Hendon began 2011 in a most disappointing fashion, conceding three second-half goals and losing to near neighbours Harrow Borough at Vale Farm on Saturday. The fourth meeting between the two clubs of 2010-11 ended the way the three previous had, with the visitors claiming the spoils.

Although they refused to use it as an excuse, Hendon were missing seven players, of whom four would be certain starters and at least six in a full-strength 16. The Greens looked rusty and out of sorts while being outplayed by a more eager Borough team.

Casey Maclaren's suspension meant James Burgess was drafted in to play in midfield, while Danny Dyer came in for the absent Lubomir Guentchev. The other absentees were long-term injured Kevin Maclaren, Belal Aite-Ouakrim and James Parker, and neither Eddie Munnelly nor Dave Diedhiou were available.

Borough started very brightly, as is their wont, and they had two excellent chances to score in the first five minutes. First Rocky Baptiste set up Kwasi Frempong, but James Reading made a fine sprawling save to push away the on-target effort. However, the feeling was that Frempong could have angled his shot better to beat the Hendon goalkeeper.

Two minutes later, Dewayne Clarke and Baptiste combined to create an opening for Troy Hewitt which Reading was again equal to. Two more half chances went Harrow's way before Hendon had even threatened Nick Jupp's goal, but neither effort was on target.

When Hendon did finally manage an attack, they really should have scored. A superb pass from Aaron Morgan picked out Scott Cousins, whose pinpoint cross was met by Brian Haule. The tall striker had pulled away from Wayne Walters and had a free header, but he directed it a couple of yards wide of the exposed Jupp's far post.

Had Haule scored, there is a fair chance that the match would have followed the same path as the two Ryman League encounters between the clubs last season, when Hendon survived concerted early storms from Harrow before breaking the deadlock and going on to win with a little in hand. It wasn't to be.

In the 19th minute, Harrow suffered a blow as Chris King limped off with a groin injury and Kenta Nakashima came on for him. It caused a reshuffle in the Harrow team with Nakashima playing in midfield and Ryan Watts dropping in at left-back.

Nakashima was quickly in the action and two of his crosses coul have led to Harrow goals but neither Baptiste, with a header, nor Hewitt, a shot, could put their attempts on target.

The half-time whistle was greeted with some relief by the Hendon contingent because Borough had rather failed to take advantage of their domination on a gloomy afternoon. For the second half, Hendon changed their formation, sending on Glenn Garner for Danny Dyer, an untimely end to his 100th Greens appearance, but the moved failed to have the desired effect.

Six minutes into the second half, Borough forced a corner. It was curled into the penalty area and Reading tried to leap for the ball. He was impeded as he jumped then, when he got his hands to the ball, was bumped by Walters.

The ball slipped out of Reading's hands and bounced over the goalline and, to the surprise of Harrow players, officials and supporters alike, the referee awarded the goal. As disappointed as the Hendon bench were that the goal was conceded, so they were unhappy that none of the green=shirted defenders in the penalty area had made it easier for Reading to get to the ball.

Less than 60 seconds later, Hendon felt they should have been awarded a penalty when Walters, who had gone to ground following an aerial tussle with Haule, raised an arm to bring down the striker as he tried to reach a pass from Lee O'Leary. With Haule on the ground, Jupp was able to reach the ball without difficulty and the chance went begging.

After 64 minutes, Hendon did get a free-kick just outside the Harrow penalty area in a central position. Jamie Busby, making his 200th appearance for the Greens, took it, but his accuracy was found wanting and the ball sailed high over the crossbar.

Three minutes later, Harrow went two goals ahead. Frempong released Hewitt, who held off a challenge from Craig Vargas before shooting low across Reading and just inside the far post. The goalscorer had little time to celebrate because, suffering from stomach cramps, he was withdrawn and Andrew Mensah came on for him.

Hendon continued to misfire and then suffered another blow when Michael Peacock limped off, to be replaced by Barkley Miguel Panzo, the French teenager making his Ryman League debut as the Greens had again to reshuffle. Unfortunately, whatever they tried had little positive effect.

As the game entered stoppage time, Evandro Delgado replaced Baptiste, but it was little more a time-wasting tactic by Harrow. Nevertheless the substitute was able to get past Jonathan Coke to set up a chance for Mensah. Although Reading saved the shot, the ball fell to Clarke, who swept it into the net for Harrow's third goal.

"We didn't get going today," admitted disappointed Hendon manager Gary McCann. "We looked very sluggish and rusty, but I won't use the enforced break as an excuse for the performance. Our passing wasn’t good in all areas of the pitch."