Four Good Points, Aveley Approaching and RIP Steve Cheesewright

After the defeat against Leatherhead a few weeks ago I said that the next five matches, all against title and play off challengers could end up making or breaking our season. At that point, having lost at home to the Tanners, Met Police and only drawn with Horsham, anyone offering me a return from those five matches of 7 points would have received a warm hug and maybe even a little peck on the cheek. By and large, the performances since the first whistle against Canvey Island have shown a vast improvement on what we witnessed prior to that. It is perhaps telling that in these last five matches, Gary Mac has by and large been able to field a pretty settled XI. The injury situation seems to have settled down a little and the additions of Mauro Vilhete, Frank Sinclair and Darren Currie does seem to have had a slightly galvanising effect on things.

As a result, we see ourselves going into December sat in 5^th position having played 18 league matches already. Barring a winter of epic proportions, fixture congestion ought not to be an issue this term. We have two cup competitions to come and ought to be able to fully concentrate of making progress in each of them so quiet optimism has been renewed, particularly when you consider Aveley, Tooting & Mitcham and East Thurrock United make up our next run of league fixtures. I am hesitant to start setting targets and making predictions because as we’ve already seen this season, the league table means absolutely nothing on the pitch.

Our week began with a solid performance at Cray Wanderers whose season up until now had largely matched ours. A great start followed by a slightly rougher patch and then some signs again of life. Remarkably, Cray were able to name 3 players in their starting XI with hat-tricks to their names this season already, and a fourth on the bench. They promised a stern test of Hendon’s back four and to their credit, they responded excellently. Indeed, the Greens had the better of proceedings after the break and could have taken home the three points had Andy Walker, replacement for Dave King in goal for Cray this season, produced an outstanding save from Vilhete, who himself had struck the inside of the post minutes earlier in pursuit of his first goal in a Hendon shirt. He won’t come any closer than that. In the end, a point apiece was a fair reflection of an absorbing encounter and the clean sheet was a big boost.

52:45 hours later and it was back off East of St. Pauls to Upminster to take on the in-form Urchins of Bridge Avenue. Unbeaten in their previous 9 matches in all competitions and with their front two of Martin Tuohy and Lewis Smith having scored 19 league goals between them (Hendon’s entire total for the season stood before the game at 22) everything pointed to a home banker. Admittedly, and perhaps inexplicably considering the fact that two of the architects of Thurrock’s dominance over everything Hendon in Jimmy MacFarlane and Colin McBride are heavily involved at AFC Hornchurch, our record against the Urchins is good, unbeaten in our previous four meetings.

It wasn’t backs to the wall stuff by any stretch of the imagination, but a performance full of defensive discipline and threat on the counter attack. The only goal of the game came at the end of the first quarter when Elliott Godfrey’s low drive from 20 yards skidded past Joe Woolley in the Hornchurch goal. Try as they might, the home side were unable to break down the visitor’s defence and Berkley Laurencin was able to enjoy his 7^th blank sheet of the season in his 14^th match. Sinclair in particular drew many of the plaudits amongst the 3.14159265 away fans trying in vain to make themselves heard above the 500 home fans thronging amassed in the crowd of 187 as Hendon completed what was probably their best result since the victory at Carshalton. When the report on the Urchins website grudgingly concedes that Hendon deserved the three points, you know you’ve done well. (Thanks to AFC Hornchurch for the video below)

Tomorrow we welcome struggling Aveley to Vale Farm. The corresponding fixture last season saw the Millers pick up their first points against Hendon at the fourth attempt with an impressive and committed showing winning 2-1. It was one of the least impressive performance by the Greens that I witnessed last season, and the hope is that tomorrow is very different. Having received the annual reprieve from relegation regularly handed out to the side finishing 19^th in the division, Carl Griffiths was looking forward to a season away from the relegation zone. Unfortunately for the former Leyton Orient man, things didn’t work out and the end of October saw the end of his tenure. Replacing him is former West Ham, Billericay and Thurrock man Lee Hodges and his first game in charge saw his charges pick up a 2-1 win over fellow strugglers Horsham. He has been quick to bring in his own players with Danny Smith, Joe Keith, Jamie Richards and Rikki Burbridge all making their debuts against the Hornets. However, a surprise 2-1 defeat in the Essex Senior Cup to Witham Town will have provided a quick reminder as to the size of the job on hand. However, the Millers currently sit in 18^th place, 3 points ahead of 19^th placed Concord Rangers but having played more games than the three sides immediately below them in the table. They will be scrapping for everything tomorrow and we will need to make sure we match them for commitment first and foremost if we are going to come away with anything. 3 more points would do us very nicely.

