Holders Hayes & Yeading United progressed to the semi-finals of this years’ Middlesex Senior Cup thanks to a late Paul Field goal that saw Mark Molesley’s side edge past a hard working St Panteleimon side at the SKYex on a freezing Tuesday evening. The gaffer fielded a strong side against the Spartan South Midlands opponents with recent loanee from Luton Town Tobias Braney seeing his first action in a United shirt as he was paired up front with Ben Heath making just his second start for United. The first on target attempt in what was to be a virtually chanceless first half went the way of the visitors in the eighth minute as Jonathan Moura tried his luck from distance but really didn’t trouble Jacob Adams in the United goal as he simply fielded the effort. United could and maybe should have taken the lead after 24 minutes as Cole Brown swung the ball in from his unaccustomed position on the left wing, his cross picked out Tobias Braney at the far post, his knock back found Ben Heath but his effort was blocked on the line and cleared. A couple of minutes later a partially cleared cross from the left was picked up by Marvel Ekpiteta just outside the visitors area, he found Roger James in the box who fired in a shot from an angle that Lincon Marques in the St Panteleimon goal did well to block wide at his near post. What was to be the killer strike for United came in the 72nd minute, Paul Field sent Michael Fernandes through on the right side, his pull-back was cleared to Norman Wabo on the edge of the box, his shot was pushed out by Marques but only as far as Field who slotted the ball under Marques for his first goal of the season. With ten minutes remaining United almost had another as Omar Rowe fed Ferdinand Okoh on the left side, he returned the ball to Rowe who had moved into the area but his shot for the near post was well saved by Marques and then a minute later a 20 yard effort from Luke Gambin was gathered easily by the visiting ‘keeper. With a minute of normal time remaining St Panteleimon almost had the tie levelled, Darrol Wupe broke on the left before pulling the ball back to Courtney Massay, his drive from the edge of the box took a deflection off Amos Nasha who slid in trying to block with the result being the ball flew over Adams and struck the face of the United crossbar with the rebound being headed wide of a virtually open goal by Ivan Machado. In stoppage time a nice run on the right by Fernandes saw the ball pulled back to Wabo but his shot from the edge of the box was wide and soon after the game closed out and we could all go home to defrost and await the semi-final draw.
Report by Kevin Watts. Photos by Anthony Mills. Print the Teamsheet: Here.