Holders Hayes & Yeading United advanced to a second consecutive County Senior Challenge Cup Final with a victory on penalties at Hendon after Mo Bettamer hit a screamer in first half stoppage time to cancel out a fortuitus early strike for the hosts from Finlay MacNab. The visitors were to take a fortuitus early lead in just the seventh minute when Finaly MacNab exchanged passes on the right before moving inside and trying his luck from 20 yards, his shot taking a large deflection before looping over Jacob Adams into the United net. Just six minutes later the Greens could have had another as a cross in from the right picked out Sam Adenola but his header was straight into Adams’ arms with United’s first effort on target coming soon after as a long range Ronan Silva effort was held by Greens stopper Hafed Al Droubi. Al Droubi was called into action again on the half hour mark as United started to find more freedom going forwards, on this occasion Omar Rowe chipped the ball through to Silva, he held off his marker but his effort was saved low down by Al Droubi. Within a minute Rowe almost played provider once more, after dazzling his marker with dancing feet he picked out Billie Busari on the edge of the box, his shot again being saved by the Greens stopper. Five minutes later the action switched ends as Blaise Riley-Snow charged through the middle from the Hendon defence, he played the ball right to MacNab and he in turn found Richard Pingling but his well struck effort was saved at the foot of the post by a diving Adams. As the break approached United continued to push for a deserved equaliser, on 44 minutes Rowe’s cross from the right was met beyond the far post by Louis Dunne but his volley was wide of the target. A couple of minutes later United were awarded a free-kick just off centre to the left of the Hendon goal about 20 yards out, Mo Bettamer took charge and duly fired an unstoppable effort past the wall into the top right hand corner with Al Droubi left rooted to the spot and the tie was back level. In the remaining few minutes of additional time both sides could have gone in with the lead. Firstly, for the hosts Pingling hit a low shot from the edge of the box that Adams did well to get behind and play soon swung to the other end where Silva played the ball to Bettamer from the left side, the United goalscorer almost doubling up as his drive clipped the top of the crossbar and flew over leaving the two teams level at the break. After a good amount of chances in the first half, the second was to be a lot more circumspect with chances pretty much limited until the final minutes. The Greens did create an opening as early as the 47th minute when substitute Hamza Semakula won possession in the United final third, his cross picked out his skipper Joe White who screwed his effort wide of the target when well placed to put his side ahead once more. It was fully 75 minutes before the pen hit the notebook again and this time it was United who should have taken the lead as Busari picked out Marvel Ekpiteta at the far post, his header going the wrong side of the upright and we stayed all square. The match closed out with a brace of chances for United to avoid a penalty shoot out however neither came to fruition. Firstly Bettamer set the ball nicely to substitute Luke Gambin who saw his drive from the edge of the box just clear the Greens crossbar and bang on 90 minutes Cole Brown fired in a corner from the left that was met by Jerry Wiltshire but his header was just too high to settle the tie and off to penalties we went. With the home side going first this kick was to prove pivotal as goalscorer MacNab stepped up only to see his kick saved by the trailing boot of Adams, from there on neither ‘keeper could get a glove on the subsequent 9 spot kicks with United triumphing 5-4 to move onto a final against Rayners Lane that will take place in April at Uxbridge with the Middlesex FA website giving a date of Wednesday 17th April.
Report by Kevin Watts. United Man of the Match: Mo Bettamer.