Hendon’s FA Trophy dreams were ended in clinical fashion by Kingstonian at Kingsmeadow on Saturday afternoon. The final score of 4–2 suggests it was an exciting game but, in truth, Hendon were playing catch-up in the first half and were effectively out of the tie with more than 35 minutes to go.

Injuries, illness, suspensions and family issues meant that half a dozen players weren’t available, but Wes Daly and Scott Cousins were recalled at the expense of Lubomir Guentchev, who dropped to the bench, and the banned Wayne O’Sullivan. However, neither James Burgess, flu, nor Yacine Hamada, family, were in contention.

In the second minute, Peter Dean brought Luke Gerrard to his knees with a shot from 20 yards, while James Reading did well to thwart Bobby Traynor in a one-on-one three minutes later.

The Hendon marking, which was poor throughout the game, was caught out fatally in the ninth minute when a diagonal ball from Simon Huckle evaded James Parker and Pat O’Donnell, but landed at the feet of the unattended TRAYNOR, level with the far post. He had plenty of time to control the ball before shooting past Reading to give the Ks the lead.

Within two minutes a drive from Daly, following a half-cleared corner, was superbly tipped over the bar by Garrard as Hendon searched for a quick equaliser. That, however, proved to be just about the on-target attempt the Greens fashioned as Kingstonian gradually took control of the first half.

Danny Dyer had a torrid afternoon trying to deal with Lodge and earned a caution after 36 minutes. By this time Reading had made good saves to deny Carl Wilson-Denis, Traynor, again, and Lodge, while other efforts had gone just off target. At the other end a shot from Scott Cousins flew narrowly wide, while James Bent fired into the side-netting from an acute angle.

Hendon reshuffled the pack in the second half, bringing on Casey Maclaren in an advanced midfield role, while Dave Diedhiou and Bent were given more defensive tasks, but the Greens’ task went from difficult to highly improbable in the first 10 minutes after the resumption.

A left-wing cross from Bashir Alimi brought the second goal, in the 50th minute. Once again, no Green shirt was able to get even a touch on the ball as it went beyond the far post. Arriving late and uncontested was Matt GRAY, and although it appeared his shot was not hit cleanly, it found the side-netting just inside the post.

Three minutes later, Kingstonian had to make a change when John Fletcher, whose foul had given Hendon their stoppage-time match-winning penalty in the FA Cup five weeks earlier, went off to be replaced by Lee Hall. It took just two minutes for the Ks to extend their lead though. A quick throw-in from Gray released WILSON-DENIS and he made no mistake with a precise finish.

The Greens now had more than a mountain to climb, but they were in a quandary as to how they were going to get goals. They couldn’t risk all-out attack, because Wilson-Denis and Traynor, prompted by Lodge, Alimi and Huckle, continued to look dangerous every time they went forward.

Traynor had a loud penalty appeal turned down by the referee, who ruled that Reading had just got to the ball before making contact with the striker.

Midway through the second half, Hendon introduced Glenn Garner and Lubo Guentchev as Dean and O’Donnell were sacrificed.

Hendon’s frustration boiled over when Cousins was shouldered in the chest by Gray as he shielded a stationary ball near the corner flag. Cousins was surprised and angry at being penalised, with his spectacular launching of the ball into the roof of the covered terracing behind the goal earning him a yellow card.

Having wrought havoc for 75 minutes, Kingstonian replaced Lodge with Lewis Cook and, released from more defensive duties, Hendon finally made strides forward. Almost immediately a pile-driver from Garner was tipped over the bar by Garrard, easily Hendon’s best attempt for more than half an hour.

In the 80th minute a delicate chip forward by Daly was met with an equally deft lobbed header by GUENTCHEV, who cleared the exposed Garrard and the ball bounced into the unguarded net.

Garner nearly had a clear run at goal two minutes later, but the ball didn’t quite bounce for him and Hustwick was able to get back and do enough to deny him a clear sight of goal. A second Hendon goal at that stage would have set up a grandstand finish. It wasn’t to be and, instead, it was Ks who killed off the tie in the first minute of stoppage time.

Over-committed to attack, Hendon left gaps at the back and JOLLEY made it 4–1 after Reading had saved from Mo Harkin. Even that wasn’t the end of the scoring though, because in the last minute of added time BENT scored with a fine curling drive from 22 yards.

Hendon manager Gary McCann didn’t hold back when he said, “Defensively we were awful. I don’t think we dealt with their two forwards all afternoon. Conceding goals that opponents don’t have to work too hard for has been the bane of our season.

“I am very disappointed to go out of the Trophy today, but we didn’t deserve anything with the way that we defended. I am looking to bring in some new players both in defence and in central striking positions.”

Kingstonian coach Martin Tyler said, “We were very good in the first 15 minutes of both halves, but as is very common with non-league footballers we went off the boil after that.”