Hendon produced an assured, clinical display as they saw off the challenge of Ryman League Premier Division strugglers Aveley at Mill Field on Monday night. The win lifted the Greens into 13th place, but left the Millers one point clear of the relegation zone and 10 away from the nearest side above them.

There were a number of changes to the Hendon line-up: the injured John Fletcher and Lee O'Leary were replaced by Michael Peacock and Kevin Maclaren, respectively, while tactical alterations saw Jonathan Coke and Greg Ngoyi start ahead of Eddie Munnelly and Danny Dyer. There was also a welcome return, albeit only to the substitutes bench, for James Parker.

The conditions were certainly not conducive to open flowing football. As the bitterly cold night progressed, the frost started to get into the pitch, making it even harder for Hendon to play their normal style.

Nonetheless, the Greens got off to the almost perfect start, scoring inside the first five minutes. Trying his luck with a 30-yard strike, Peacock's first effort was saved by Dave McCartney, but he followed up and stroked the ball into the net. It was his first goal for the club.

Aveley tried to hit back immediately, but Sherwin Stanley was unable to get his shot on target, when set up by Junior Dadson.

After Belal Aite-Ouakrim had gone close to doubling the Hendon lead, McCartney making a good save, Berkley Laurencin produced his one difficult save of the match, keeping out a drive from Charlton Athletic loan player, Tamer Tuna.

There were more chances for the Greens, but they weren't taken and the one-goal half-time lead they took to the dressing rooms was the very least they deserved. Peacock and Daniel Sintim were more than comfortable dealing with Tuna and Stanley, while Coke and Scott Cousins limited Aveley's chances down the flanks.

In front of them, Casey and Kevin Maclaren, alongside Jamie Busby dominated the midfield and this allowed Lubo Guentchev, Ngoyi and Aite-Ouakrim plenty of opportunities to ask questions of the home defence.

Just before the hour mark, a ball into the penalty area by Guentchev was perfectly weighted and angled to bamboozle the Millers rearguard. Sniffing a goal, like good strikers do, Ngoyi latched onto the ball and guided it past McCartney for his second Hendon goal in as many games.

Aveley's heads went down with the second goal and Aite-Ouakrim, on a better night, might well have bagged a hat-trick from the chances that were presented to him. The Greens made three substitutions during the half, all tactical, as the tiring Guentchev, Kevin Maclaren and Ngoyi were replaced by Munnelly, James Burgess and Brian Haule, respectively.

Stanley had Aveley's two best second-half chances, but he put one over the crossbar and the other one did not trouble Laurencin too much as he made the save.

"This was a good result and one which was much required," said a delighted Hendon manager Gary McCann.

"Overall, it was an efficient performance, not perhaps as fluent or attractive as our normal style. It was a nice, solid defensive display and I thought that Peacock, Sintim and Cousins were outstanding."