The first team were left rueing a lack of quality in the final third at both ends of the pitch after going down to a 4-1 defeat at Billericay Town.

Whilst the scoreline doesn't reflect the fact that the Greens had plenty of possession and played some very good football, it does reflect the fact that Billericay took their chances when they came along, and were defensively more secure than Hendon.

Before Rob Swaine gave the hosts the lead in the 12th minute, the Greens had had a couple of very good chances, but found keeper Alan Julian in fine form as he made some excellent saves. Billy Bricknell then scored twice to put Billericay in control of the game by the half hour mark, before Arthur Lee had a goal disallowed for a foul on Julian.

Billericay extended their lead further in the 66th minute through Adam Cunnington, before Marcel Barrington slammed a rebound home after Julian had made another good save from a Reis Stanislaus shot.

As the game continued to its end, it was the Greens who had more possession but they were unable to turn it into goals, and ultimately that is what counts, not just good effort and workrate.

The result means that a really good run of victories is now needed to give any chance of surviving relegation, starting next weekend with a tough test against Leiston.