Hendon 2-1 Beaconsfield

Hendon achieved a well-deserved victory against bottom of the league Beaconsfield on a cold rainy evening. Despite going down to ten men and going a goal down, the Greens battled on to earn a well-deserved 3 points, taking them above the relegation zone.

Hendon started well and began to dominate the play quite quickly. In the 3rd minute Kameron English forced a first of many saves from the Myles Bowman. Hendon winger Isaac Galliford appeared to open the scoring in the 12th minute, fending off a challenge from Mayowa Balogan to put the ball in the net, only for the assistant referee to award a free kick against him for the aforementioned challenge. Hendon continued to put pressure on the Beaconsfield goal, pushing numbers forward and attacking directly. In the 15th Minute, English ran through, again forcing a save and eleven minutes later saw his effort cleared off the line for returning Hendon veteran Dave Diedhiou to blast over.

Beaconsfield, however, did provide a threat. Diagonal balls from Balogan and the runs from Jon-Jo Bates, Antony Mendy and Charlie Losasso, caused problems for the Hendon defence. Despite this, it took until the 30th for Chris Grace to be called upon, again a Beaconsfield counterattack. In the last fifteen minutes of the first half Beaconsfield got more into the game, Ade Shokundi blasting the ball wide of Grace’s net in the 35th minute and a bit of Beaconsfield pressure forcing a scuffed clearance from Hendon defender Luke Tingey.

Referee Mark Stevens had had questionable game so far, awarding a foul throw against Hendon for a throw that was never taken, but the highlight of his decision making came in the 43rd minute when English collided with Balogun, going after a loose ball on right wing. The ref inconceivably awarded a red card to the Hendon forward, whilst the Beaconsfield defender didn’t even receive a yellow. The crowd’s reaction said it all. How in a 50/50 challenge does one player get sent off and the other not even get booked?

This decision appeared to be critical in the second half as it was Beaconsfield who pushed forward and created chances. Mendy in particular providing Grace with the most tests, and in the 67th minute their pressure paid off. Losasso hit a shot from the edge of the box that with a deflection, snuck past Grace, 0-1. The crowd barely had time to reflect on the red card’s influence on the goal, when Hamblin knocked in a loose ball from a header into the box to equalise. Then in the 76th minute Bowman pounces onto a loose ball only to drop it at the feet of Galliford who walks the ball into the empty Beaconsfield net 2-1. The Rams came close to equalising in the 85thminute when substitute Tyrell Mitford broke through on goal only to slip at the crucial moment. When the final whistle blew Hendon ran out 2-1 victors, a crucial 3 points that put them one place above the drop zone with a game in hand over 20th place Yate town.