Hendon gave Ryman League Premier Division leaders Margate everything they could handle, and more, for 65 minutes at Hartsdown Park on Saturday afternoon, but eventually succumbed to a 4-1 defeat. Certainly a neutral would not have known which team was battling for the title and which was fighting relegation until the Gate nicked their second goal 19 minutes from time.

The Greens welcomed back Marc Leach, who replaced Jazz Rose in defence, while Belal Aiteouakrim came back into the starting 11 at the expense of Jamie Busby. Dean Green was the only experienced player on the bench - in stark contrast to Margate, who had three players, Charlie Mitten, Jay Saunders and Justin Skinner, who had played more than 1,000 games between at this level and above.

As has so often been the case, Hendon started brightly and had Margate defending uncomfortably in the early stages. A shot from Jon Munday after nine minutes needed a brilliant save from Scott Chalmers-Stevens to keep the game scoreless. However, this time, Hendon were able to turn the pressure into something tangible.

A goalmouth scramble had already been dealt with unconvincingly by the home defence when a clumsy challenge by Dean Standen on Lee O'Leary brought a free-kick 25 yards out. Leach stepped up and curled the ball, with pace, around the wall and just inside the far post with Chalmers-Stevens little more than a spectator.

Margate prefer to attack on the counter, and Hendon had to be wary about over-committing to attack when they went forward. They nearly paid dearly for this when Danny Hockton fired wide from a great position after Lee Protheroe had picked out his run from 40 yards away.

The lesson wasn't learned and in the 36th minute, Hockton levelled things up from close range after a quick raid down the left flank. The Ryman League golden boot winner for November could have wrapped up the December title on the day had he taken all the chances he was presented with on this day, but had to satisfy himself with just a couple by the final whistle.

Hendon continued to play enterprisingly but the final touch was just lacking in front of goal or the effort on target lacked the power to beat Chalmers-Stevens. An indication of Margate's dissatisfaction with the way things were going was the double substitution they made after 50 minutes, withdrawing Standen and Paul Abbott in favour of Skinner and Saunders, respectively.

The game turned in the 71st minute, by which time Margate had already contrived to hit the underside of the Hendon crossbar from about five yards' range. Protheroe, who has scored against Hendon for Yeading, Aldershot, Canvey Island and Margate continued his prolific form against the Greens, albeit somewhat fortunately. His shot from 25 yards bounced in front of Richard Wilmot, whose dive was made to look bad by the unkind bounce that took the ball away from him and into the net.

It was always going to be difficult for Hendon to get back into the game from here, especially as they lost both Brian Haule and Aiteouakrim to injuries. Neither Green nor Takumi Ake were able to get any change from Hendon man Pat Sappleton or player-manager Robin Trott.

Instead, another former Greens star Steve McKimm, playing his first game against his old club in nine seasons, fired home a shot after 85 minutes and, in the second minute of stoppage time, Hockton converted a penalty.

Those two goals made something of a mockery of what had been a closely contested contest for more than two-thirds of its duration. There is no doubt that the Gate deserved their victory, but even Protheroe admitted, "You outplayed us for about 65 minutes and didn't deserve that final score."