Wasted Chances Cost Hungerford

Hungerford off the back of the previous Saturday's last gasp win against Swindon Supermarine were buoyed by the return of Joe Shepherd from suspension as cover for Brad Hooper who was missing for personal reasons. Fabio Lopes kept his place in the starting XI as reward for his heroics the previous weekend

It was Hungerford on the front foot from the kick off, Elis Watts forcing a fingertip save from a curling free kick that was headed towards the top corner out of keeper Jacob Adams after 10 minutes. Hayes & Yeading had their moments too, notably when Jack Wright had to block a Louis Dunne shot. The majority of the early pressure however was coming from the visitors.

After 25 minutes Watts and Sam De St Croix combined to put Fabio Lopes clear but the keeper Adams again came to Hayes’ rescue saving the shot from Lopes with his trailing leg after rushing off his line. Ten minutes later it was Watts causing havoc again he dribbled past two players and hit a shot from the angle that this time beat Adams but also just managed to creep wide of the far post.

Right before the halftime break Hungerford finally opened the scoring. Watts with a through ball to top scorer Conor McDonagh who finished the chance with ease perhaps to show his contemporaries how is done. A deserved but slender 1 - 0 lead at half time for the Crusaders.

As the home side there had to be a reaction from Hayes in the second half and after making a change at half time by bringing on the dangerous Steve Ngunga they were certainly more attack minded. It only took ten minutes for them to equalise a deflection somehow found Roman Silva unmarked in the box to finish past Nick Harvey making it 1 - 1

Hungerford though were still very dangerous themselves. At the midway point of the half De St Croix put a through ball into the box right in the path of Watts but his shot was straight at Adams. A few moments later a Watts corner was headed by Wright to Matt Berry-Hargreaves finding himself free 10 yards out but he could only blaze the ball over the bar. Then with 10 minutes remaining Hungerford got a penalty after a clear handball in the box from Jerry Wiltshire. It was Great Evans who stepped up and fired the penalty into the roof of the net, Hungerford finally back in front for all their attacking endeavours

From the kick of though it seemed Hungerford were still celebrating their goal and it only took 20 seconds for Hayes to equalise. Mo Bettamer running through and turning the Hungerford defence like a knife through hot butter to score. Hungerford looked shell shocked and Hayes inspired. Just before the end it was time for a Hayes winner with a shot from Silva from outside the box that went in past Harvey a heartbreaking end for Hungerford

Team: Harvey, Stanley, Medford-Smith, Berry-Hargreaves (c), Wright, Alexander (Gardiner-Smith), De St Croix (Sambu), Shepherd (Evans), Watts, McDonagh, Lopes
Subs Not Used : Jarra, Paget

Star Man – Sam De St Croix