Hendon suffered a sixth straight Ryman League Premier Division defeat as Maidstone United scored an 88th-minute winner at Bourne Park, Sittingbourne. It was no more than the Stones deserved as they totally dominated the last half hour.

The return of Lee O'Leary - after spells with AFC Wimbledon and Wealdstone - was more than offset by the continued injury absences of Jamie Busby and Rakatahr Hudson, plus those of Richard Wilmot and Belal Aiteouakrim, the latter of whom was limited to a cameo appearance off the bench.

By their own admission, there are few grounds less appealing than that of Sittingbourne on a cold, windswept afternoon. Only the bright sunshine kept the temperature at an acceptable level, although it was forecast to drop well below freezing overnight. Add in a surprisingly hard, bumpy pitch and you had the makings of an unedifying contest.

Credit Hendon, then, for at least trying to play football in the first half, when the wind was at their backs. Apart from conceding needless free-kicks around their penalty area, which led to Maidstone's opening goal, Hendon were not unduly troubled. Early attacks offered promise against a defence that was decidedly edgy.

In the 17th minute, a deep, floated cross from Lubo Guentchev found the head of a diving Sam Collins, but he could not direct the ball on target. Davis Haule then struck the outside of a post with a shot from an acute angle and a shot from distance flew just past the angle of post and crossbar.

However, it was Maidstone who took the lead early in the 33rd minute. A set-piece wasn't cleared and when the ball came out to the edge of the penalty area, Andy Pugh struck a drive that appeared to deceive Luke Blackmore on its way into the net.

Within 50 seconds, Hendon were level, Brian Haule was too strong for Ben Lewis and his low cross was bundled into the net by the late arriving O'Leary. It was the sort of finish Hendon have been missing since Wayne O'Sullivan moved to Stevenage.

For the next dozen minutes, Hendon were in complete control. Playing with confidence and verve, the Greens left the Maidstone defence with no idea which way to turn. Brian Haule was stopped by a last-gasp challenge from Lee Shearer, Davis Haule was cynically obstructed off the ball by Lewis, making an astute through ball from Guentchev look bad, and a flying amber shot blocked a goalbound effort from Marc Leach.

It delayed the inevitable until the 41st minute. Brian Haule got around the back of the defence again and his low ball went over the line after mistouches from both goalkeeper Steve Northwood and Lewis.

In first-half stoppage time, Hendon almost had a third goal when Brian Haule headed a Guentchev corner past Northwood, but Craig Roser stayed on the post and was able to head the ball off the goalline.

It was the same story at the start of the second half, with Hendon pressing and looking likely to score every time they reached the edge of the penalty area. Sadly, the killer touch was missing and it proved so costly in the end.

In the 53rd minute, Maidstone's defence was again ripped apart and Brian Haule had a relatively simple chance to make it 3-1. It would almost certainly have ended the game as a contest, but Haule lifted the ball over the target and the miss gave Maidstone renewed hope.

Imperceptibly at first, then quite noticeably, Hendon started playing deeper and deeper. Davis Haule found himself nearer to his own penalty area than Maidstone's and the Greens could not get the ball far enough downfield for the defence to get a breather.

The initiative was now completely with Maidstone and Blackmore made a couple of fine saves from long-range efforts. When the ball came in from either wing, it seemed that Maidstone head would either reach it and put the ball just wide or narrowly miss when contact would have certainly resulted in a goal.

It was inevitable now that Hendon's luck could not hold and when Jacob Erskine fired a tracer shell just inside Blackmore's right post a few inches under the crossbar, Maidstone were deservedly level.

The Stones brought on a couple of substitutes, Lynden Rowland to add physical presence inside the penalty area and Aaron Lacy - it appeared - solely to launch throw-ins that reached head height around the near post. Hendon countered by withdrawing Collins and Davis Haule, replacing them with James Burgess, who was left in a wide left role, and Danny Dyer, who took on Haule's role as a supplementary defender.

It became a matter of whether Hendon could hold out for a point - any hopes of winning seemingly having vanished half an hour earlier. The answer was no and the route of victory came from a Lacy throw, a flick on and Rowland bundling the ball over the line from close range. The clock showed almost 88 minutes.

Out of desperation, Aiteouakrim replaced Brian Haule, who was clearly spent. He had one shot which was blocked by a defender, but Maidstone had been doing that all afternoon.

In stoppage time, Dyer tried his luck. The ball looped off a defender and floated invitingly towards Guentchev. As had been the case on a number of occasions, the ball took just too long to drop, so Guentchev went for the spectacular scissors-kick volley. His contact was good, but it went straight to Northwood, who gathered the ball gratefully.

"I am really disappointed with the way we lost the game," said manager Gary McCann. "Our confidence is ebbing out of us and it was so evident to see.

"We tried to play football, but the conditions were not easy and then we had too many players who took the wrong option when they were in good positions."

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