Hendon made it two wins in a row with a comprehensive demolition of Hitchin Town at Claremont Road. The 3-0 victory lifted the Greens two places up the Ryman League Premier Division table, to 8th.

The 18-day layoff allowed almost all of Hendon's injuries to clear up, although Martin Randall picked up a back injury and was unavailable. His place on the bench was taken by new signing Pat Gavin, who was joined by fit-again Dale Binns, back after 10 weeks out with an ankle injury, another new signing in Anthony Howard (from Slough Town), Dave Hunt and Dean Lindsay.

A strong, bitter wind, blowing mainly in Hendon's faces in the first half didn't help the Dons in making a quick start, but Hitchin were equally careless in possession. In the 8th minute, a clearance from Dave King bounced off Mark Burgess, a few yards in front of him, and was gathered by the goalkeeper, who could now use his hands. If it was deliberate, it was a magnificent piece of skill.

Not much else happened in the opening 18 minutes apart from appeals from Hendon for a penalty after a shot from Steve Forbes was blocked by a defender. There was no obvious outstretched hand, so it appeared any contact was incidental and accidental.

It was no surprise that the opening goal came as a result of an error. The culprit was Hitchin goalkeeper Richard Wilmot, a favourite at Claremont Road duing his brief spells with the club in 2000-01.

He attempted to hack a backpass clear, but could not get enough height or distance on the ball and it was controlled by Andy Cook 20 yards outside the Hitchin penalty area. Cook ran forward, looked to shoot from 25 yards, but suddenly found Eugene Ofori blocking his path.

COOK effectively had to beat Ofori before shooting, but his early strike had just enough power to mean Wilmot's hand on the ball was not strong enough to keep it out of the goal.

In the 23th minute, a corner from Scott Cousins was met by Ricci Crace and the ball bounced off the crossbar. The striker went to head home the rebound but found the ball taken off his head - and he almost lost that too - by a flying boot.

Another Hendon penalty appeal was turned down by referee Mr Stephen Fay when Ofori burst into the penalty area but was stopped in his tracks by an attempted challenge from Ryan Frater that caught him in the chest. A penalty kick would have been harsh; an indirect free-kick on the penalty spot would have been appropriate, but Mr Fay allowed play to continue.

Hitchin's only effort of note came after 35 minutes when the ball was teed up for Paul Abbott 5 yards outside the penalty area. He completely mishit the ball and it bobbled slowly into the arms of King.

Three minutes before half-time, a third incident in the Hitchin penalty could have resulted in a spot-kick, and Mr Fay, unfortunately, got this one completely wrong. A through ball for Ofori was slightly overhit and was bouncing into the arms of Wilmot when James Ayres body-checked Ofori 5 yards from the ball, a couple of yards inside the penalty area.

The referee was some yards behind play and probably didn't have a good view of the incident. It was an act of extreme folly by the big centre-half, who could have put his side in an insurmountable position before the break.

That situation arrived 5 minutes after half-time. Hendon had started the period very brightly and when Jon-Barrie Bates sent the ball out to Iain Duncan on the right side, he had plenty of options available.

Duncan passed the ball across the edge of the penalty. It was dummied by Ofori, then Crace was called off it by COUSINS, whose first-time strike, flew like a tracer shell into the roof of the net. Beaten goalkeeper Wilmot remarked to fans behind the goal, "It was lucky there was a net there. Without it that ball would have gone a long, long way!"

As Hendon gained in confidence, so Hitchin's sank. In the 53rd minute, a 20-yard strike from Adam Parker was blocked by a Hendon defender, 5 yards away, out for a corner. Calls for a penalty were very half-hearted and the corner came to nothing. Hitchin did not manage another shot on target in the game.

At the other end, the contest became an almost personal battle between Wilmot and Hendon attackers. And it was the tall goalkeeper who came out on top more often than not.

In the 64th minute, Mark Cooper picked out Crace in acres of space just outside the angle of the penalty area on the right side. CRACE brought down the ball with a fine first touch and despatched a magnificent shot with his next. Wilmot got a hand to the ball but could not prevent from going just inside the far post.

Bates and Ofori both were substituted in the next 5 minutes, allowing Hunt and Binns to make appearances. The latter was soon on the burst and when he tried to lob Wilmot, the goalkeeper produced a fine acrobatic save. Minutes after Howard had replaced Duncan, he too had a chance to score, but Wilmot was again equal to the shot.

Wilmot was not finished. He produced more top-drawer saves to keep out a header from Steve Butler, a shot from Crace and another from Cousins, the last being the best of a high-quality bunch.

"I thought we played well and thoroughly deserved our win today," said satisfied manager Dave Anderson. "The new signings have really freshened up our squad."