Hendon had three players making their first-team debuts for the club during Tuesday night's Bryco (Ryman League) Cup tie against Staines Town. Noel Staiano, Arkali Evren and Tafazzul Islam all played roles in the 4-2 victory. Staiano has, as mentioned on Friday, already moved on. An American with an Italian passport, he gained international clearance through EU regulations, and impressed in a few games for the Reserves, so was given a chance on Tuesday night. His request for a contract could not be met and Heybridge Swifts were quick to come in to meet his demands, so he made his debut at Scraley Road on Saturday as they lost 4-2 to Basingstoke.

The other two youngsters were registered for Hendon after the club was recommended to them by an Arsenal scout. The Premiership champions had Evren and Islam in their Academy set-up but released them recently. They will gain further experience in the Reserves over the coming weeks. By a strange coincidence, the teenagers share the same birthday - 25th December - although one is a year older than the other.