Hendon rebounded from their weekend misery to inflict a 3-0 defeat on Heybridge Swifts in a performance that was every bit as good as Saturday's had been bad.

John Frendo, having completed the suspension from his time at Ware that carried over to this season, replaced James Burgess, with Mark Nicholls dropping back into midfield. From the outset the new-look formation had Heybridge at full stretch and there was a passion and verve that had been sorely lacking at Yeading.

That being said, the first half hardly went according to the script because Frendo, three times, Nicholls, twice, and Eugene Ofori all should have scored in the opening 15 minutes but the finishing failed to match the excellent approach play.

Having weathered the early storm, Heybridge began to get a toe-hold in the game. Their finishing, however, matched Hendon's for its inaccuracy.

Then, in the 37th minute, Nabil Abidaechi picked up the ball on the right wing, midway inside the Hendon half. He beat four players in a dazzling, mazy run which ended when he had only Dave King to beat. His shot had power, but was aimed straight a King, who made a comfortable save.

Offside flags ruled out an on-target strike from Nicholls and one from René Street that crashed off a post. Then, in the last seconds of the half, the post rescued Swifts as Frendo smacked a header from a Dave Nolan cross off the underside of the crossbar.

Forty seconds into the second half, King produced a brilliant save to divert a close-range effort from Carl Griffiths. Swifts players were so confident that the former Leyton Orient striker was going to score, they were already celebrating, only let out a groan of disappointment.

This disappointment became far more marked a couple of minutes later. Ofori forced Daryl Bourgeois to concede a corner. The delivery was at waist height and somehow eluded the two players at the near post. In the ensuing scramble the first Hendon shot was blocked on the edge of the six-yard box, but the rebound fell to STREET, who smashed the ball through a crowd of players into the net.

The weight of expectation magically lifted from the Hendon shoulders and they became a yard quicker and significantly sharper. In the 53rd minute, Wayne Carter fed Ofori, who beat a defender before laying a pass into the path of Dave Sargent.

Sargent's cross was drilled across the six-yard box, too high and fast for any of three oncoming Hendon forwards. Coming in yards beyond the far post, and completely unmarked, Richard McDONAGH blasted an unstoppable header just inside the angle of post and crossbar.

Midway through the second half, the result was put beyond doubt. Ofori and Nicholls combined and a short pass set up FRENDO, whose mishit shot found the bottom corner. Whether it was Frendo who got the final touch, or it was the late arriving cover, Bourgeois, was immaterial.

Sargent then came close to getting his name on the scoresheet, but he was denied by a flying save from Darren Placid.

The final 10 minutes were spent with Hendon on the defensive, where Street, Danny Butler and Mark Burgess had to work hard to preserve the clean sheet, and it was duly achieved.

"As I said a few weeks ago, we are not a poor side," said a happy manager Tony Choules. "It will take time and the fans have got to be patient. One win does not make a season, but I was very pleased with the performance."