BLUE SQUARE SOUTH Hayes & Yeading United 2 Bath City 2

The target of a play-off place moved a little further away as Hayes & Yeading United surrendered two points to a late equaliser at Church Road.

United led from the 31st minute after overturning an early Bath City opener but having spent almost the entire second half defending, albeit with few if any scares despite a far from perfect day at the back, they finally cracked with three minutes of normaltime remaining.

One point when three had beckoned was a disappointing outcome against one of the sides United must stay ahead of in the race for the play-offs and with only 13 from the last 39 they need to rediscover the winning formula quickly.

The hosts conceded a soft opener in only the fifth minute as Steve Jones hammered a ball straight down the middle, United's defence was caught square and once the onrushing Aaron Howe failed to avert the danger 35 yards from his own goal, Darren Edwards merely had to keep his composure to drill home past the recovering defenders.

It was a worrying sign for United who never looked totally comfortable in the face of such route one tactics while by contrast, once they got the ball down and passed it, they seemed to have the beating of the Romans.

Evidence of that came just seven minutes later.

A decent build up led to Will Hendry's low curler being turned aside by Steve Perrin but Esmond James pressured the left-back into a poor clearance to Steven Gregory, who whipped the ball back in from the right, Perrin flapped and Scott was left with an easy header for his 13th goal of the season.

Stand-in right-back James Mulley made the first of a couple of vital interventions to keep United on level terms and after Esmond James spoiled a great little jinking run with a wild finish, United took the lead.

Scott was running out of space after collecting a free kick but he delivered a fine cross from the goal line with his weaker right foot, Perrin again got his bearings wrong and although Matt Ruby could not turn the ball home, Bath's Jones did the job for him for an own goal.

It might have been even better in stoppage time when Calum Botham broke and slid a pass down the left for Scott.

It seemed like the wrong option until Scott eased Matt Coupe off the ball and cut it back for Hendry, but he side-footed high and wide.

At half-time one felt United could go on to seize control but they found themselves under the cosh from the restart.

It took them 40 minutes to break the shackles as a combination of Hendry dropping ever deeper and the passing on the break lacking accuracy and intent, meant United failed to threaten, even on the break.

Bath had far too much possession and territory for comfort although they rarely did much with it as Ruby and Tom Cadmore simply had to remain focussed and head numerous long balls away, with the only one real scare being of United's own making.

Howe tried to punch away a cross when it seemed easier to catch and succeeded only in diverting the ball straight into Cadmore, but the keeper dived on it before it crossed the line.

United appeared to have done just enough and with time running out they had two good chances within a minute to seal victory when Hendry twice sent Scott clear.

First Scott skipped Perrin's challenge but was forced too wide and although he subsequently beat the keeper on his near post, Chris Holland cleared off the line.

Then Hendry found his partner with a diagonal pass but Scott dragged his volley harmlessly wide.

Those misses, and the second half dis-play in general, cost United two points when Ali Gibb crossed from the right, the hosts failed to clear and eventually Dave Gilroy nodded home.

Kieran Knight had one last opportunity to snatch them back after coming off the bench, racing through on to yet another Hendry through ball, but his rising effort was brilliantly clawed away by Perrin.