It was 14 years ago today... (Looking Back to Leyton Orient)

That Hendon taught the Orient how to play…

Let us take a step backwards in time to my proudest moment as a Hendon fan. Today marks the 14^th anniversary of the club’s FA Cup 1^st Round Replay win at Brisbane Road against Leyton Orient. Our previous season’s road to Ninian Park had seen us exempted to the 4^th Qualifying Round of the FA Cup in the 1997/8 season and two Colin Simpson goals had been enough to see off St. Albans City at Clarence Park to set up a place in the 1^st Round proper. This was in the days,  if I recall correctly, where the 1^st round draw would take place at 5pm on the Saturday afternoon. The cheers in the bar as we were drawn at home to near neighbours Leyton Orient was something else. A great draw, and the excitement began.

Orient, with sports promoter Barry Hearn even then at the helm, swiftly offered the Blues, as we were in those days, the chance to switch the tie to Brisbane Road with the guarantee of a crowd in excess of 5,000. Thankfully, Ivor Arbiter declined the invitation, instead choosing to bring the ‘giants’ from North East London to Claremont Road and letting them sweat things out in our cramped little changing rooms. The game was all ticket, the game was moved forward to 2pm on Police advice with countless other matches taking place in the capital on the same day. I remember well the feeling walking up Claremont Road from Brent Cross tube station talking to a couple of pessimistic O’s fans. Previous seasons had seen them humbled by Non League opposition at the first hurdle, the fear was that history would once again repeat itself.

Choosing to enter the ground through the rarely used turnstile at the Shopping Centre end, there was already a good crowd in. Portaloos had been brought in and lined the top of the terracing at that end, and the walk around to the banqueting suite end was something to savour. By the time the gates closed, there were 2,421 fans in the ground, it was a great sight seeing so many people packed into the ground, sadly a sight that was all too rare.

Hendon 2-2 Leyton Orient – Saturday 15^th November 1997

Let's all do the Simpson - Gary Mac shows Paul Hyde how to do it

After 50 seconds, the writing seemed to be on the wall. A ball into the box was headed clear only for the waiting Dean Smith (if memory serves) to smash the ball back past Gary McCann to give the away side the lead. Those of us congregated behind Macca’s goal perhaps feared the worst, but remained hopeful. Hope turned to murky misty glee when we realised that at the far end a bit later our friend from his days at Hayes - Paul Hyde, the Orient custodian had thumped his clearance against the onrushing Colin Simpson and was left helpless as the ball sailed over his head in the gloomy North London sky and into the back of the net. It wasn’t until we saw Simpson wheeling away with his shirt halfway over his head that we realised we were back in the game. Orient took the lead again on the stroke of half time, and although the action happened right in front of my nose I simply can’t remember who scored or how they did it. Never mind that though, our story has yet to get going.

After the break, Hendon were outstanding. Freddie Hyatt gave what the watching former Chelsea legend Alan Hudson described as the ‘perfect inside forward performance’ and was unfortunate not to score from a free kick that forced Hyde into a tip over. Roared on by a vocal following, reward came when John-Simon White’s cross to the far post found Simpson unmarked. The number 9 simply stooped, and nodded the ball inside the far post beyond Hyde’s somewhat limited attempts to keep the ball out. At the final whistle, supplied by former top flight referee and current County Championship umpire Martin Bodenham, the away side blew a sigh of relief at still being in the competition and attention moved on to the replay in 10 days time.

Team: Gary McCann, John-Simon White, Simon Clarke, Paul Kelly, Richard Nugent, Steve Bateman, Steve Heard, Freddie Hyatt, Colin Simpson (Tony Lynch), Tony Kelly (Matt Howard), Junior Lewis

Sub not used: Curtis Warmington

Tommy Taylor, the Orient manager boldly and publically proclaimed after the match that Hendon had missed their chance and that Orient would probably win the replay 5-0. Hearn meanwhile admitted his relief that they were still in the hat saying ‘I thought we would score six, especially after taking the lead.’ Frank Murphy got wind of this, and needed little to add to prepare his charges for the return. On top of that, Taylor made an approach for two goal hero Simpson, who wasn’t under contract and could thus move within 7 days of any approach being made. So although not illegal, it looked like a deliberate attempt to unsettle the player and destabilise Hendon’s preparations for the replay. Taylor would get his man in the end, but not before Hendon’s interest in the competition came to an end.

Leyton Orient 0-1 Hendon: Tuesday 25^th November 1997

Brisbane Road at this time was a three sided arena much in the style of Dean Court or the Kassam Stadium is these days as it was undergoing redevelopment. The 4-500 Hendon fans were crammed into a section of the main stand, at the corner of the ground at the stand-free end and were in great voice. I felt nervous, even more so than the first time around. I thought our chance had probably gone, but at the same time, felt that Orient were beatable.

It felt like 90 minutes of bombardment. Wave after wave of ball flew in and around the Hendon 6 yard box yet they were repelled by a heroic effort form everyone concerned. Steve Bateman and Matt Howard were about eight foot tall on the evening and when they were beaten, Gary Mac wasn’t. He gave a truly commanding performance in goal making a number of excellent claims and one or two top draw saves as well. Simpson had the opportunity to give Hendon a first half lead and further endear himself to his future employers when he was played through on goal and although he beat Hyde, he also narrowly beat the far post.

The moment came in the 2^nd half and was a genuinely classy goal. The ball fell about 15 yards inside the Orient half and was controlled by Hyatt. A shimmy and a step over later, all of which was bought for full price by his marker, the ball was spread wide to John-Simon White who was steaming (literally and figuratively) as only he could down the right flank before sending a nectarine of a cross onto the forehead of the onrushing Junior Lewis, about 15 yards out who sent the ball fizzing past the flailing Hyde and into the roof of the net. The enclosure we were packed into erupted. I couldn’t believe it, we were ahead at a Division 3 club. I’d never felt anything like it. People were hugging eachother as if they were part of the same family rather than a load of strangers brought together by a common purpose. That was nothing though compared to what came less than half an hour later.

I can’t tell you how long the closing stages dragged on for. Every minute felt like ten. The pressure the home side put us under was immense, but somehow we held out. Refrains of ‘In Dublin’s Fair City’ rang out somewhat nervously as the frustration grew amongst the home fans with every overhit ball forward that Gary Mac was able to mop up. When the final whistle finally sounded, the place went mad. Taylor and his charges were booed from the pitch whilst the Hendon players and coaching staff came and celebrated in front of us. The scenes were immense, fantastic and unbeknown to us, being played out live on Radio 5 Live. This side had just written themselves into Hendon folklore along with the Amateur Cup, Isthmian championship, Barassi Cup winning, Newcastle United and Reading humbling sides of the 60s and 70s. It was a wonderful time to be a Hendon fan and one that hasn’t been matched for me since.

Team:  Gary McCann, John-Simon White, Simon Clarke, Paul Kelly, Matt Howard, Steve Bateman, Steve Heard, Freddie Hyatt, Colin Simpson (Michael Banton), Tony Kelly (Curtis Warmington), Junior Lewis

Sub Not Used: Greg Tello

The 2^nd round pitted us once again against Cardiff City at Ninian Park for the 2^nd year running, and this time we were beaten comfortably 3-1, Nas Bashir getting a second half consolation for the Tangerine clad Blues. The media glare took itself elsewhere, Richard Nugent’s teddy cried himself to sleep and we were left with the league and Puma Cup to focus our attentions on.

