Rovers hopes of securing a vital point away at play off chasing Hayes & Yeading were dealt a cruel blow, when a misplaced clearance dropped to the hosts Adrian Clifton with just three minutes remaining and he fired home the only goal of the game.
Hayes & Yeading had the first chance of the game with Rocky Williams fizzing an effort just over the crossbar a couple of minutes into the game. On ten minutes Williams fired a ball into the area, Jonathan Hippolyte went down under pressure from Bert Lloyd, but the officials waved play on despite the H&Y protests.
Neither side was able to get hold of the ball for any lengthy spell and all too often passes were misplaced and possession frittered away. Luke Ige hooked a free header from a corner off the line and from the loose ball Prince Adegoke was able to get a big punch in to clear the danger. Herson Alves fired well wide on 22 minutes and we went close shortly after with Ezra Agyiri tormenting Keano Robinson before firing an effort just over.
Midway through the half and Agyiri again cut inside Robinson and saw his shot deflected wide and shortly after good work by debutant Donnel Moore led to the ball finding Agyiri but his low shot was comfortably saved by the keeper away to his right.
Just after the half hour Robinson spotted Adegoke off his line and launched a free kick from just inside his own half goalwards, but our keeper backpedalled and gathered under his crossbar. Agyiri was continuing to cause problems and curled another effort just wide, after going one on one with Mark Amaning.
16 thumped a header goalwards, bring a top save out of Adegoke at his left hand post. Dan Pepple saw a header saved by Juliusz Pazio just before the break and the sides went in goalless at the interval.
Two minutes into the second half and Lloyd did superbly to stop Williams getting a header on goal, shortly after Hippolyte curled an effort out for a goal kick after getting beyond Ige.
On the hour H&Y went close, Steve Sylvester did superbly to clear a low cross at the near post, but his clearance only found Jude Mason who fired wide.
We missed a glorious chance to take the lead on 62 minutes when Pazio spilt a low Agyiri cross into the path of Pepple but he was unable to convert from close range. We were finally getting the upper hand, and on 70 minutes good work involving Charlie Stallard and Agyiri ended with us forcing another corner.
From the corner Robinson headed clear and the loose ball played back into the area by Manny Kwatchey was gathered by Pazio. The keepers clearance was headed back towards the H&Y area by Sylvester and picked up by Francis Sey and his low driven area went just wide of the left hand post.
Sylvester again did well at the near post on 80 minutes, and from the resultant corner Robinson planted a free header high over the bar. Moore then saw a low shot blocked by the home defence as both sides were pushing for the win.
Sey skipped passed a couple on 85 minutes before going down under a challenge in the box, but it looked a decent challenge and play continued. With four minutes to go we looked to have cleared the danger but a needlessly conceded free kick saw H&Y launch the ball into the box, the clearance was poor and Clifton fired home to win the game for the hosts.