In sadder news, it was announced that regular Hendon fan Steve Cheesewright passed away earlier in the week following a 2 year battle with cancer. I didn’t know Steve well, but he was a familiar face on the terraces at Claremont Road in particular. Clearly his illness restricted his attendance over the last couple of years but he was still able to come when he was able to, even to the match at Luton only a few short weeks ago. Aged just 30, the following excerpt that was posted on Facebook pays tribute to him better than I ever could.

"Steve passed away peacefully yesterday after his 2 year battle with cancer, his family were with him when he died and he was comfortable. Steve was a very much loved son, grandson, friend, brother and daddy and will be missed by so many."

My thoughts are with his family at this very difficult and sad time, I know his huge smiling face will be much missed on the terraces behind the goals by all who came into contact with him in the common pursuit of Green glory. RIP Steve.

3 points in his memory tomorrow would be a fitting tribute.

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…

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.

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.

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.

Supersonic Storming Sunday Swannell Derby Preview

Hendon v Leatherhead

Ryman League Premier Division

Sunday 6^th November 2011

Vale Farm

September 9^th 1978. I would presume that only a handful of people at the game this coming Sunday would have been present the last time Hendon hosted Leatherhead in an Isthmian League Premier Division match in what has never become known as the John Swannell derby. Mick Garrini was the Hendon goalscorer in a 1-1 draw during the Tanners’ last season at this level before their play-off win against Dulwich back in May saw them return to the top flight of the Ryman League.

John Swannell: The legend who hasn't lent his name to Hendon v Leatherhead matches.

The two sides have met since Leatherhead’s relegation, most notably in the League Cup during the fast, furious and mostly fecking awful reign of Gary Farrell (one of the nicest, most genuine blokes I’ve ever talked to about football, simply not a manager). Rumours that Danny Butler was awarded the champagne post match in the away team’s dressing room for his performance in extra time have never been confirmed, but his defending for the 3 Leatherhead goals that sealed their 6-3 win had to be seen to be believed. I’ve seen plenty of bad centre backs over the years playing for the Greens, I’ve seen even more with little in the way of pace. I have never ever seen a 15 minutes from anyone, not even Mavuto Sakala, Christian Hyslop or Simon Underwood, that was as abhorrent as Butler’s that night. It wasn’t just that he was caught ball watching on 3 occasions, it was that he quite clearly couldn’t give a fiddling fart. I don’t mind players being crap so long as they at least give the impression of putting a bit of effort in. Butler, who had come with a decent reputation as being a good centre half in his time at Northwood and Wealdstone, never really convinced me in his time at Hendon, but that quarter of an hour was absolutely staggering.

The Tanners found life difficult in the Premier Division as Mick Sullivan largely kept faith with the players that had done so well in getting them promoted last season. Although only really taken apart by Cray Wanderers, the Tanners picked up just 2 points from their first 10 matches of the season, six of their defeats coming by just the odd goal. Although clearly frustrating, there were suggestions that actually, they weren’t too far off being where they needed to be. Sullivan departed at the end of September and was replaced by Jamie Coyle and Richard Brady, previously the management team at Division 1 South side Sittingbourne.

Since the change in management, the side have enjoyed an excellent run in the FA Cup that included a superb 3-0 win at Billericay Town and ended only in extra time against Sutton United in a midweek replay after 3-3 and 2-2 draws after 90 minutes. The Tanners have also progressed in the League Cup against Wealdstone, on penalties after a 2-2 draw and although they were knocked out of the FA Trophy a fortnight ago by Cirencester Town, they have picked up their first league win of the season beating East Thurrock United 2-1 three weeks ago. With mostly the same players, Coyle and Brady appear to have managed to solve their biggest problem which was scoring goals. Greg Andrews has 8 to his name in all competitions and Tommy Hutchings has netted in each of his last three matches. On the flip side however, they have conceded quite a few goals in recent weeks, 11 in their last 4 matches which suggests that the Greens will get opportunities this weekend.

Goalden Greg: The Tanners' leading scorer

The question then will be whether or not we are able to take them. Since Greg Ngoyi’s injury at Canvey Island two weeks ago, we have struggled up front. Against both Met Police and Horsham we created enough opportunities to have taken at least four points from the games, yet came away with one. The conviction and ruthlessness we’d shown in front of goal at the beginning of the season had gone, and to be honest, it’s cost us dear. We’re still 5^th in the table, we still have games in hand on teams around us, but that means Bo Diddley if we don’t pick up the points in them.