This FA Cup run still lives on fresh in the memory, it’s hard to believe that it was 14 years ago that the pinnacle of my time as a Hendon fan was reached. It feels like about 3 have passed. But in that time a lot of water has passed under the bridge, Gary Mac, Freddie and Junior have moved from being part of that great few weeks on the pitch to being integral, important parts of the club off the pitch now. Enough with the looking back though, time to look ahead…

In Debt To…Or Why Rich Benefactors Frighten Me

Sometimes, fans run clubs and disciples of the fans owned model are sometimes seen as sanctimonious little oafs who see themselves as holier than thou. On occasion there is perhaps some truth to this but with news of Farnborough F.C.’s alleged debt of £1.7million, which would be a staggering amount for a League 1 or 2 club never mind a Blue Square South side, breaking less than four and a half years after their formation following the liquidation of Farnborough Town F.C in the summer of 2007, I can’t help but think there is an awful lot of credence to these claims.

Farnborough aren’t the first club to be in peril and I would be enormously surprised if they were the last, this season even, to announce in roundabout ways that their immediate future is in severe doubt. The name of Spencer Day, the differently named but same man who drove Aldershot to their death in the early 90s, would do little to allay my fears. Some players who played under him at Chertsey Town have made some very interesting comments about him on Twitter.

Clubs seem to be going to the wall far more regularly these days with unpaid debts, in particular to Her Majesty, than they ever did in the past, and the really difficult thing is that in many cases, the writing has been on the wall to many outsiders long before the fan has been struck by faecal matter.  Hornchurch, Telford United, Rushden & Diamonds, Windsor & Eton, Leyton, Chester City, Halifax Town, Ilkeston Town, Gresley Rovers, King’s Lynn, Enfield, Leigh RMI / Genesis, Farsley Celtic, Berkhamsted Town, Edgware Town, Fisher Athletic, Newcastle Blue Star, Withdean 2000, all clubs which in the past six or seven years have been forced out of business due to financial difficulties. Not all of these clubs have been reliant on one man’s money, but many have.  Some have since reformed under a different name, some clubs have disappeared sadly for good.

Of course, this list doesn’t include those clubs who it is known are trying to recover from near financial oblivion, or who are sailing close to the wind as I type. Truro City, Croydon Athletic, Lewes, Harlow Town to name just a few. Can you imagine how hard being a Weymouth fan over the last few years must have been? Not so much a roller-coaster ride as a free-fall from 20,000 feet without a parachute. I’ve lost count of the number of owners they have had in the period since Ian Ridley and Steve Claridge left the club, I’ve lost count of the number of times there have been headlines surrounding the club and their parlous financial state. No matter who is holding the purse strings, the story seems to be the same. Likewise Lewes. Thankfully for the Sussex side, their transition into Community ownership looks now to be paying dividends, and long may it continue.

To the Terras’ credit, they have at least gone about things the right way on the pitch and taken their relegations on the chin and on the pitch. Accepting the beatings they handed out on the way up the pyramid as they return downwards. I don’t mind admitting it infuriating me when a club loses their main benefactor and is then able to pick and choose the level they play at. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to see a club put out of business, but I don’t think beating all and sundry whilst paying out wages that can’t be sustained in the long term and then choosing to play 3 divisions lower when the moneymen leave, rather than slashing their playing budget to £0 if absolutely necessary and accepting a couple of years of doom and gloom whilst returning to a level where they are able to sustain a side is a particularly fulfilling way of going about things. Of course, Canvey Island and Grays Athletic have done this in recent seasons after the departures of Jeff King and Mick Woodward respectively. Canvey were offered a place in the Premier Division of the Ryman League and chose instead to try their luck at Division 1 North. That reprieved Hendon from a first ever relegation in their history, and quite frankly, I was embarrassed to have not been relegated because we deserved nothing less. Of course I don’t know the ins and outs of things financially at either club but I can’t help but think that they both chose the easy way out.

Since the Hendon Supporters Trust took full control of Hendon as a debt free operation (all debts to the Arbiter Group I believe being covered by the money they would make from the sale of the freehold of Claremont Road) I have often wrestled with what I would want to happen if a man with a large wallet arrived on his silver horse offering us terraces paved with bronze. I enjoyed the years of football under Ivor Arbiter’s ownership, but the simple truth is that we were paying out more than we could afford to on player wages. The Supporters Trust’s submission last year to the CMS Select Committee as part of their investigation into Football Governance in England cited the case of one player’s wages only just being covered by the gate receipts for that season. Considering the figures quoted would make one’s mind boggle in today’s terms, the fact that they were from 12 or 13 years ago actually defies belief. Thankfully for us fans, Ivor had the club at heart and wanted to try and take it forward onto the next level. Plenty of benefactors elsewhere have had very different motives from the shady speculative investment from Karl Williams at Hornchurch to the downright illegal payments made by Mazhar Majeed at Croydon Athletic. However, despite Ivor’s best intentions, were it not for the fact that Hendon were sat on a lucrative piece of real estate, there is no way the club would be in the position it is now.

The idea of the club going back to being the potential plaything of one man scares me absolutely rigid to be quite honest. I don’t have a problem with people wanting to spend their money on football clubs and if they do it in an organic way, putting a structure in place that can help fund the club in the long term as Danny Hunter has done at Boreham Wood for example, then that is brilliant. But alarm bells ring whenever I see a club being taken over and the new owner suddenly begins outlining his 3 or 5 year plan for Conference football or beyond. And I get angry when I see fans of these clubs saying that they’re just going to enjoy the ride while it lasts. But what when it does end? You just hop off, and exit the place without giving it a second thought? Or will you be around to try and pick up the mess That kind of attitude drives me bonkers and leaves me with a lot less sympathy for the fans’ plight when the bottom falls out of the club and they’re all plummeting towards the murky depths of oblivion. You deal with the devil, expect to be burned. At least Carshalton fans are not burying their heads in the sand as Paul Dipre massages his ego in front of ever diminishing crowds in South London.

I’m ambitious, I want Hendon to progress and challenge for promotion to the Blue Square South, I want Hendon to be able to be playing in a ground they can call their own again, even if nothing will truly replace Claremont Road. But do I want that to come at a price that could see the club die? Absolutely not. Give me two relegations fielding a bunch of 17 year olds and paying absolutely nothing but a debt free club that is still in charge of its own destiny at the end of things and able to compete at a certain level over one that enjoys a couple of promotions before being left high and dry with unsustainable debts and no option but to wither away and die. If the latter ever did happen, would I be able to support a Phoenix club? Possibly yes, but they wouldn’t ever hold the same emotional place in me that Hendon do. Any ‘A’ in AFC Hendon would simply stand for ‘artificial’.

