It was a lengthy trip and a disappointing wet weekend for Hayes against the play-off chasers in the club’s latest Southern Premier League South clash.
It followed a 3-2 win at Dorchester midweek – another long trip – something that was not lost on manager Paul Hughes.
“I was pleased with large parts of the game considering the quality of the opposition and the fact it was our second huge journey in the week,” said Hughes.
“Sometimes the fixtures aren’t kind to you and this week gave us a challenge in terms of travel and mileage.
“We’ve now, already, faced five of the top seven teams so it’s been a tough start for us.
“To be sitting mid-table despite this run of fixtures has shown we can not only hold our own at this level but have the ability to dominate and control games.”
He added: “As far as the game is concerned, I felt their forward Tyler Harvey was a constant threat and showed his professional pedigree. He’ll be tough to stop for many clubs this season.
“They paid us a huge compliment by changing their shape to match us. They clearly watched us against Dorchester and could see how difficult we can be to handle. Going man for man worked for them and I felt they were much sharper than us in the first half all over the pitch.
“Going in at half-time 2-0 down was not the end of the world as I’d seen enough to know we could hurt them if we got the ball down and moved it quicker.
“We changed shape to counteract them and we dominated large parts of the second half.
“We had three or four chances to score against, what’s proven to be, the meanest defence in the league and our play probably deserved a couple of goals. Their keeper made some good saves.”
Hughes reckoned his team deserved more and added: “As much as I felt Truro were a good team, I didn’t feel the 3-0 scoreline reflected the game. They knew this was a tough match for them and their celebrations after the final whistle showed how much they valued the result.
“We’re very much a team in the making and we’re not far off giving the top eight teams a run for their money. A few more tweaks and regularly reminding the players to get the ball down and move it quick can help us get to the level we want.
“We’ve got a local derby in the FA Cup on Saturday, so hopefully we can attract a large support for that game. The travelling fans did us proud. You can certainly hear them wherever they go. If a club has that following then that’s a great foundation. Long may it continue.”
United welcome neighbours and fellow Southern Premier League South side Hendon on Saturday in the FA Cup third qualifying round.
If a replay is required that will take place on Tuesday October 8. If not, that date will see the re-arranged League Cup visit to the SkyEx Community Stadium of Met Police.