Hayes boss Kevin Hill will no doubt consider this two points dropped as The Missioners were held to a draw by basement club Basingstoke Town on Saturday afternoon at Church Road.

The home side were very slow to get into gear this afternoon and could have found themselves behind after just four minutes when the ball was worked out to Luke Townsend on the left flank and his cross deceived Kevin Davies in the wind before bouncing back into play off the face of the crossbar where thankfully full-back Gilbert Nuako was on hand to head clear.

Matt Warner then clipped a free-kick from the edge of the area over the wall but too high and 'Stoke right-back David Ray went on a mazy run that saw him waltz past three "tackles" before firing wide from 25 yards.

With the Missioners already struggling to put their foot on the ball, Kevin Hill was forced into a 15th minute substitution which saw Joe Sparrowhawk replace the limping Ryan Ashe (right) in the middle of the park. Almost immediately after this enforced change Warner carved another opening for the visitors only for James Taylor to head high and wide from his centre.

With more than a quarter of the game played the home side finally strung some consecutive passes together, Daniel Dyer and Michael Bartley combining before the latter played a square pass to the forward moving Liam Feeney who immediately helped the ball to Kieran Knight but his shot under pressure failed to trouble Stuart Searle in the visitors goal.

Chances continued to come and go for the Missioners as they enjoyed a good spell after a slow start, a Feeney corner was headed back into the centre by a defender but Adam Logie's header was nothing more than catching practice for Searle who was also well placed to save from Knight after Daniel Dyer had crossed from the right side.

Having been in the ascendancy for a little while, it was a slight shock when the visitors took the lead just three minutes before the break, Townsend found an easy path past Logie before crossing to two unmarked teammates at the far post where Simion Howell controlled the ball before slamming it past the totally unprotected Davies in the Hayes goal.

Having received a kick in the pants from the manager at the break, the Missioners came out looking for an immediate equaliser and just four minutes had passed when Knight supplied it. Feeney raced down the left from his own half of the field before finding an overlapping Nuako with a nifty back heel, while the full backs initial cross was cleared, the ball returned to Nuako who crossed right footed to Knight at the near post where the striker controlled the ball before turning his tight marked and smashing it past Searle in a single movement.

The Missioners started to push forwards with more zest and just minutes later Knight was only denied a second by the fingertips of Searle as the keeper rose to push his header from a Feeney corner over the bar. Still we pushed forwards, Knight sent Bartley on his way, but whilst the striker shrugged off a defender before rounding Searle, the keeper did very well to block away his left foot shot that was heading for the vacant net.

Roach then sent Townsend away on the left for the visitors but his shot could only ripple the side netting while at the other end a combination of Joe Sparrowhawk and the excellent Will Hendry found Daniel Dyer who set up Knight for a strike and while this was off target the defence failed to see Logie arrive at the far post but his left foot volley was sadly off target.

Play soon swung back to the other end where a corner from the right was flicked on at the near post to Basingstoke skipper Joe Dolan but despite his not being picked up his header was well off target to the relief of the home defence.

With a quarter of the game now left, we had to wait until the final six minutes before either side looked like finding a winner. Peter Collins met a Daniel Dyer free-kick only for his header to loop over the bar and in the last minute the visitors almost nicked all three points when Roach was allowed to turn and shoot in the six yard box only to find his way to goal blocked by Davies who parried his shot away before Collins blocked the follow up shot from Ben Surey. The danger was not over yet however, the ball soon found its way back into Davies' area and the stopper did well to push away a Taylor effort having appeared to be wrong footed by the mis-hit shot.

Report by Kevin Watts. Photos by Ray Peploe.