Good, not quite Good Enough. Hendon 1-2 Billericay Town

Hendon 1-2 Billericay Town

Saturday 19^th November 2011

Ryman League Premier Division

Vale Farm

It was always likely to be a tough ask on Saturday with Billericay arriving  laying 2^nd in the table, just behind Lowestoft who had beaten us 2-0 in midweek and having won their previous four away matches. Considering the obstacles that have been placed in Craig Edwards’ path so far this season, this is a hell of an achievement. Things began ominously when Chris Wild fell from a first floor balcony into a basement area from a hotel in Folkestone ahead of ‘Ricay’s pre-season trip to Sittingbourne. Amazingly, and mercifully (although perhaps not from a Hendon point of view given his performance on Saturday) Wild escaped with nothing more than some serious bruising and was back in action before the end of September. Then, in early October, it was announced that briefly ex-Hendon heart-throb Sam Berry had been advised to stop playing due to a possible heart defect. Again, mercifully, nothing serious had been diagnosed and Berry was back in action within a fortnight. Added to the loss of two key players in joint top-scorer David Knight, who has inexplicably (when you take money out of the frame it seems) swapped a promotion battle for a relegation dogfight at East Thurrock, and Paul Semakula who has been unable to commit fully due to University commitments and has just moved to Maidenhead United.

All of this however pales into insignificance when you consider the plight of popular goalkeeper Nicky Morgan. Hendon fans will be familiar with the name and imposing figure of the giant shot-stopper with him having been on loan at Vale Farm for three matches last term when we were in the midst of our defensive crisis of confidence. I think it would be fair to say that perhaps his spell wasn’t the most auspicious of times, but with Ashlee Jones moving on in the summer, Morgan was handed the number 1 shirt by Edwards and he had responded with some fine performances in his sixteen appearances this season (a run that included no fewer than eight blank sheets) before he was struck by enormous misfortune. Trouble erupted outside a nightclub in Brentwood apparently famous due to it being regularly featured on an intellectually stimulating documentary on ITV2 about pond life, on a Thursday evening prior to ‘Ricay’s home match with Canvey Island and Morgan became embroiled acting as a peacemaker. Something sent him heading towards the ground, he banged his head against the floor and as a result, is in hospital in (I believe) Romford currently paralysed and awaiting specialist spinal treatment at either Stanmore or Stoke Mandeville hospitals. In speaking to a couple of away fans at the weekend, the prognosis for Nicky doesn’t sound too promising and I thought it was a really nice gesture by the Supporters Trust to donate their bucket collection towards his rehabilitation. It goes without saying of course that I wish him the very best  with his recovery.

Nicky Morgan: A true gentle giant

Somehow, in spite of this turmoil, Edwards has managed to keep the good ship ‘Ricay sailing on towards the summit of the division and all this with, it has to be said what on paper looks a good side, but not one that I would initially have backed to have been going toe to toe with Lowestoft and Lewes at the top of the division. It soon became clear however why they were where they were.

Gary Mac had made a couple of changes to the side that had played well at Lowestoft without reward with James Parker returning at right back and Belal Aite-Ouakrim replacing Isaiah Rankin at number 9. Rocked slightly by the news that Sean Thomas has for the time being hung up his gloves to understandably concentrate on his studies, another chance has presented itself for Berkley Laurencin to cement himself as the number 1. I think Berkley has been unlucky this season to not have kept the shirt. Circumstances beyond his control meant that he lost his place to Thomas for the Wealdstone game and such was the ex-Stone’s performance that evening that Gary couldn’t very well drop him. Now in his fourth season at the club and with 65 appearances to his name, the progress Berkley  has made in that time has been clear for everyone to see and he deserves an awful lot of credit for sticking around, biding his time and above all working his socks off. I really hope he is able to take this chance with both hands (and hold on to it!)

The first half was frantic and frenetic with both sides looking to attack. The first thing that was noticeable about the visitors was the size of them, particularly through the spine of their side. Wild, Rob Swaine, Jay May and Richard Halle were all 6 foot plenty and had an imposing air about them. A couple of long throws were launched into the Hendon box where they were headed clear whilst at the other end Mauro Vilhete looked to pick up where he had left off against Canvey and after a good run had a low drive blocked behind for a corner by a sprawling defender.

It took 10 minutes for the deadlock to be broken, Frank Sinclair tripping the lively Emeka Onwubike inside the penalty area and the spot was pointed to by the official. There were howls of protests from the terraces, but interestingly, next to none from those in green shirts nearest the incident. Perhaps there was more there than some initially thought and anytime you go to ground in the penalty area and don’t come away with the ball cleanly, you are running the risk of giving a spot kick away. Halle beat Laurencin confidently from the spot to give the Blues the lead.

Mixed Afternoon for Big Frank

One became two (a Spice Girls b-side) less than three minutes later when Sam Berry and Darren Currie contested a 50-50 ball midway inside the ‘Ricay half. With both players grounded, Berry won the ball, left Currie in a not quite crumpled heap and spread the ball out to the left wing. With the referee choosing to play on, rightly so in my opinion as I didn’t think there was an infringement and with Currie in no danger for the time being of being trampled to death, the ball was worked inside to Onwubike who cutting across the penalty area unchallenged then steered an excellent low drive from 20 yards or so beyond Laurencin and just into the bottom corner. An extremely well taken goal and in spite of the injury to Currie (he was given treatment before the restart), that can’t be used an excuse for the concession of the goal.

From that point, if not quite game over, it was difficult to see how the Greens were going to get back into the game. In actual fact, I thought they played quite well overall and on another day against another side would have got something for their efforts. On two or three occasions really good moves involving some lovely interplay ended with efforts on goal but Brightley was largely untroubled. Belal, despite working hard and winning a few balls in the air, was getting no change from Swaine and Wild who were probably the strongest pair of centre halves I’ve seen for some time.  At the other end, a smart stop from Laurencin kept the Greens in the game with a save from Chatting after a slip by Scott Cousins, and the aerial bombardment from set pieces were well defended by the Greens.

There have been howls of protests about the antics of ‘Ricay’s players and the performance of the officials in some sections since Saturday afternoon I must be honest and say I don’t really agree with. In my opinion, the referee didn’t get everything right by any stretch of the imagination, but I don’t think he really affected the game unduly. In terms of ‘Ricay, I don’t think the Hendon twitter feed could have paid them any higher compliment than saying just before half time that they do the ugly things well. Some might see that as a euphemism for cheating, but I don’t think they did. It was only a week before that Sean Thomas was booked for taking his time over his goal kicks when we were leading against Canvey and Dave Diedhiou was cautioned for standing over a free kick. In terms of buying free kicks, Isaiah Rankin is an absolute master and perhaps others should be looking to learn from him. Don’t get me wrong, I would love football and footballers to be squeaky clean and gentlemanly, but realisitically it isn’t going to happen. Perhaps ‘Ricay did stretch the laws once or twice, perhaps one or two of their players did make sure that decisions went their way – let’s not forget that we’ve been accused of the very same thing this season not least at Ruislip Manor. Sometimes you win them, sometimes you lose them. On Saturday, we lost.