Which is why Wednesday evening was such a disappointment. We ought to have had the game won by half time and we ought to have come away with three points. I’ll be honest, I expected us to win the match (that is a rarity in itself) and in spite of our injury list, the starting XI wasn’t exactly filled with players lacking in Ryman Premier Division experience. There was plenty more in our XI than there was in Horsham’s, who I might add, deserve enormous credit for their gritty display and were full value for their point. It’s going to be a long road for them, but I really hope they survive this season. The fact remains however, that clubs with real pretentions of achieving a place in the play offs need to be winning games, particularly at home, against sides in and around the relegation zone.

There is a danger that this season could unravel as last season did. We’re in the middle of 3 home matches, the last of which is a real toughy against Canvey Island next weekend and a return of 7 points from these matches wouldn’t be bad at all. Even 6 would probably be acceptable. Anything less, and I think expectations and hopes might have to be re-evaluated.

The one major positive from Wednesday evening was the return to action of James Fisher for his 2^nd substitute appearance of the season, the hope is that he has now put his injury problems behind him so that he can really kick on with his Hendon career. Lee O’Leary is also back in full training and when fully fit, will add a lot to the centre of midfield, particularly in the absence of Jamie Busby. There are a couple of players who, if they start, have something to prove in my opinion. I’m not going to name them, but suffice to say that both have proven themselves in the past to offer a lot more than they’re currently delivering and that if there comes a time for the squad to be pruned as players return to fitness, they would both, at the moment, be very near the top of the list.

So, our second Sunday kick off of the season against a side beginning with ‘Le’ has come about because of Margate’s participation in the FA Trophy against Wealdstone on Saturday, and allowing us to re-schedule our previously postponed league match. I’m not confident that we will come away with three points. League record suggest a home banker, but current form certainly doesn’t. Since beating Maldon & Tiptree we have at best flattered to deceive, and more generally been poor. Leatherhead meanwhile, have certainly improved markedly since the first six weeks of the season. The porous nature of both back fours suggests that there will be plenty of goalmouth action at both ends, and both sides will be looking for the points to kick start themselves again after the cup interlude. Hendon to show that the first 10 matches weren’t merely a flash in the pan, and Leatherhead to show that they have what it takes to stay in the division. So, what better way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon than watching two green shirted sides contesting the inaugural imaginary John Swannell Shield. See you there.

Make Me Proud, That's All I Ask

Luton Town v Hendon

Saturday 29^th October 2011

FA Cup 4^th Qualifying Round

Kenilworth Road

Around about this time two years ago I fell into a big trap that was fully signposted ‘Idiots jump here’. I don’t consider myself an idiot especially, and I’m certainly not an idiot lemming that would willingly plunge into an abyss of pointless optimism and hope. Yet in the build-up to Hendon v Woking, our first FA Cup 4^th Qualifying Round appearance under Gary Mac I became strangely reckless in my thinking. Almost dreaming, you might say. Because I thought an upset was genuinely on the cards (no pun intended). Suffice to say, those hopes were washed away with the autumn rains within a quarter of an hour of kick off as we found ourselves 2-0 down. 2 became 5 and I felt well and truly humbled. At least I had the consolation of a pint being bought for me by Danny Dyer’s dad to assist my sorrows towards an overwhelming conclusion.

In our previous appearance in the 4^th Qualifying Round under Tony Choules at Stevenage I had no such illusions of grandeur. I went expecting a hammering, I came away with expectations fulfilled. (I’m not going to start on the woeful lack of respect and discipline shown by some of those on the pitch during the afternoon, it’s too embarrassing). I’m reasonably confident that we’ll end tomorrow afternoon with 11 men on the pitch, discipline has improved markedly from last season, never mind the Choules era where finishing matches with a full compliment was the exception rather than the rule. I’m less certain about the chances of not being well and truly outclassed though.

In spite of that, I’m looking forward to the game and the occasion, even if it won't be as big a day as our trip to Ruislip a few weeks ago. Both clubs should be applauded for keeping prices reasonable, £12 appears to be about par for Blue Square South Football and as a result, fans of both sides ought to be feeling like they’re receiving good value for money tomorrow afternoon. In addition to that, I’ll be going to a ground I’ve never been to before and part of what for us will constitute a big crowd. Games like this always bring out idle speculation as to who and how many are going to attend. I’ve seen some claim tomorrow will attract 6,000, others just 2,000. I’ve seen some claim that 600 Greens fans will make the trip to Kenilworth Road, the realistic number is more likely to be 250-300 at the most. That may sound like a disappointing figure to many readers and of course, we’d all love there to be double or triple that number in the away end, but I don’t like figure masseuses for whatever reason.

