Hendon gave their all in the second leg of the Bryco Cup semi-final against Canvey Island at Claremont Road on Tuesday night, but they were undone by deadly finishing from Lee Boylan to go out 6-4 on aggregate.

Although Rob Hollingdale, Paul Yates, Martin Randall, Jon-Barrie Bates and Lee Endersby were able to start the game, Paul Towler was absent with a thigh injury and Dale Binns was the latest victim of the virus affecting the club.

Kieran Gallagher and James Burgess dropped to the bench, while Lee Harvey was cup-tied. This meant that Jack Midson was forced into the emergency role of centre-back alongside Mark Cooper. Micky Woolner was also fit enough for a substitute's role and Eugene Ofori was back from Ghana.

Hendon needed to make a fast start and they did just that. In the 5th minute, a magnificent diagonal ball from Endersby curved over Ben Chenery and Ross Johnson and Ricci Crace timed his run to perfection to reach the ball. After controlling the ball, CRACE ran another 5 yards before drilling a fine shot low across Ashley Harrison into the bottom corner.

The dreams lasted 8 minutes. BOYLAN had already put one header wide of David Hook's goal, but he made no mistake with his second attempt, rising well and planting the ball inside the far post. After conceding 3 goals from dead balls, the Hendon management staff were far from happy at another goal coming from that route.

Their displeasure grew even more in the 24th minute, when the predatory BOYLAN grabbed his second goal of the evening, again losing his marker before scoring after a long throw from Ross Johnson, but this time Hendon's misfortune was compounded by Steve Forbes rolling over his ankle as he tried to deal with the danger. Although he could continue, the damage was done.

For the next 15 minutes, Hendon were at full stretch trying to keep out a rampant Canvey attack. Jeff Minton, Neil Gregory and Boylan carry a triple threat the like of which the Ryman League hasn't seen for quite a while.

Then, in the last minute of the half, Hendon were given a lifeline. Ben Chenery was put under a little pressure by Crace, so he passed back to Harrison. The goalkeeper took his eye of the ball and was undone by a bad bounce with the result that Canvey had to defend a corner.

Referee Mr B McLaren (Surrey) had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot when Kevin Dobinson tried to push his way past a Hendon player. Up stepped RANDALL and he had no trouble in sending Harrison the wrong way from the spot.

That brought to 18 the number of goals in 270 minutes of football between Hendon and Canvey Island this season. Incredibly, the number went unchanged in the second half. The Gulls were severely weakened by the removal of Lee Protheroe at the interval and Hendon had much the better of the chances after the break.

In the 47th minute, a cross from Endersby curled lazily towards the target and Harrison was equally dilatory in the way he approached the ball, which clanged off the outside of the post. However, the goalkeeper's hands would not have been high enough had the ball curled a little more and gone inside the post.

After an hour of hard work, Randall was replaced by the returning Ofori, Hendon's second change after Brazilian youngster Ricardo Alves had replaced Bates before half-time. Ofori's speed and control unsettled the rather ponderous Chenery and Johnson and, in the 72nd minute, he fired a fierce swerving shot that beat Harrison but did too much and bent past the post.

Two free-kicks on the edge of the Hendon penalty area would have been far more dangerous had Protheroe still been on the field. Instead, the first attempt was blocked and the second flew harmlessly over Hook's bar.

In the 78th minute, Alves, Crace and Yates all were close to getting shots off as the ball ping-ponged across the penalty area. It was finally cleared by a combination of Chenery and Matt Jones who collided with each other as they met the ball on the goal line.

With 5 minutes of normal time remaining, Hendon were convinced they should have had a second penalty when Yates burst into the penalty area and seemed set to get a clear shot at goal. He didn't because Craig Davidson stuck his foot out and brought down Yates. Even if the contact with Yates was minimal, with the ball it was non-existent, so it had to be a penalty. Mr McLaren admitted after the game that he was more inclined to caution Yates for simulation.

As the game moved into stoppage time, Canvey should have made the game safe, but Gregory missed a glorious opportunity.

Hendon manager Dave Anderson, back after missing the last 2 games with flu, said, "We wanted an early goal and we got it. But I was very disappointed to concede the two goals we did. We talked all about set pieces before the game."