After the break, things became largely scrappy and weren’t helped by the regularity with which the official used his whistle. On a couple of occasions I felt that he could have let play go on rather than bring it back for an innocuous looking aerial challenge, but as he seemed to be riling fans behind both goals with his decisions, I don’t think there can be too many complaints. There were howls for a Hendon penalty when Vilhete went flying trying to connect with a terrific Fisher cross from the left, I couldn’t see whether there was contact, but the reaction amongst the players and fans leads me to suspect there may have been. Frank Sinclair had his name taken for quizzing the referee rather too much for the official’s liking, much to the glee of those behind Berkley’s goal.

Benson Kpaka had an excellent opportunity to seal the game for ‘Ricay when he found himself through on goal, but he put his effort into the side netting, whilst at the other end Belal stretched Brightley with a low shot that the keeper claimed at the 2^nd attempt. Ryan Wharton also denied the Blues a definite clincher with two excellent interventions in the space of a minute with a superb challenge on Chatting and from the ensuing corner, an excellent header just ahead of the lurking Jay May.  

The Greens deserved some reward for their toil and it came in injury time in some style. Rankin received the ball inside the penalty area, side on to goal, and in one movement got the ball out of his feet, and whilst turning, lashed an unstoppable shot beyond Brightley into the far corner of the net. For the second weekend running, Rankin had been impressive coming off the bench. If he’s happy playing this role for us, then I’m happy with him doing it. He seems to have more impact in the last 20 minutes than he does over 90 and is as dangerous an option to come from the substitutes bench as we have had in a number of seasons.

In the end, ‘Ricay held out for 3 points that I think they warranted on balance. That said, I was impressed with the Hendon performance. After the disappointment of Leatherhead, Horsham and Met Police, the last couple of performances against Lowestoft and Billericay have been far better and given plenty of cause for optimism. More positives than negatives can be taken from the performances, perhaps the one slight worry I have at the moment is that we haven’t scored more than once in a game since beating Maldon & Tiptree five weeks ago.  Only seven goals have been scored in the nine matches since. However, with Elliott Charles and Greg Ngoyi both in line to be selected against Cray on Sunday, there is no reason why that cannot be rectified soon enough either.

Add caption

Emeka Onwubike - Impressive Match-winning performance

I suspect I was one of few Green fans to be impressed by ‘Ricay on Saturday. Based on that performance and their form so far, I can see why they are second in the league. Craig Edwards is an experienced and wily boss and whilst having ‘typically Essex’ attributes to their side, I think they have more to their bow than a traditional Grays or Purfleetrock used to back in the deep dank 90s. They played some nice stuff at times, particularly in the first half. I was impressed with Harrison Chatting out wide, he caused Parks a few problems. Craig Edwards Jnr did well in the middle of the park with his intelligent use of the ball and for someone making his first league appearance for the club, Emeka Onwubike gave an excellent account of himself up front with his pace, power and eye for goal as well. I can’t see any reason to think that they won’t be there or thereabouts come the end of April, play off certainties from what I’ve seen so far (not that this usually counts for much, sorry ‘Ricay fans).  A decent club, decent fans, decent manager and decent side. Good luck to them.

Player Ratings:

1. Berkley Laurencin: Stood up well to the aerial challenge with a couple of good claims and punches from crosses. One excellent save kept Hendon in it in the first half, no chance with either goal.  7/10

2. James Parker: Given a good working over by the lively Harrison Chatting and coped reasonably well with his pace and trickery. Did well in the air and passed the ball with purpose too. 7

3. Scott Cousins: A couple of uncharacteristic slips from the skipper capped a slightly under par performance from one who is usually the most consistent performer at the club. A blip no doubt. 6

4. Ryan Wharton: Again, the most impressive member of the back line. Some outstanding challenges, stood up strongly to May and Onwubike and worked the ball well in possession as well. 8

5. Frank Sinclair: A mixed bag from the former Jamaican international. Gave away the penalty and got booked, but made the game look effortless at times when he simply stroked the ball out wide for Darren Currie on a few occasions. 6

6. Dave Diedhiou: Gave the side a bit more of a physical edge than Kevin Mac would have done that was much needed. Occasionally a little lose in possession again, but worked hard. 6

7. James Fisher: Another decent effort from the summer signing from St. Albans. Worked hard, got forward when able to and was at one stage cleaned out by a flailing figure in the shape of his own goalkeeper. 7

8. Elliott Godfrey: Some of the interplay in the first half between him, Darren Currie and Mauro Vilhete was a joy to watch. Sent one effort powerfully into the midrift of Brightley and was generally a positive influence on the game. 7

9. Belal Aite-Ouakrim: A conundrum. Infuriating at times as he continually loses possession running into blind alleys, but to his credit he worked hard and unusually won a few balls in the air as well. Needs that first goal to ignite his confidence again. 6

10. Darren Currie: I watched him closely in the first half and it was a joy. Everytime the ball came his way he had a look around to see what was on. A couple of neat headers to retain possession, simple skips over outstretched challenges and some passes that were outstanding. A purists’ footballer.  7

11. Mauro Vilhete: A lively presence again although with less effect against the more physical and experienced Dave Collis than he found against Canvey. That said, a couple of excellent runs and linked up well with Currie and Godfrey. Good to watch again. 7

Substitutes

12. Isaiah Rankin: Made a nuisance of himself again after coming on for the final quarter of an hour or so with some nice touches, and holding the ball up well. The goal was superbly taken. Great option to have on the bench. 7

13. Jerome Federico: Late entrance, didn’t have a lot of time to influence proceedings

15. Carl McCluskey: Came on after the stoppage time goal. Not sure he touched the ball.

Star Man: Ryan Wharton

Match Rating: 7/10

Verdict: Hendon won’t come up against many tougher or stronger sides than Billericay who looked to me as though they could stay the course at the right end of the table. Perhaps not obvious champions, but they definitely have enough about them to be in the play off mix. For Hendon, an encouraging performance, they’ve already played a lot worse than this and won this season. More performances of this ilk along with a few more goals and we’ll be back on track.

5 Hendon Mercurial Magicians

Darren Currie last week became the latest in a short line of mercurial talents to have donned the Green and White shirt with pride over the last 20 odd years of my attendance at Hendon. This video special gives a platform for some of these free spirits to showcase their talents.

1) Dale Binns

The one genuine success story to come from the youth system set up by Ivor Arbiter in the mid 90s and benefit the first team, Binnsy (or Dusty as I believe he’s been nicknamed at other clubs) broke through in the 1999/2000 season with a terrific solo goal to break his duck at home to Basingstoke Town on a pudding of a pitch hinted at the quality he possessed. The following season, the one that never ended, saw Dale become a genuine star at Ryman Premier level as he tore defences apart with his pace, trickery and creativity and ended the term as leading secorer with 18 goals. Before leaving the club at the close of the 2003/4 season for Cambridge City and long time admirer Gary Roberts, he amassed 41 goals in 212 appearances for the club. Since leaving Claremont Road Binnsy has established himself as a perennial promotion pusher in the Blue Square South, and has had a couple of spells in Non League’s top flight with Stevenage Borough and Hayes & Yeading United. Below, you can see the kind of thing we all became accustomed to watching him do in his time at Hendon.

