Tuesday 4th March 2008 : League

 

Burnham 2 AFC Hayes 3

 

Hayes returned to Burnham tonight to replay their abandoned game knowing that only a win would be a satisfactory result after the disappointment at Paulton on Saturday. Striker Danny Jordan returned to the team and Pereira started in place of the absent Ryan Kirkland

 

Hayes started confidently and certainly had the best of the opening exchanges, deservedly taking the lead on 16 minutes. Jay Pereira flashed in a cross to the far post where Dean Clarke had taken up an unmarked position and he calmly opened the scoring. That’s 6 in 7 games for Clarke.

 

Almost from the kick off, Burnham equalised when Jeff Brown dribbled through the entire Hayes defence and slotted it past Simeon Charles to make it 1-1 after 18 minutes

 

Some extraordinary refereeing decisions created some friction between the teams, and when he gave a free kick to Burnham when everyone else in the ground thought it should have been awarded to Hayes, both Fermie and Homer were booked for dissent

 

Hayes continued to dominate and once again Dean Clarke was just inches over the bar in the 35^th minute from a free kick and minutes later he again had a shot not just cleared, but bundled off the Burnham goal line

 

Hayes  started well in the second half and started to play the more controlled and less frantic football that really suits their style and took the lead when Danny Jordan robbed a defender and crossed for Trevor Charley to nod in.

 

Shortly after Pereiro put Jordan through and his cross was turned into his own net by Burnham defender Adam Durrant to make it 3-1

 

Hayes manager Joe Mitchell made a series of quick substitutions to try to shore up the game bringing on Fenton, Walters and Rucco for Charlery, Firmey and Clarke who had picked up a groin strain and may be a doubt for Saturday

 

With 8 minutes to go Burnham who’d had limited chances except for a rasping volley from Ryan Bird than came back off a post, got back into the game when their striker Jarnie hooked a cross into the Hayes net to make it 3-2, but in truth Hayes never looked like conceding an equaliser and could have had one or two more goals themselves in the final minutes

 

The game was marked by two sending offs in the final moments. Burnham had their captain dismissed as was Hayes Assistant Manager Danny Vincent for being a little over-enthusiastic in his criticism of a very poor referee. It’s about time the FA looked at the standard of refereeing at this level

 

So a good and much more encouraging performance by Hayes, with a superbly combative Mosiah Polidore catching the eye and a result that means  another win at home on Saturday against Winchester could see a late challenge for the play-offs become a reality