Hendon fell just short today against league leaders Weston-super-Mare. Despite a well fought out and largely even game, which saw both sides enjoy periods of pressure, an 87-minute winner from midfielder James Dodd saw the Greens suffer their 15th defeat of the season.
The game kicked off and saw Weston on the attack immediately, Hendon’s back line remained very narrow to ensure that the away side’s wing play came to very little. Dave Diedhou, in particular, starred in Hendon’s back line, keeping Oliver Mehew at bay. On the other hand, Weston seemed ever vulnerable to Hendon’s long ball counter attacks. Despite this the Greens were nearly down after five minutes when Mehew was put through one on one with Al Droubi, who managed to put off the striker sufficiently, so that his eventual effort, which was deflected, was cleared off the line.
A minute later, Hendon’s first attack resulted in the first goal of the game, a strong throw in sent centre forward Joseph White at the Weston back line, his cross into the box finding winger Niko Muir-Merchant who cooly opened the scoring for the home team. Despite the goal the pattern remained the same, Weston building up play through slick passing and runs down the flanks, and Hendon exploiting the gaps left at the back with fluid, precise counterattacks.
It was, however, a Weston counter attack that resulted in the equaliser, a defence splitting pass finding Mehew clean through. Drawing the two Hendon defenders, he squared the ball to Elis Watts who slotted the ball into the left corner. 1-1 and not even ten minutes gone, a sure sign of things to come. Both sides continued to enjoy periods of dominance, though Hendon began to establish themselves more as the half went on enjoying greater possession than the had recently and dealing effectively with Weston’s wing play. Though the home team nearly went down in the 24th minute. Weston cross comes in to the waiting striker, who under pressure from Hendon’s centre backs, back heeled it to Watts when another tackle causes the ball to bounce off of his knee and just wide of the post.
The first half continued to be an end-to-end affair. The 34th minute seeing the best chance of the game; Joseph White volleying a cross against Weston’s bar and the ball bouncing down and out off of the goal line. Against calls of goal and claims of the ball having crossed the line, the referee waved play on.
Diedhiou continued to show his defensive prowess with a magnificent double tackle to halt a rapid Weston counter attack. Mehew again running clean through, and again hesitating, and Diedhiou with a perfectly timed sliding tackle from behind, to nick the ball from Mehew’s feet. The danger wasn’t over with Marlon Jackson following up, only for Diedhiou to come up trumps again with another goal saving tackle, and not the last he would make. At half time the scores were one all and despite an early period of possessional dominance from the visitors, Hendon were emerging the marginally better side.
The second half saw neither team really able to get a handle of the ball, or really able to create many chances. Hendon initially pushing forward, putting Gordon through with a chance restore Hendon’s lead. His effort going wide of Purnell’s post. A counter attack saw the first of several contentious decisions that would sour both teams against the officials. Weston captain Dayle Grubb, himself on a booking, was seemingly brough down near the halfway line only for the ref to wave play on. Neither team happy with the decision, with Weston crying for a foul, and Hendon crying for a booking for diving.
In the 58th minute the deadlock was broken, a great covering run by Lucas Perry halting Mehew’s run down the wing. The resulting corner from Grubb found James Dodd who headed the ball over Al Droubi into the net.
Hendon nearly equalised just a minute later; Muir-Merchant turning his man on the edge of the box and smacking the ball against the Weston crossbar. Four minutes later, the equaliser did come. Liam brooks drifted in from the left wing unchallenged to slot the ball into Purnell’s left corner.
2-2 and Hendon were well worth the result, watching the game as a casual observer, you’d be forgiven for not guessing that one team was fighting at the top of the Southern League while the other was fighting at the bottom. However, unlike the first half where the balance of dominance swung from one team to the other, now neither was really able to get a foothold in the game. The shouting at the officials by both teams and benches being the greatest thing of note.
That was until the 76th minute when a cross from Weston’s wing found Marlon Jackson, who volleyed it against the bar. Smelling blood, Weston surged forward and for the first time since the first half, Hendon were pegged back. A valiant defensive display from Hendon wasn’t enough in the end as Dodd once again proved a thorn. Given space of the edge of the box, he slotted home Weston’s winner in the 87th minute. Hendon were unable to stage a late rally, despite Shaun Lucien coming on to add another attacking option, the Weston line stayed firm. Hendon could not get through and on top of that they were vulnerable to the counter.
The score remained 3-2 and Hendon coach Lee Allinson’s full-time profanity said it all. The Greens had played so well and come so close, but just fell short in the dying moments. Now they must dust themselves off and be ready for their trip to Bracknell Town. Despite the loss, the performance was encouraging.
Hendon
1
Hafed Al-Droubi
2
Josh Dawodu
3
Lucas Perry
4
Arthur Iontton
5
Dave Diedhiou
6
Keano Robinson
7
Liam Brooks
8
Solomon Sambou
9
Joe White
10
Niko Muir
11
Rohdell Gordon
12
Tom Jackson
15
Giovanni Palmer
16
Frank Keita
17
Shaun Lucien
18
Hamilton Antonio
Weston-super-Mare
1
Luke Parnell
2
Jason Pope
3
Scott Laird
4
Jacob Cane
5
Lloyd Humphries
6
Samuel Avery
7
Oliver Mehew
8
James Dodd
9
Marlon Jackson
10
Dayle Grubb
11
Elis Watts
12
Jordan Bastin
14
Jay Murray
15
Noah Coppin
16
Kieran Thomas
17
Nathaniel Williams