2) Frank Murphy

Well past his best when he took over at Hendon nominally as manager, but occasionally deigned to bring himself off the bench in various matches, and indeed, his final match as Hendon boss at his old stomping ground Champion Hill at the age of very nearly 42. Although his legs had gone, his ability to kill the ball on a fivepence, light a cigarette whilst looking up, assessing his options, nutmegging his marker and then playing Steven Brady through on goal remained undimmed. His cameos were a joy to watch. The video below from 50 seconds give you an idea of just what a terrific player he would have been to witness in his full pomp.

3) Bontcho Guentchev

An obvious inclusion really. Gary Mac tells the story in Hendon Centenary book of a player turning up at pre-season training in a Bulgarian training top from USA ’94. Thinking he was just another fantastical park player with a fantastical CV to match, he looked on astonished as Bontcho displayed his credentials. If the fans had any doubts as to what Frank Murphy had taken on, they were swiftly dispelled when on his home debut against Canvey Island, wearing golden boots he sent a wonderful overhead kick beyond Brian Horne in the Islanders net and found himself immortalised in song by Saint Etienne in Teenage Winter on their album Tales from Turnpike House (check it out, it's great). Although used sparingly in his time at Claremont Road, Bontcho certainly provided plenty of memorable moments. His goal against Bath City in the FA Cup 1^st Round followed by a performance that warranted a couple of magnificent goals in the next round at Blackpool. A true cult hero, where ever he’s been as this free kick for Luton (from 30 seconds) bears testament to.

4) Darren Currie

Although the younger generation of the Currie footballing dynasty has yet to write himself into Hendon folklore just yet, the announcement of his signature last week had me extremely excited. I knew enough from people I knew who had seen him play just how good he was. Genuinely two footed, extremely skilful and above all, intelligent. Even at Boreham Wood this season, the quality was there for all to see. Barnet fans on their forum have recently voted him as one of their top 10 Bees players of all time (I think Frank Murphy came in at around number 51) and on the evidence below, it’s easy to see why. Evidence so far suggest Currie is more likely to be a Bontcho Bhuna rather than a Speedie Vindaloo for the Greens. Let’s hope so!

5) Freddie Hyatt

His career at Hendon was book-ended by two pieces of absolute genius. The first came on his debut at home to Basingstoke Town when in the first half, he sent a brilliant scissor volley into the top corner from just outside the penalty area (a trick he repeated a few days later at Sutton United) and the second came on his final competitive appearance at Heybridge Swifts where an outrageous piece of skill saw him backheel the ball over his own, and a defender’s head, skipping past said player and firing a shot as the ball dropped on the half volley narrowly wide of the target. Even Bontcho, who had played alongside some true greats like Hristo Stoichkov and Luis Figo said it was amongst the best pieces of skill he’d ever witnessed in a game. Few will forget Freddie’s many moments of opportunism – the goal at home to Sutton from just outside the centre circle, the late free kick winner in the Full Members Cup Semi Final against Maidenhead United, the performance at home to Leyton Orient, the drop of the shoulder and shimmy before spreading the ball wide for John-Simon White in the build up to the winner in the replay. Although the video below doesn’t do him justice in any way shape or form (see from 8 seconds), it’s still quite funny and was the only one I could find.

 So although much of Non League football is blood, guts and thunder, there is always space for quality. The game is much the richer for it as well.

Back On Track: Hendon 1-0 Canvey Island

Hendon 1-0 Canvey Island

Ryman League Premier Division

Saturday 12^th November 2011

Vale Farm

It was late afternoon on Friday, I was just wasting a bit of time at work before 5pm when my phone vibrated on my desk. A text message had arrived, and it was from Twitter, more specifically, @mccann2507’s account. ‘We add two signings of intent in the form of experience….CB Frank Sinclair and Wide man Darren Currie! Both will add plenty to our squad’. Now, I am the wrong side of 30 and yet still, the signing of players who I used to sign on Championship Manager 10-15 years ago still brings me out in the most excited of sweats. I was fairly confident that Currie, whose father Paul played for the Greens in the 70s and 80s scoring 13 goals in 63 games and whose uncle Tony, the famous England international played a handful of games for in the 1985/6 season, still had the required quality. He had very briefly been player/assistant at Boreham Wood earlier in the season and as the reports from We Are The Wood show, he still had it, even if he did leave the club under something of a cloud.. As early as this summer, he had been on trial with Southend.

As for Sinclair, I have to admit I’d rather lost track of his career after his time at Leicester. It has since emerged that he was in the same youth team at Chelsea as Gary Mac and played in the same Leicester side as Junior Lewis. Indications are that he has signed to help us out for a couple of weeks whilst Michael Peacock and Elliott Brathwaite are out injured and with Bradley Fraser now on loan at Potters Bar Town. As a result I was worried that he had spent the last 5 years not having played and that he would be completely shown up as Leo Roget once was when I saw him playing for St. Albans City. The news that he was a couple of weeks shy of his 40^th birthday did nothing to help allay any fears I had. Thankfully, they were all for nothing.

Frank's Car in the car park

There were a number of changes from the XI that took the field the previous weekend against Leatherhead. Sinclair came in for Fraser at centre half, James Fisher made his first start in place of the suspended Kevin Maclaren, Elliott Godfrey returned to fitness and came in for the injured James Archer whilst Currie was named at number 10 in place of the benched Isaiah Rankin. His time though, would come.

Before the action started, I had a perusal of the programme and was interested by the manager’s notes. I always enjoy reading Gary Mac’s musings, I think he is as honest as they come when assessing our shortcomings and where we’ve done well. I always remember reading Neil Price’s words with a mixture of an amused smile and a bemused frown on my face as they rarely seemed to match what I’d seen with my eyes from behind the goal. I certainly wouldn’t disagree with the manager’s assertion that in spite of our bad run, that the effort has been there. From what I have seen, I cannot pick out or fault any of the players for their commitment or work rate (with one possible exception who has now left the squad). Against Met Police, Horsham and Leatherhead we had enough possession and enough openings or opportunities to have taken something from each game, but just lacked that little bit of ruthless quality at either end of the pitch to have taken anything. What interested me in particular were his comments about expectations and negative reactions to our recent run of results and I think, upon reflection, he made a number of valid points.

Perhaps our unexpectedly good start to the season has increased expectations on the terraces to such a point that picking up 2 points from 9 against the bottom three in the division is seen as underachieving. I’m probably as guilty, if not more so in this journal, as anyone of that, but then perhaps we need to temper that with the 16 points taken from matches against Bury Town, Wealdstone, Carshalton, Hastings, Harrow and Canvey Island as opposed to the single point we took from the same fixtures last term. Secondly, there is the large number of players signed on, it’s a long time since we’ve had such a plethora of options available when everyone’s been fit. And there is the caveat. ‘when everyone’s been fit’. That hasn’t been the case at all this season, and with no reserve team, Under 21 team or Under 18 team for Gary Mac to fall back on to make numbers up with when short, it has meant that the number of players has had to be topped up through players coming into the club when short. Signs are there that we are turning the corner injury wise, I only hope that this continues and we are soon able to field something close to the XI which I suspect the manager would like to be able to field week in week out. In the mean time gaffer, keep up the sterling work.

Basking in the glow of the lunchtime kick off, the Wembley Arch in the distance preparing to play host to some other teams, Sky Sports News camera and reporter were in attendance at the game as well. The media glare was on the two sides and I think it’s fair to say one side responded, and the one side didn’t. I’ll leave it to you to draw your own conclusions as to which team was which from the following few paragraphs.

