Hendon - missing half a dozen first-choice players - slipped out of the Isthmian League Cup on Tuesday night, losing narrowly to a Boreham Wood team that was just too strong for them.

Both teams had youngsters in goal, Hendon giving a debut to 17-year-old Laban Scott-Libby, while Boreham Wood had Callum Horton, 18, between the sticks. The Green's first-choice keeper, Richard Wilmot, although older than the two No.1s together, would not have been the oldest man on the pitch - because his former schoolmate, Mark Smith was at the heart of the visitors' defence.

In addition to Wilmot, Hendon were also missing the long-term injured Casey Maclaren and Ben Hudell, plus Rakatahr Hudson (who was on the bench), Craig Vargas and both Haule brothers. Whilst it would be fair to say that not all seven would have started, the Greens' resources were severely stretched and it meant a first start together for the Guentchev boys, Lubo and Iavor, as well as for Rob Ursell.

Elliot Onochie, recently signed from Harrow Borough, linked up well with Simon Thomas, but both players missed reasonable chances in the opening 20 minutes and Scott-Libby also made a good save to deny Luke Gregson.

One of the reasons for Hendon's success this season has been their ability to create goals even when under lots of pressure and it happened again in the 38th minute. Belal Aiteouakrim made a break through the defence and it was stopped illegally by Horton.

O'Sullivan, who went almost seven months without a goal last season and scored only four in total, took his total to eight for 2007-08 with another confident spot-kick.

If Hendon had been able to hold onto their lead until half-time the result may have been different. Instead, less than three minutes later, a pass from the left wing found an unmarked Thomas, who turned into the penalty area, moved the ball into a better shooting position and fired past Scott-Libby.

The second half saw Boreham Wood exert much more control. Hendon struggled to get out of their own half but the visitors' finishing left much to be desired. A sign of Wood's determination to finish the game in 90 minutes was their double substitution midway through the half, Chris Bangura and Tommy Williams replacing Fiston Manuella and Gregson.

Within three minutes, they had the lead. A corner from their left was curled in and Onochie rose in front of Scott-Libby to head home. The young goalkeeper needed defensive protection and didn't really get it.

The Greens made three changes trying to get back into the game, Hudson replacing the injured Iavor Guentchev, then Ivalio Dimitrov and Dean Green took over from Ursell and Dyer. Wood, meanwhile, brought on another Williams, this one teenager Ola, who went on in place of Greg Morgan.

Aiteouakrim had a good run halted by Smith, but it was not long before the tie was put beyond Hendon's reach. Seven minutes from time, the defence was carved open again and Thomas scored his second goal of the game.

If anyone thought that was the end of the game, then they haven’t been watching Hendon's matches this season. In the first minute of stoppage time, a fine run from O'Sullivan resulted in a simple pass across the penalty area and Lubo Guentchev drilled the ball into the back of the net.

Suddenly from the whole Boreham Wood team went from comfortable to worried and every Hendon attack raised the panic level. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, a long clearance was collected by Aiteouakrim. He ran past two defenders and slipped the ball past Horton. His celebration was stillborn as the referee's whistle had already gone for an offside right on the halfway line.

Aiteouakrim was convinced he had been in his own half of the pitch when the ball was played, but the assistant referee thought otherwise and his opinion counted. It was the last chance for the Greens, who had battled to the last.

"We were very short of personnel tonight," said manager Gary McCann. "We don't have the resources that other clubs do and we were down to the bare bones. Even so we were good match for a very strong side."

(Report By David Ballheimer - not to be reproduced without permission from the author)