The Missioners made their annual trip across the bridge into Wales this Bank Holiday weekend and left still awaiting their first win of the season as a poor refereeing decision by Mr Cassidy gifted the Exiles a second goal in a 2-0 win.

The first period started evenly, Craig Hughes fired over for County while the Hayes players were fuming when the referee failed to award a cast iron penalty as Mark Nicholls was groped and grappled in the area after 13 minutes. Liam Feeney had a shot from 20 yards that keeper Mark Ovendale handled easily before the home combination of winger Richard Evans and Sam O’Sullivan began to wreak havoc in the Hayes half of the field.

Firstly Evans cross found an unmarked O’Sullivan at the far post only for the midfielder to fire across the face of goal and wide of the opposite post. O’Sullivan then saw another effort go wide before another Evans centre again found him unmarked, this time he headed over Kevin Davies' goal.

Jon Dyer was just too high for the Missioners before Damon Searle at the other end hit a dipping free-kick from all of 30 yards that Davies was happy to see climb over his crossbar.

With the half drawing to a close, the Exiles began to lay siege to the Hayes goal. O’Sullivan and Matt Green both shot air in the box when well placed before Evans finally connected only to be denied by a well timed Adam Logie tackle. Into stoppage time we moved and again the Exiles went close, the ball was like a pinball in the Hayes area, Evans shot from a angle was well blocked by Davies and when the ball fell to Hughes it was Peter Collins who was able to hook the ball off the line.

Still the half continued and still the Exiles pressed, twice forcing Davies into action. Another Searle free-kick was blocked by the wall only for the ball to fall to Hughes, his shot being tipped around the post by Davies who then went full stretch to tip a Matt Green header onto the bar and over.

The start of the second period was to prove our downfall thanks in part to some sloppy defending and some very poor officiating by the man in the middle.

Just three minutes had been played when a weak Orlando Jeffrey header saw Logie back away from Evans who advanced and crossed to Hughes who move in to touch the ball past Davies to open the scoring. This lead for the home Exiles was doubled just three minutes later courtesy of a dreadful piece of refereeing. Having cleanly won a tackle in the area, a falling Marvin Bartley, having lost his balance, put out an arm to break his fall that touched the ball, accidental most would say. Not to the referee, obviously he classed it as deliberate because he awarded a penalty that Ian Hillier duly netted from killing any hopes we had of getting the odd goal back.

This really knocked the stuffing out of a Hayes side already low on confidence, Marvin Bartley shot over after a Jon Dyer knock down but play soon reverted to the other end where another Evans cross deflected off Logie forcing Davies to save at the foot of his post. Man of the Match Evans then crossed to Green who was only denied by a superbly timed last ditch tackle from Ryan Ashe.

The game closed out with the Missioners twice going close but still failing to find the net. A loose ball by Hillier at the back fell to Nicholls, he drew the keeper before turning away from goal and feeding Liam Feeney, his shot was blocked by Ovendale who was out of position near the edge of his area and when played back into the area by substitute Kieran Knight, Nicholls effort bounced away off the top of the bar. One final chance came our way deep into stoppage time, Daniel Dyer's 25 yard strike was palmed away by Ovendale who was then alert enough to smother Nicholls’ rebound.

Report by Kevin Watts. Photos by Ray Peploe.