Unbelievable Jeff! Team news from Vale Farm takes Jeff by surprise

From the moment the game started, there was a purpose about the green shirted Trojans that had been missing over the last few weeks. There was a crispness and conviction to the passing straight away, there was a solid look to the back four again. This observer soon began to relax and enjoy what was on show. Lest us not forget that Canvey had thrashed us 4-0 just 3 short weeks ago and arrived at Vale Farm on the back of further progression in the FA Trophy against Grays Athletic.

Sinclair was denied a free header from an early Scott Cousins corner as the ball was flicked away deftly by a Canvey head before Elliott Godfrey, who was excellent in the ‘number 10’ position just a couple of yards off the target man, forced a comfortable save from James Russell in the Canvey goal with a low shot from 25 yards or so. Frustratingly, Godfrey and Charles were effectively through 2 on 1 with a retreating Canvey centre half but with Charles unable to peel off and get himself onside for Godfrey to play him in, the Canadian was forced to go his own way.

With the Greens on top in terms of possession, Sinclair and Wharton marshalling Jason Hallett and Danny Heale well and James Fisher checking the supply of ball into the dangerous Rob King, we began to see why Mauro Vilhete is so highly rated by those at Underhill. In the first period, he beat Ashley Dumas, by no means the worst left back in the league, time and time again. If not for pace, then with a trick. Had his final ball been better, Hendon would have had every chance to have gone into the break a couple of goals to the good. Once he dinked the ball tamely into Russell’s arms with Godfrey and Charles well placed in the middle, once he fired over the bar from an angle and on a couple of occasions, slightly overhit his cross into the box. At the other end, Sean Thomas was largely untroubled, dealing well with a couple of crosses and watching as Canvey’s only shot on goal from Hallett after neat build up ended up nearer Harrow Road than the top corner of the goal. There were appeals for a spot kick late on in the half as Cousins eased King off the ball, but any award would have been extremely harsh.

As the half time whistle sounded, there were a few smiles detectable on the faces of some Greens faithful, although there were still a few nerves around. Although the better of the two sides, there was nothing tangible to show for their efforts in terms of working Russell or indeed, the netting behind him. Elliott Charles, who had once again worked himself to the bone up front was replaced at the break by Isaiah Rankin.

It took less than four minutes for the substitution to look like a managerial masterstroke. Darren Currie, having swapped flanks with Vilhete played a sumptious first time ball, not for the first time) in between Dumas and Steve Sheehan for the lively Godfrey to run onto, into the penalty area. He pulled the ball back for Rankin who took a touch and with two defenders converging on him guided the ball with the minimum of fuss beyond Russell and into the bottom corner of the net. It was a lovely goal and well deserved.

Any expected Canvey fightback never really materialised. Sean Thomas made a couple more good claims from crosses and one good tip over from a Hallett chipped that was just dipping under the bar, but otherwise, was really well protected by the four in front of him. Whilst Sinclair marshaled things well, it was once again Ryan Wharton who really impressed me. On more than one occasion he made excellent timely interceptions, won just about everything in the air and passed the ball well from the back. They looked a far more cohesive and confident unit. Out wide, Vilhete was having as much, if not more success against Andrew West, the Canvey right back who had to resort to a clothes-line to stop him at one stage in the second half as the winger threatened to burst away from him again. With the incident occurring deep inside Hendon territory, the yellow card was entirely correct.

With Rankin and Godfrey linking up well through the middle and occupying the two Canvey centre halves, it gave Vilhete every opportunity to run at West one on one. At one point he got through and his powerful drive was well repelled by Russell. On a second occasion his pull back found Rankin whose effort was superbly pushed away by Russell who was at first going the wrong way (Vilhete tapped the rebound in but from an offside position) and then late on, he got around the Canvey keeper, pulled the ball back again for Rankin who scuffed his effort wide of the goal. With a little more fortune, the former Arsenal man would have been walking home with the match-ball, one final chance that owed as much to his strength and resilience saw him poke the ball no more than 6 inches past the far post with the goalkeeper beaten. Hendon probably deserved a second goal for their efforts, but for one reason or another, it didn’t come.

James Russell - Outstanding for the Islanders

And that was fine, because Canvey in truth, threatened little. It’s obvious why they have only scored 16 league goals so far this season, they are probably a couple of players short of being a play off side. Maybe a livewire striker and a winger to compliment Alex Rhodes. Still, this was a good 3 points for the Greens who can go into the very difficult trip to Lowestoft in good heart and confident mood. If anything, Saturday afternoon was more than a return to the form of earlier on in the season, but the most complete 90 minutes I’ve seen us have so far. There’s no doubt that the additions of Sinclair and Currie helped, but I think just as important was James Fisher in the middle of the park. He brought a calm authority to proceedings that we have lacked in the last couple of weeks and on this evidence, looks a very neat signing by the manager. 3 points, out of the rut and a clean sheet again. A week really is a long time in football.

Player Ratings

Sean Thomas: Largely untroubled, but kept his concentration to make a couple of very smart claims and one good save to keep a well deserved clean sheet. 7

2. James Parker: Best I’ve seen from him this season. Dealt with any threat he was up against well, including Alex Rhodes in the 2^nd half and pushed forward to good effect too. Looked much more confident. 7

3. Scott Cousins: Another smart performance by the skipper, Mr. Consistency once again (one or two loose passes excepted). Defended well, used the ball well, Good stuff again. 7

4. Ryan Wharton: Outstanding. Fast becoming the lynchpin of the Greens back 4. Dealt with the physical threat of Jason Hallett, scorer of a treble here last season, extremely well. Text book centre half performance. 9

5. Frank Sinclair: Oozed class. Looked to have an extra few seconds on the ball, barely had to break sweat and passed the ball well. Not sure every match will be this much of a stroll for him, but reminded me of Ian Cox at Maidstone a few years ago. 8

6. Dave Diedhiou: Loose in possession once or twice again, but far more dominating performance by the big guy who along with James Fisher did well to stop Matt Game and Rob King dominating the game as they did 3 weeks ago. 7

7. James Fisher: Took a few minutes to settle down and misplaced a couple of passes but soon looked as though he’d been part of the side for years. Broke things up well, passed the ball well. Very assured performance. 8

8. Elliott Godfrey: Influential in what I suspect may be his favourite position just off the number 9. Looked sharp, fitter and happier in possession and was at the centre of much that was good about Hendon’s approach play. 8

9. Elliott Charles: Worked hard in the first half before being replaced at the break. Didn’t have a sight of goal, but kept both centre halves occupied at all times. 7

10. Darren Currie: As impressive off the ball as on it. His first touch was dead weight, every pass was made with purpose, can still beat a man with skill, if not pace, and still has a very sharp footballing mind. A pleasure to watch. 8

11. Mauro Vilhete: Wreaked havoc on both Canvey full backs and with a better final ball would have been the architect behind a far greater scoreline. Easy to see why he’s been involved with Barnet’s first team in the past. Worked hard as well, tracked back and made a superb tackle in his own half in the second period. 9

Substitutes

12. Isaiah Rankin: Best performance of the season by a mile coming off the bench at half time. Moments of class, well taken goal and unlucky not to add to his tally on a couple of occasions. 8

14. Belal Aiteouakrim: Came on late for Vilhete who took a knock. Threatened to break clear late on but his control let him down. Looks low on confidence.

