Leadership of the Blue Square Premier changed hands again on Tuesday night as a former favourite returned to haunt his former club and allow Stevenage Borough to slip back onto top spot.
Two-goal Steve Basham returned to his old club to knock Oxford United off the top of the table.
Basham struck his first on 24 minutes, clipping home off the inside of a post after being played in by Craig Watkins.
The on-loan striker headed home Adam Green's corner 2 minutes before half-time, only for Hayes to be reduced to ten-men when Esmond James was sent-off.
But, although Simon Clist's left-foot strike quickly pulled one back, Oxford second half pressure failed to count.
James saw red after the break for violent conduct after an incident with Sam Deering. And his dismissal allowed the hosts to gain some composure, highlighted when Oxford pulled that goal back through Clist's close-range finish.
Clist went close again before John Grant and Matt Green both missed the target as Hayes held out to claim all three points.
On-loan Basham had been ineligible to feature in Saturday's 3-2 home defeat by his parent club Luton Town. But, while hampering Oxford's hopes, he improved Luton's own promotion chances as he returned to the Hayes side in style, taking his tally to eight goals for the Church Road outfit.
Stevenage have gone two points clear thanks to a 4-0 home win over relegation-threatened Barrow, but the U`s still have a game in hand.
Stevenage returned to top spot after Yemi Odubade hit a hat trick in their romp at Broadhall Way.
The hosts opened the scoring after 28 minutes when Odubade's low drive found the bottom corner.
David Bridges threatened a second goal when his effort went over the bar, before Stevenage did double their advantage on the stroke of half time when Scott Laird finished well inside the area.
Odubade struck again after the break when he found the bottom corner inside the area after 59 minutes.
The powerful striker, who caused Barrow problems all night, completed his hat trick in the 84th minute with a thumping drive that flew into the top corner to leave Tim Deasy with no chance.
Injury-hit York City suffered their third straight defeat as relegation-threatened Salisbury City came from behind to secure a vital 2-1 win at the KitKat Crescent.
Salisbury had a great chance to take an early lead but Reece Connolly missed from close in, and they were made to pay as York took the lead just before half time, Djoumin Sangare heading in Neil Barrett's free kick.
Salisbury got back on level terms early in the second half, Connolly making up for his early miss by slotting in from the edge of the area. And the turnaround was complete midway through the half, Darrell Clarke scoring from close range.
Richard Brodie had three late chances to salvage a point for the play-off hopeful Minstermen but he failed to really trouble Whites` keeper James Bittner.
Two-goal Tom Craddock lifted Luton Town to within eight points of top spot as he fired a last-minute winner to see off Forest Green Rovers at Kenilworth Road.
Craddock was rewarded with a starting place after his matchwinner in Saturday's 3-2 win at Hayes & Yeading. And he looked to have set the Hatters on their way with a first half penalty after being felled by Jared Hodgkiss.
Conal Platt's penalty levelled for Rovers 9 minutes from time, but Craddock won it from close range.
That sealed the Hatters' second win in four days. But it looked like being a frustrating night for the Hatters against the second-bottom side when both the recalled Craddock and veteran Kevin Gallen went close early on.
Craddock then broke the deadlock from the spot. And, with chances at a premium in the second half, that looked to be it.
Relegation-haunted Forest Green were then awarded a penalty themselves when Janos Kovacs handled, allowing Platt to equalise. But Luton stole all three points in the 90th minute when Craddock met Claude Gnakpa's header across goal to stab in from close range.
Kettering Town's return to form at home lasted all of three days.
Danny Crow's close-range strike with 14 minutes to go sealed a precious three points for Cambridge United and put a dent in the Poppies' hopes of finishing in the top five. And the most disappointing fact about it is that Lee Harper's men only have themselves to blame.
Performance-wise, there wasn't a great deal wrong but when it came to finishing off some flowing moves, the Poppies were sorely lacking.
It's not the first time it's happened and it probably won't be the last.
And it will more than likely be the reason why Kettering aren't in the top five at the end of April should they not make it.
Quite how the first half ended goalless is a mystery. Poor finishing and good goalkeeping were the main reasons as the Poppies started impressively.
They dominated a frantic opening 20 minutes and should have taken the lead when Andre Boucaud saw his shot cleared off the line by Josh Coulson.
Brown palmed away Kwesi Appiah's long-range blockbuster and Jordan Hadfield curled another effort just wide of the far post.
Despite looking disjointed at the back, Cambridge did pose a threat at the other end and Danny Crow should have done a lot better than send a shot wide when he beat the offside trap. But the half belonged to Brown as he produced his best save of the lot 7 minutes before half time.
Hadfield had a clear sight of goal after good work from Appiah but his powerful strike was brilliantly tipped over the bar.
Cambridge's grittiness at the back continued in the second half and it was Aiden Palmer's turn to come to their rescue as he headed Greg Taylor's header off the line just past the hour-mark.
Nathan Abbey produced a brilliant triple save to deny Ross McAuley and then Crow twice but the latter was celebrating just 30 seconds later when he slammed home the only goal of the game from close range.
Crawley Town came from behind to dent AFC Wimbledon's play-off hopes with a 2-1 win at the Broadfield Stadium.
The visitors opened the scoring in the first minute when Danny Kedwell lobbed Simon Rayner to net his twentieth goal of the season.
Glenn Poole nearly doubled the Dons' lead before Crawley equalised when new signing Matt Langston nodded down to Danny Forrest and he lashed home from close range in the 18th minute.
Steve Evans' men nearly took the lead 5 minutes before the interval when Barry Cogan's 25-yard shot produced a fine save from James Pullen.
Charles Ademeno scored the decisive goal after 52 minutes when he latched on to a pass from Cogan and found the back of the net from the edge of the area to give the hosts their first win in three games.
Altrincham were left to rue a first-half penalty miss as they were held to a 1-1 draw by ten-man Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground.
The visitors` penalty came midway through the first half after Silvio Spann fouled Chris Senior. Senior stepped up to take the spot-kick but he was thwarted by Wrexham keeper Sam Russell. And Altrincham were made to pay for that miss as the home side took the lead, Wes Baynes slotting in from close range.
Wrexham found themselves down to ten-men just before half time when Frank Sinclair was dismissed for a bad challenge on Tom Kearney, who was carried off with a suspected broken leg.
Altrincham did eventually manage to make their extra man count late on when Greg Young headed home from a Peter Doran cross.
Lee Smith's early goal ensured Histon's first win in five games as they put right their goal drought to earn a 1-0 triumph over Tamworth at the Glassworld Stadium.
Smith ended over six hours without a Histon goal when he smashed home Daniel Sparkes' early cross.
Andrew Tidswell then had a 12-yard shot saved by Lambs` keeper Danny Alcock. But it was Tamworth who came close to an equaliser, Chris Smith's close-range header hitting a post before David Knight brilliantly denied Alex Rodman.
