UNITED’S PLAY-OFF DREAMS ARE SHATTERED
PAUL HUGHES was philosophical after his Hayes & Yeading United side lost their Southern League East Division play-off semi-final.
The 42-year-old United boss is proud of his first full season’s work and said missed chances cost his men in last Wednesday’s 1-0 loss against Cambridge City.
It didn’t help going into the match with two key players missing – defender Priestley Farquharson was injured and striker Duncan Culley was unavailable due to work commitments.
“Cambridge came to defend and did a good job on us,” said Hughes, who achieved three promotions in four seasons with Kings Langley before taking over with Richie Hanlon at Hayes, his accomplice having since departed.
“Their two centre-backs were outstanding and they defended very well.
“We were slightly weakened but we still made three or four good chances and it might have been different if Duncan had been playing.
“But when you think we started the season with just two players and we’ve had to build a squad, we have done very well to finish third. We were in with a chance at top two.
“There were a couple of games you look back on, like when we should have beaten Hanwell and drew 2-2 and then we lost to Aylesbury [1-0] when we should have won. Rushden had a dip and we felt we could have put a bit more pressure on them and taken them to the wire. But it wasn’t to be.
“The side we now have are good enough to compete and that’s the great thing for the club. If we had managed to have this side together last August or September we might have been pushing for top-two.
“The trouble is when you’ve had three relegations over a time, players really don’t want to come, so we’ve had to build it slowly.”
Beaconsfield Town and AFC Rushden & Diamonds filled the top two slots and Hughes reckons Beaconsfield were worthy winners of the title, adding: “They were the most consistent team and that is what you need to be champions. They rarely slipped up against the lower teams. We did the double over Cambridge and Rushden. But we lost to teams we shouldn’t have lost to, for instance Ashford Town beat us twice. Beaconsfield came up on the rails unnoticed but what a time for them to do that. “They have deserved it.”
The winners of the play-offs were Hartley Wintney, who beat Cambridge 1-0 on Monday.