15. Carl McCluskey: Replaced Elliott Godfrey with about 15 minutes remaining and kept things ticking over smoothly behind Rankin.

Star Man: Ryan Wharton

Match Rating: 7/10

Verdict: A thoroughly deserved 3 points and a much better feeling around the place than six days previously. Everyone was on their game, and didn’t let the visitors get started. No doubt that the new faces added a lot of quality to the side, on this evidence, the longer they’re available the better.

What a load of Poppycock

On November 11^th 1987, England played Yugoslavia and won the game by 3 goals to 2. I would imagine this means very little to anyone but perhaps the most ardent England fan, it’s certainly not a game I remember for any reason at all. But perhaps I should have done and perhaps you should have done, because on this day, the 69^th anniversary of the Armistice that ended World War I, no England player was wearing a poppy.

I’m a big supporter of anything to do with Remembrance Sunday or Armistice Day. I observe a minute of silence at 11am, I buy and wear a poppy as I have done since I was a child, I go to Remembrance Sunday services and often watch in awe the procession of veterans from various conflicts at the Cenotaph. I grew up during the Falklands War, I know people who served in the Gulf and Afghanistan, anyone who takes up arms in the name has my immediate respect because I know it’s something I would utterly fail to do. I may not, and generally don’t agree with the reasons behind going to war, particularly in the last decade or so, but I can separate the servicemen from the politics.

Over the last couple of years, around this time of year poppys have started appearing on team’s shirts, particularly in the Premier League, and the England team’s main sponsors, Vauxhall, are heavily linked with the Help for Heroes Charity for servicemen. It makes sense therefore for the FA to want the side on Saturday evening to display poppies on their shirts for the friendly with Spain.

This however, goes against FIFA regulations with regards to personal, political and religious slogans, which seems sensible given the promotion of football being one family and such like. Therefore, they have banned poppies from the players shirts. Again, this to me makes absolute sense. What I didn’t expect was for this move to light the blue touch paper and send the British media, footballing world and general public as a whole into complete reactionary meltdown.

I can understand the FA being disappointed, I can understand the FA appealing the decision. I can equally understand FIFA being wary of being seen allowing a precedent by granting the FA’s request. I can even understand to a level the outpouring of nonsense from sections of the media, afterall, it’s simply how they operate in this country. What baffles me most (although is in no way surprising given the rhetoric after various recent events) is the response of leading members of the British Government. Sports Minister Hugh Robertson has written to FIFA asking for permission for English and Welsh players to wear poppies commenting ‘Wearing a poppy is a display of national pride, just like wearing you country’s football shirt’ completely ignoring the dubious merit some players appear to give the wearing of their country’s football shirt before continuing ‘The British public feel very strongly about this issue – it is not religious or political in any way’ and overlooking the fact that by interfering in the ‘dispute’ and writing to FIFA, he has just gone and made the whole affair overtly political. Our esteemed Prime Minister has helpfully waded into the debate and rather than saying ‘you know what, I’ve got better things to discuss this morning,’ instead described FIFA’s decision as ‘outrageous’. Is it any wonder England failed to garner much support for their World Cup bid when this man was one of our leading ambassadors at the vote?

The FA have since said that the players will wear poppies on their training tops, that a wreath will be laid in the centre circle during the anthems, that the players will be wearing black armbands and that there will be a minute’s silence before kick off. Surely this is enough, non? The British Legion, who perhaps should be best placed to comment, have said that poppies on the player’s shirts isn’t necessary. Why then the tidal wave of bitterness?

I genuinely think people are missing the point of wearing a poppy if they’re wearing it as a display of national pride. I was brought up that we wore a poppy to remember the sacrifices made by other people in the hope that we wouldn’t have to live through the horrors they did. And that continues today with British servicemen and women serving abroad. They have my everlasting gratitude for their sacrifices, they don’t need me to pompously misuse the poppy as a sign of Britishness or needlessly use it to browbeat FIFA for something that wasn’t essential 24 years ago. Just what exactly has changed in that period that makes a poppy so vital for 90 minutes? I’ve seen it described this morning as ‘traditional’ in this country. It takes longer than a couple of years to build a tradition. Veterans and servicepeople aren’t going to denigrate footballers for not displaying it for 90 minutes at the weekend. So let’s drop it now shall we and stop trying to divert the attention away from what is likely to be another painful footballing lesson at the hands of the Spanish.

If only the FA and government put as much effort into youth coaching….

Still In the Rut - Sunday Review

Hendon 1-2 Leatherhead

Ryman League Premier Division

Sunday 6^th November 2011

Vale Farm

I have thought long and hard about this one for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I don’t want to be too knee-jerk (emphasis on the jerk) in my reactions to yesterday and secondly, I don’t want to do Leatherhead out of any credit due for their efforts and fully deserved win. Perhaps it’s best to let the number to speak for themselves though. In our last three league matches, all of which have been at home, we have faced two newly promoted sides and two sides who were occupying the bottom two places in the division. Our return has been a single point.

I know there have been mitigating factors with the ever lengthening injury list, there were perhaps half a dozen stood watching when they could otherwise have expected to have started if fit, but the XVI players named in the squad lacked absolutely nothing for the required experience or quality to win games at this level. The feeling very much remains that having taken the lead in all three of these matches (plus the League Cup tie at Harrow) that 2 months ago, we would have come away with at least 6 or 7 points. That we have taken an early lead against Met Police and again yesterday and gone into the break behind asks quite a few questions.

In spite of this, we remain 5^th in the table, only Lowestoft have a game in hand behind us and we still have the joint best defensive record in the division with AFC Hornchurch so there are reasons to remain positive. Our next 5 league matches could well end up making or breaking our season as we have to play Canvey Island and Billericay Town (FA Trophy commitments permitting) at home and Lowestoft Town, Cray Wanderers and AFC Hornchurch away. We desperately need, somehow, to get key man back fit and in the side and look to regain the solid shape that we began the season with if this term isn’t to emulate last year and slither away down into the sewer after going out of the FA Cup.

Things began so brightly yesterday as well, Chico Ramos superbly tipping over an Isaiah Rankin header that was destined for the top corner of the net before from the ensuing corner, the ball bounced up and hit Rob Hill on the hand. The referee was well positioned and pointed straight away to the spot, and to Leatherhead’s credit, their players didn’t debate the decision. There was some debate as to whether or not it was a penalty, whilst it unquestionably struck Hill on his left hand, there was little he could do as the ball bounced up and struck him, his hand remaining by his side. It was a decision that would have gone against us as many times as it would go for us. The man whose opinion mattered gave the spot kick and in Jamie Busby’s absence, Elliott Charles gleefully sent Ramos the wrong way to give the Greens a 6^th minute advantage.

Chico tries to out-fox Elliott Charles from the Spot...

