Player of the Year Roy Butler ended the sseason in style for Hendon on Monday with the third goal in the 3-1 victory over Harrow Borough in the final of the Middlesex Charity Cup at Earlsmead, writes Fred Harris.

The goal, something a little special, was the just reward for another big-hearted performance by the king-size striker, who is noted more for his work rate than scoring.

It came nine minutes from time, when Borough, newly promoted to the Premier Division of the Berger Isthmian League, were staging a desperate fight back against a side they will be playing for league points next season.

Impressive Graeme Sewell cleared the ball deep from his own defence and Butler burst clear, successfully holding off a challenge from former Barnet utility man Derek Brown and beat Les Currell with a low shot.

Earlier charitable Borough had gifted Hendon with a ninth-minute goal to put them in line for their first senior honour of the season.

A poor clearance by skipper Roy Thomas went straight to the Hendon captain, Rod Haider, who vollied home from the the edge of the area.

Graham Stewart stretched Hendon's lead three minutes into the second half, heading home after a shot by Sewell had been blocked by Brown.

Alan Clarke, the second of Borough's two substitutes, a replacement for Ray Metz, scored for the homesters on the stroke of normal time.

During the six minutes added for stoppages - mainly because of a dog, ordered off by referee M.R. Higginson (Northwood), under the threat of the game being abandoned if he did not go - Borough's first substitute Bob Bennett was also banished.

He got his marching orders in the last few seconds after a linesman had spotted him throwing a punch at Butler.

There was another bizarre incident earlier, when Peter Sharratt, Borough's £10,000-plus-rated star, appeared to kick the stumbling Gary Hand on the head. The referee consulted a linesman and then went and spoke to Harry Manoe - who was nowhere near the incident!

Hendon, winners for the tenth time in their history, received the trophy from Bill Jenkins, chairman of Middlesex FA.