Hendon continued their good start to the season with a 2-1 win at Harrow Borough on Bank Holiday Monday. The result means that the Greens have not lost at Earlsmead in their last 8 games there.

Casey Maclaren made his first start for the club, whilst Rakatahr Hudson returned to the starting line up for the first time this season. Belal Aiteouakrim and Lubo Guentchev moved to the bench.

The normally excellent pitch at Earlsmead was very disappointing as it was heavily over-grassed, and the surface made it difficult for Hendon to play their natural game.

Harrow, who are probably more used to the pitch, too the initiative, but they were badly let down by the quality of their shooting. In the first half Richard Wilmot, who was the busier keeper in the first period, only had two saves to make, including a smart move off his line to smother a shot by Neville Roach.

Hendon did have pressure of their own, with Hudson heading narrowly wide from a corner, whilst Wayne O'Sullivan fired into the side netting.

In the 36th minute Hendon were awarded a penalty that seemed dubious to many watching behind the goal. Harrow's keeper Josh Lennie and O'Sullivan collided just inside the penalty area, and although it appeared that Lennie got a touch to the ball, the referee gave a penalty. O'Sullivan stepped up to confidently convert the spot kick. Two minutes later the Greens had a penalty shout turned down when Brian Haule appeared to be pushed in the box.

Harrow came out positively in the second half, and in the 53rd minute were awarded a penalty of their own when the referee ruled that Davis Haule had handled the ball. Young forward Kyle Matthews stepped forward and fired the spot kick into the bottom right corner to equalise for the home side.

Both sides had a number of chances, with Brian Haule coming close when he had a shot cleared off the line by Wayne Walters. Meanwhile Harrow hit the post and also had another penalty shout turned down.

In the 72nd minute, Hudson took control of the ball on the 18 yard line and bulldozed his way towards goal, evading at least three challenges from Harrow defenders and slid the ball into the net from close range.

As the game moved into stoppage time, Richard Wilmot secured the points for the Greens with a superb double-save, first saving a drive from Roach and then a shot from Elliot Onochie.

The result means that the Greens moved up to second place in the embryonic league table.

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