Rather than build on the early goal and go for the jugular, Hendon were unable to take the game by the scruff of the neck. Leatherhead began to settle, their 5 man midfield quickly getting the upper hand over James Archer and Kevin Maclaren in the middle for Hendon. Dave Diedhiou and Barnet loanee Mauro Vilhete began wide for the Greens, but they were unable to offer much in the way of help for the two in the centre. For all of that, Hendon were close to extending their lead when a superb pass by Maclaren found Charles on the edge of the box and he in turn found the overlapping Diedhiou on the right flank. The big fella swung a dangerous cross in around the edge of the 6 yard box that Vilhete flung himself at full length but was just unable to connect with, and as a consequence the danger passed.

As far as Leatherhead were concerned that is as play was swiftly transferred to the other end and Kev Terry, who was outstanding ploughing a lone furrow up front on his own found himself in behind James Parker and as Thomas spread himself, he dinked a beautiful little lob over the goalkeeper and into the net. It’s the kind of finish I used to dream about, but rarely executed as a kid. 

A decent re-creation of Kev Terry's goal yesterday, in mirror image.

That was the catalyst for the visitors to take complete control of the half, and although they didn’t trouble Thomas unduly, they looked the more cohesive unit and played some good stuff, taking advantage of the extra body in the middle of the park. What turned out to be the winner came 11 minutes before the break when the ball fell for Mark Simmons just outside the D, he struck a low shot that appeared to take a deflection on it’s way through and wrong foot the Hendon custodian, before nestling in the bottom corner of the net. The half petered out pretty quickly with Leatherhead in complete control, and bafflement being the look on most Greens Fans brows.

Most of the 2^nd half was played out in the Leatherhead half as Hendon looked for a way back into the game. For all the possession they enjoyed, they lacked the guile and wit to breach the stoic Leatherhead defence superbly marshaled by joint boss Jamie Coyle. Loud shots for a penalty were waved away early on when James Archer broke into the box before being stopped by what looked to this observer, a good clean challenge by Hill or Chris Boulter before Elliott Charles stretched to meet a Parker cross but couldn’t direct his header on target.

I couldn’t help but feel at times that we were a bit predictable in our approach at times (this is something I agreed with from the twitter feed from the game). I have no problem with playing a target man and looking to hit him early, but I’m not sure how wise it is when the centre half, in this case Coyle, has the beating of the striker in the air 80% of the time and there are no green shirts around Charles to contest, never mind pick up, the 2^nd balls. It meant that all too often attacks broke down before they’d really got started and it was only when we got tried to get in down the sides or into the channels that we looked at our most dangerous.

Coyle was again at his best blocking a powerful Rankin shot at point blank range, and Hendon forced a number of corners, which were either dealt with by Ramos coming out to punch clear, not always convincingly, or on one occasion, scrambled onto his near post as Cousins neatly whipped a low one in towards goal. Chris Boulter cleared off the line late on, and a late effort went narrowly wide, but if the second half was to be described as a siege, then it was one where the battering ram was made of foam rather than wood, where the arrows were made of paper rather than flint. Despite the balls into the box, despite the half chances created, I never really felt we looked like we were going to equalise and as such, I couldn’t begrudge Leatherhead the points.

They were whole-hearted, committed and playing for each-other. They were well organised, well drilled and looked lively going forward. It’s hard to see them going down on this evidence, particularly when you consider that they were without their two leading scorers, Tommy Hutchings suspended and Greg Andrews on honeymoon. Coyle and Richard Brady have clearly done a good job so far in getting the side united and believing in themselves, that they can compete in the Ryman Prem. To be honest, I’d really like to see them stay up. They seemed like a good bunch yesterday, good luck to them in their battle to stay up.

For the Greens, things don’t look quite so rosy at the moment, but as we know, that can turn around in a heartbeat. A clean sheet, a scrappy 1-0 win against Canvey next Saturday and all of a sudden belief returns, and the trip to Suffolk and Lowestoft doesn’t look so daunting. James Fisher continues his rehabilitation and talk was of Elliot Godfrey and Greg Ngoyi both nearing a return within the next week to 10 days. It was also good to see Carl McCluskey return from the substitutes bench yesterday. But the fact remains that things need to improve quickly if we’re serious about looking at a play off bid this term. I know there’s still 29 matches to play, but we saw last season just how quickly the wheels can fall off and a campaign just peter out into a slightly depressing anti-climax. A big challenge awaits the management team and players to see how they can respond. We’re still fully behind you.

I was going to use this pic before the Aveley game. But Carl Griffiths (Red & White) has left them now. So y'know, meh.

Player Ratings

1. Sean Thomas: Left no chance with either goal and otherwise had little to do. One fairly straightforward save from a Simmons chip in the 2^nd half and a couple of good catches in the first half from crosses. 6/10

2. James Parker: I’m not entirely convinced about Parks at right back. Terry got in behind him for the first Leatherhead goal, although he has played there before, I think he’s better in the middle. 6

3. Scott Cousins: Defensively sound, lured into overhitting some of the balls into Charles on a couple of occasions. Very nearly scored direct from a corner in the 2^nd half. 6

4. Ryan Wharton: Another very sound display from the centre half, good in the air, even better on the ground and a little bit of class when bringing the ball forward in the second half. Another good performance. 7

5. Bradley Fraser: He may be suffering from not getting a run of games, and although generally defended pretty well, I don’t have the same confidence in him as I do Michael Peacock, I always get the impression he’s moments away from dropping a rickett. Did well enough yesterday though. 6

6. Kevin Maclaren: I thought considering he was pretty overwhelmed in the midfield in the first half he put in a good performance. Passed the ball well and made two or three very good challenges indeed. Shame he’ll be suspended next week. 7

7. James Archer: Worked hard in midfield, and came alive a bit after the break when he played a bit wider. Don’t think he’s a natural central midfielder and was out-fought at times in the first half. Better at full back on this evidence. 6

8. Dave Diedhiou: Sometimes you just to shake him and ask him to make the most of his imposing figure and dominate games from the midfield, put himself about a bit more. 5

9. Elliott Charles: Smartly taken penalty, and probably as usual, our liveliest attacking threat again. Dominated in the air for a change though, and I do wish he’d learn to stay onside, particularly considering he has pace to burn. 6

10. Isaiah Rankin: Some touches of class, and did well considering he spent much of the afternoon out on one flank or the other. Unlucky early on when his header was saved, and probably carried as much goal threat as anyone did. Ran out of puff. 6

11. Mauro Vilhete: Definitely has something about him, but was largely muscled out of things. Could have done with changing his studs in the first half, but there were moments of promise. 6

Substitutes

13. Carl McCluskey: Came on for the last half an hour, which was good to see after his knock last week. Unable to really influence proceedings though. 5

14. Belal Aite-Ouakrim: Replaced Rankin with 20 minutes remaining, ran up a couple of blind alleys and got little change from the Leatherhead back line. 5

15. James Fisher: Late replacement for Dave Diedhiou

Star Man: Kevin Maclaren

Match Rating: 6/10

Verdict: Once again Hendon fail to hold on to a lead and look a shadow of the side that they were at the start of the season. Leatherhead fully deserved the 3 points based on their work rate and organisation alone. More performances of this ilk, and they will stay up reasonably comfortably. There are plenty worse sides in the division on this evidence.