Hendon's hopes of entering the Ryman League Playoffs were dashed as Wealdstone completed a 2-1 victory at a very sunny but windy Claremont Road on Saturday afternoon and thus did the double over the Greens. In the end, this magnificent Centenary season has ended just a little short.

The Greens' long injury list grew longer in the prematch warm-up as James Parker limped out and Rakatahr Hudson, previously a barely-fit substitute, was forced into starting duty. It also caused a reshuffle with Danny Dyer dropping in to right-back, with Hudson further forward in midfield. In fact, of the 17 players named on the teamsheets, probably no more than seven would have been considered fit enough to start given a larger squad.

Going into the game, Hendon knew that a win would almost certainly guarantee a playoff place - Ramsgate had to win by five more goals than the Greens - and there was nearly a dream start.

In the third minute, Davis Haule flicked on a ball from Lubo Guentchev across the edge of the six-yard box and it fell to Belal Aiteouakrim. The ball was dipping so Aiteouakrim elected a spectacular volley over a header and he made perfect contact. Hendon cheers were stilled in the throats of the fans as Carl Martin threw himself in front of the goalbound effort and the ball went out for corner.

Jamie Busby's delivery was perfect for the onrushing Hudson, who had a free header. Unfortunately he could not keep his effort down and the ball sailed over the crossbar. An early goal would have soothed the nerves perfectly, but it was not to be.

For the first time in more than six months, Hendon found themselves on a rock-hard pitch and the strong wind, in their faces in the first half, made control very difficult. Wealdstone gradually began to take a grip of the game and Dean Papali was proving a handful for both Sam Page and Marc Leach. He twice fired wide from good positions as the first half progressed.

Hendon's injury problems continued after 35 minutes, when Davis Haule went down. His hamstring, damaged in the London Senior Cup Final against Tooting & Mitcham United on Tuesday night, had not recovered anywhere near enough and Davis had to be helped off the pitch, to be replaced by brother Brian.

A fine save from Richard Wilmot in the 40th minute denied James Gray a goal. The goalkeeper could not hold the shot and both Peter Dean and Papali came charging in to knock home the rebound. Wilmot recovered just in time, but the two forwards were stopped by the referee's whistle as he saw his assistant flagging for offside.

Two minutes before half-time, Keita Karamoko produced an even better stop to keep out a drive from Jack Page. He was at full stretch to push the ball against a post and away to safety as the 18-year-old looked to score his first home goal.

Wealdstone started off the second half in much more determined mood and Wilmot turned back the years with a brilliant stop to deny Gray after Papali had fired wastefully wide.

It was no surprise when Wealdstone took the lead, though the source was unexpected. A free-kick was taken with the ball still rolling and the referee insisted not only on it being stationary, but also on the correct spot. When the ball was finally floated towards the penalty area, the referee blew his whistle again, penalising Jack Page for fouling Dean. The pair had been jostling as the ball was being respotted and the official had told the players to stop.

Papali stepped up and although Wilmot guessed correctly, diving to his right, the striker lifted the ball just enough that the Hendon stopper could not keep it out of the net.

With the news coming from Ramsgate that they were already three goals to the good, things looked bleak for Hendon. But this team is nothing if not resilient and they never stopped battling to get back into the game.

The capricious wind didn't help them as what had, for the past six months, been perfectly weighted passes suddenly became ballooned balls that were unreachable. One pass in particular, to Jack Page, bounced two yards in front of him and has he turned to control the ball, it was suddenly two metres in the air and a similar distance in front of him, bouncing unfettered towards the touchline.

When Hendon did get it better, luck was not with them. Sam Page hit the outside of a post, Leach had a shot saved and Lubo Guentchev watched a shot flash past Karamoko and the far post.

It was far from one-way traffic and, if anything, Wealdstone looked the more dangerous when they launched quick counter-attacks. After 61 minutes, James Burgess made a superb block to stop Dean as he ran onto a pass from Dean Cracknell.

Both teams made their remaining changes, Iavor Guentchev and Ben Hudell replacing the exhausted Busby and Hudson, respectively. Wealdstone removed Gray and Graeme Montgomey, in favour of Ben Clarke and debutant Nick Salapatas.

And it was the youngster, who struck the decisive blow with seven minutes of normal time left on the clock. Hendon committed too many men forward in attack and Dean attacked down the Wealdstone right. He didn't shoot, opting instead to roll the ball across the penalty area into the path of Salapatas, whose first-time strike flew past Wilmot, crashed against the inside of the post and into the net.

Amazingly Hendon continued to press and they got the goal their efforts so richly deserved in the 90th minute. Aiteouakrim ran onto a through ball from Iavor Guentchev, took it past Karamoko and squeezed it into the net from an acute angle.

In the second minute of stoppage time, Iavor Guentchev fired narrowly over. If that had gone in, the final five minutes of stoppage time at the end of the season might just have been the most exciting spell of the whole nine months. But it wasn't to be.

"I can't praise the players enough," said manager Gary McCann - himself and his coaching staff of Freddie Hyatt, Bontcho Guentchev and physio Mark Findlay due the very highest of acclamation. "We had seven fit players in 17 we named today and they simply had nothing left to give. But they still battled on to the very end. I am so proud of them."