There were four changes from the team which lost at Tooting the previous weekend, Craig Vargas, Jamie Busby, Rakatahr Hudson and Brian Haule coming into the team at the expense of Kevin Maclaren, Dave Diedhiou, Lubomir Guentchev and Glen Garner, respectively, the first of whom was suspended and the other three of whom were substitutes – and all came on too.

Telford are on the cusp of the Blue Square (Conference) North playoffs, looking for a third promotion in five seasons – back to where they had been prior to their reformation. And they were, in truth, a class above Hendon.

Until Telford scored their second goal, moments before half-time, when the game was still a contest, they were a yard or two faster in speed of the thought, action, reaction and anticipation, at least in the areas that mattered. Nevertheless it was disappointing for Hendon that the two goals they conceded both came from errors.

In the 11th minute, the Bucks worked an opening down the right flank. Terry Ferns dropped off the wide men and angled a run towards the penalty area without the ball. Vargas followed him, but no one from midfield went to the area Vargas had vacated.

This allowed Lee Vaughan and Liam Bukeman yards of space to work in and when Vaughan cut in off the right wing, he had time to measure and deliver a cross. Ferns’ run had continued, though Vargas did not follow him all the way. It was a pity because, when the cross reached the diminutive striker, six yards from goal, he had free header.

Berkley Lawrencin, forced to cover his near post by Vaughan’s run tried to get across his goalline, but it was to no avail as FERNS headed home, just inside the far upright.

The goalkeeper picked up an injury a couple of minutes later when he chased out of his penalty area to hack a ball clear, but was caught by Andy Brown, who was cautioned for the challenge. Although Richard Wilmot started to warm up, Lawrencin was able to continue.

Hendon enjoyed their best spell of the game midway through the half and twice came close to scoring. In the 17th minute, a corner from Charlie Mapes was headed on by Mark Kirby and the late-arriving Hudson went for too much power with his header and sent the ball screaming over the bar. More careful placement, as exhibited by Ferns a few minutes earlier, would surely have brought an equaliser.

Six minutes later, Hendon won a free-kick following a foul on Jamie Busby. It was perfectly set up for Mapes, who struck the ball beautifully. He was denied by a magnificent save from Ryan Young, who tipped the ball against the inside of the post and then got a little fortunate as the rebound caromed off his shoulder and away from the target.

Having survived a couple of scares, Telford returned to take control and for the rest of the first half never looked like finding a clear path to goal let alone having an effort that would trouble Young.

James Burgess, Marc Leach and Kirby were all responsible to last-ditch legal challenges which denied Jamie Vermiglio, Ferns, Andy Brown and Lee Moore otherwise simple goal-scoring opportunities and when a good one fell to Brown, he somehow contrived to miss it.

The decisive moment came in the last minute of the half. James Bent lost possession just inside his own half, with Moore picking up the ball. Defenders backed off and no midfielders tracked back, so Moore had a free run at the Hendon penalty area. When he got close enough to the target MOORE shot low and into the bottom corner, again leaving Lawrencin helpless.

Hendon made two changes at half-time, removing Mapes and Hudson, and replacing them with Garner and Guentchev. Telford, meanwhile, retreated into their shells and were happy to let Hendon attack them, confident that when the ball did get close to the danger areas they would be able to deal with it.

That is pretty much what happened, though Hendon did at least get a few shots on target. Both Haule and Garner forced Young into sprawling saves after 52 and 58 minutes, respectively, and Guentchev went very close with a curling free-kick four minutes later.

This was the signal for Telford to make a couple of changes, Martyn Naylor and Steve Jagielka coming on for Moore and Vermiglio, followed four minutes later by Jimmy Turner, who took over from Gavin Cowan, whose temper had already earned him a yellow card.

With time beginning to run out, Hendon changed to a more attacking formation with Harry Hunt moving forward. Unfortunately for the Greens, Garner, who had looked a threat in his 27-minute cameo, limped off after 72 minutes and Diedhiou took over.

In the 84th minute, Hunt forced Young into an excellent save and when the ball fell to Kirby, he could do little more than direct his boot at it and Young was able to scramble across his goalline to smother the shot.A minute later, Diedhiou put a shot inches wide of the post with Young beaten.

Having had this escape, Telford launched a quick counter-attack on the Hendon goal and only a raised assistant referee’s flag denied Ferns a second goal. He was astonished to see the raised flag, but Hendon escaped.

Barely a minute later, Hendon a penalty appeal for handball turned down. It seemed to be a good decision as the defender had not been able to get out of the way of a cross from Guentchev.

In the third minute of stoppage time, another similar incident resulted in a penalty, much to Telford’s displeasure and HAULE struck the ball under Young’s dive for a goal the Greens’ enterprise probably deserved. There was time only for the ball to be knocked towards the edge of the Hendon box and be returned to the halfway line when the final whistle sounded.

“It’s not often I’ve felt we were second best,” admitted manager Gary McCann, “but I thought Telford were faster in deed and thought and more committed than us. By that I mean committed to tackles. I can’t criticise my players’ commitment and effort.

“I thought Jamie Busby and James Burgess were absolutely outstanding today.”

Report by David Ballheimer. Not to be reproduced without author's prior permission.