Hendon recorded their first win away from home this season in the Ryman League Premier Division away fixture as well as their ever victory over Ramsgate as they returned from Southwood Stadium full of smiles after inflicting a 5–1 hammering on the Division’s leakiest defence on Saturday afternoon.

On loan full-back Jamie Turley, from Wycombe Wanderers, made his debut in place of the injured Jamie Busby, while Kevin Maclaren returned to the starting line-up at the expense of Lubo Guentchev who dropped to the subs’ bench. Turley had a sensational debut, causing the Ramsgate defender on his wing no end of problems with his probing runs and intelligent crosses, none of which quite led to a goal.

The conditions were far from ideal with a sodden pitch taking a battering from squally showers and a strong wind, but Hendon didn’t let the weather affect them with a superb display.

In the opening 20 minutes, apart from a wind-blown Grant Duff cross, which neither Richard Wilmot nor Steffan Ball could deal with as they would have wished – the ball was knocked out for a goal-kick by the latter – Hendon were largely untroubled, whilst failing to put any efforts on target. Both Harry Hunt and Brian Haule went close but didn’t test Danny Twyman.

The next incident of note was a caution for Andy Hadden following a foul on James Bent, which left the Hendon player limping for around five minutes before Charlie Mapes replaced him.

When Hunt did put an effort on target, Twyman pushed aside his 25-yard shot, but did not look comfortable doing so. For the remainder of the first 45 minutes, Hendon were in control and their attempts were getting closer and closer. A corner from the right wing was flicked on and Hadden cleared off the line from Parker, then a drive from Burgess went a foot wide.

In the 42nd minute another right wing corner was bundled just wide of the near post by a Rams defender. The second corner brought the opening goal. Whipped into the near post by Mapes, neither Maclaren nor his marker could touch the ball which it struck the oncoming Lee O’LEARY amidships and although the midfielder didn’t see it coming, he was still more than happy to claim the goal.

The rest of the first half saw a flurry of yellow cards. Burgess joined Maclaren on the Hendon side while Danny Walder and Ryan Royston took the tally to five.

Thankfully, the second half goals-to-cautions tally was reversed, Hendon adding four goals while Ramsgate got one of each. It took just 50-odd seconds for the lead to be doubled.

A long clearance from Wilmot was headed on by Hunt, into the path of Haule. With the increasingly desperate Jake Eastwood unable to block either the ball or Haule’s run he was out of the play as HAULE drilled the ball past the advancing Tyman.

Ramsgate’s response was immediate and very effective. Just a minute after Haule’s goal, BALL picked up the ball just outside the penalty area. He jinked left, turned right and fired a superb shot past Wilmot into the far corner. It was probably the goal of the game, scant consolation for the Rams.

Tom Tsangarides and Dan Sutton came on fro Duff and the ineffective Warren Schulz as Ramsgate tried to build on their goal while simultaneously trying to curb the raids of Turley down the right flank. On the one hand, the move worked, because Turley was less effective. On the other, it was disastrous, because the holes which opened up were straight down the middle and Hendon took full toll.

In the 59th minute, a right wing cross held up in the wind causing Twyman to clatter into Hunt as he tried to deal with the cross. Both went to ground and the ball bounced to the edge of the penalty area, where O’LEARY was waiting. His first time shot flew past the prone duo before either could get to their feet and nestled into the net.

With things getting desperate, Ramsgate made their last change, replacing Ben Laslett with the veteran Simon Pettit, but the area in need of shoring up was the defence. Hunt should have scored in a one-on-one, but Twyman made a good block, then, after Eastwood had been a shade fortunate to receive only a yellow card for pulling back Haule as he raced clear, a quick free-kick released O’Leary, who missed the chance of a hat-trick by firing into the side-netting from an acute angle.

However, a fourth goal was inevitable given the absence of defenders and it duly arrived with 15 minutes to go. A through ball from Mapes left HUNT with another mano-a-mano duel with Twyman. This time the striker he came out on top, although the keeper made a valiant effort to deny him.

Hendon’s G-men, Garner and Guentchev, replaced their H-bombers, Haule and Hunt, as the incessant pressure continued. Three more great chances went begging and Burgess nearly doubled his career goals tally with a 40-yard drive returning a poor Twyman clearance, but the ball went a couple of yards wide of the unguarded far post.

In the last minute of normal time, the three Hendon substitutes attacked, marked by a solitary defender. Guentchev passed to Garner, who drew Twyman and Eastwood to him. A scream from MAPES, begging for the ball, was answered and his side-foot was into an open goal.

Two minutes of second half stoppage time followed – this in a period which saw five goals, five substitutions, one caution and one injury, but it was mercifully brief for the home team.

Assistant manager Freddie Hyatt said, “It was a very good win. I think we grew up as a team yesterday. Ramsgate are a very physical team, but we matched them physically and mentally. We played some lovely football in very difficult conditions. Hopefully we have now turned the corner.”

(Report by David Ballheimer - not to be reproduced in any form without the author's agreement)