Will Forever be known as The Hendon End after tomorrow. Maybe.

Luton’s are perhaps the most illustrious name to have found themselves dropping into the Non League game (maybe Oxford United’s fans would disagree) and the reasons behind their demotion from the Football League have been well documented in other places so I won’t try and explain the complex run of events that very nearly tore the club in two. That they survived is a testament to their supporters, the next step – and it doubtlessly will be – is to re-establish the club back in the League. The man charged with achieving promotion this time around is Gary Brabin, the man who led Cambridge United to the play off final in 2009, and if the Luton messageboard is to be believed (although I suspect the sentiments expressed occasionally contain extra tongue in cheek) then the jury is very much out on the Liverpudlian’s time in charge so far.

On the pitch, the Hatters can boast a squad almost as large as Hendon’s, albeit with infinitely more Football League experience. Scanning down their squad list, a number of names jump out at you. Fancy having Mark Tyler and Kevin Pilkington as your goalkeeping options for example, that’s well over 700 professional appearances between them to begin with. Add in a sprinkling of Keith Keane, Danny Crow, Tommy Wright, Shane Blackett, Jamie Hand and Janos Kovacs amongst others on top of various other names of relative repute presents a pretty daunting prospect for the Greens.

Nick Owen: A key figure in stabilising Luton Town

But, and yes, this is a big Queen Latifah sized but, bigger shocks have happened, and there will be a few upsets this weekend. Maybe fate will decree that the XI Green and White shirts will have 10/10 days whilst Luton may go the whole hog and field Easyjet employees in their orange kit. In all seriousness, I don’t think Brabin will be doing us any favours in terms of team selection and even if he was to leave players out, he’s got a wealth of experience and talent waiting in the wings. I would be surprised to see many changes in the Hendon line-up. Dewayne Clarke will be cup-tied so the big question is whether Gary Mac keeps faith with 4-4-2 or whether he reverts to 4-5-1 bringing in an extra midfielder.

As I say, I’m not confident of getting a positive result, I’m not even that confident that we won’t get turned over, what I am very confident about though, is that unlike the games against Stevenage and Woking, I will come away from the ground feeling proud of the lads’ efforts. They’ve got nothing to lose, they’ve had a great start to the season and ought to relish the chance to play at a proper ground in front of a good crowd against a good side. Any player that cannot motivate themselves for a day like tomorrow shouldn’t be in the game at any level quite honestly. For inspiration, we only need to look at the efforts of Oxhey Jets four weeks ago and just how difficult they made life for us, how close they came to nicking a replay. The gap in levels between them and us is more than the gap between us and Luton, so why not?

People have been asking me this week what the best I can hope for is. The answer is simple. ‘We win the game and draw one of the Sheffield clubs away from home in the 1^st Round.’ They laugh and reply

 ‘Realistically though, what is the best you’re hoping for’. To which I give them the same answer. I mean, realistically, we could win tomorrow and we could go to Bramall Lane or Hillsborough in the next round. It may seem unlikely, and it does seem unlikely quite honestly, but if could happen. I suppose from a financial point of view, going out after a replay would hit the button. All this is idle speculation of course and pretty pointless except for giving me something to do on an early Friday afternoon.

Is that Hendon? Is that Hendon or Luton? Please don't be Luton.

So with just under 24 hours remaining until what is arguably the club’s biggest match since Blackpool away a dozen years ago, memories of those glorious away days of the late 90s at Ninian Park, Meadow Lane, Twerton Park, Bloomfield Road and particularly Brisbane Road are beginning to resurface. Gary, Freddie and Junior all played pivotal roles in some of those trips (particularly again, the win at Leyton Orient) and will be able to pass on that experience to the players. The feeling after the final whistle at Orient was simply amazing and something I’ve never felt since in my time as a Hendon fan. Were we to pull off the unlikely tomorrow, I think I will be getting pretty close to similar feelings of elation. I daren’t dream of that though. Just make us proud tomorrow afternoon, don’t let us leave and not be able to hold our heads high. Good luck. And altogether now…

In Dublin’s Fair City….