Hendon won their latest friendly 4-1 in the rearranged visit to Northwood, their fourth win in the last five matches, but it was also just their fourth win in nine pre-season matches, with four draws and the only match lost being the opener at Boreham Wood.

Hendon named 18 players for the match, with Noel Imber and Lawrence Yaku as the only players who had yet to put pen to paper for the coming season.

Northwood fielded three starters with varying amounts of experience with Hendon, namely Ryan Wharton, who made 11 competitive appearances in 2006-07 together with 4 friendly appearances that season and four more the following season, being released both times; Aaron Silcott, who made appearances from the bench in three friendlies in 2009-10 but who never appeared in a league or cup match, and Wayne O’Sullivan, who needs no introduction.

Both teams used change strips: Northwood were in all yellow, while Hendon wore their silver and black strip.

This was certainly a match of two halves. Hendon kicked towards the cemetery end during the first half, but struggled to find any fluency, and were unable to get their passing game going, a string of five successful passes shortly before half-time being a highlight.

Northwood were certainly the better side in the first half, stringing their passes together and being much quicker to the ball. They took the lead in the 8th minute following what seemed to be a needless foul just outside the penalty area by Hendon’s defence. Imber lined the wall up, but it proved to be irrelevant as O'Sullivan curled a superb free-kick round and over the end of the wall and just inside Imber's left post. The keeper stood motionless as the ball passed him.

Seven minutes later Scott Raper was injured in a challenge with Aaron Morgan, and was helped off. He was replaced by Peter Lyall. A few minutes later Wharton also needed treatment, but he was able to continue.

Northwood kept on the offensive for the rest of the first half, but failed to take several chances to increase their lead. Hendon only began to show anything in the last few minutes of the half.

The best performances in the first half came from the three ex-Hendon players, together with Northwood's striker, Oliver Hawkins, who caused the Greens' defence a number of problems.

The management team must have read the riot act during half-time, as Hendon performed much better in the second half, though it took the best part of ten minutes before they started to take control. The only change at half-time saw Casey Maclaren replacing Morgan with Carl McCluskey moving from right to left in midfield. Within the first five minutes Yaku had shot just wide and McCluskey headed about a yard wide from a free-kick; these efforts were much closer than anything achieved in the first half.

After 55 minutes Hendon had their equaliser. An attack developed down the right, and two passes inside gave Busby the chance to drill one of his 20-yard specials past Tony Russell in the Northwood goal. At this stage Northwood could feel that they should have been ahead rather than level, and most people in the ground would probably have agreed with them.

However from here Hendon took control, with numerous attacks pulling Northwood's defence this way and that. One cross-cum-shot from way out on the left beat Russell but also beat the far post - just.

Ten minutes after equalising, Hendon were ahead. An attack down the left saw Cousins play a one-two with a colleague, the final pass leaving him clear to lash in Hendon’s second. It was Cousins' first goal since the last match of the 2009-10 season.

Northwood's manager, Gary Meakin, promptly took off Hawkins and O’Sullivan, replacing them with Romaine Walker and Richard Worrell. However hard the substitutes tried, they were unable to make the impression on Michael Peacock and Elliott Brathwaite that Hawkins and O'Sullivan had done.

After 72 minutes Hendon increased their lead. A cross from the right from Casey Maclaren was met at the far post by Elliott Godfrey, who had to dive forward slightly to head home.

At this stage Hendon had still only made the one substitution. In the remaining 18 minutes they made 7, the final one coming when McCluskey returned to replace Godfrey, who had taken a knock.

Hendon's final goal came five minutes from time through two mistakes. Liam Hind, who had replaced James Fisher six minutes earlier, lobbed the ball forward for the attackers to chase but badly overhit it. Russell was close to his goal line, and had an easy overhead catch. However he muffed it and dropped the ball over his head and over the line. Had Russell not intervened, the ball would have dropped into the net anyway. Hind seemed to be suitably embarrassed that his error had turned out so well.

Hendon played out the last five minutes comfortably to secure a win that was not achieved as easily as the scoreline might suggest.

Greens boss Gary McCann was pleased with the improved display aftet the break saying, "I was very unhappy with the way that we played in the first half. We did not pass well and allowed them to dictate.

"We did get better in the last ten minutes of the half, but we gave the players a roasting in the dressing. I told them I was looking at this friendly and Saturday's as being the first two games of the League season.

"I thought we were much better in the second half and we scored three excellent goals. Elliot Godfrey was excellent and deserved his goal."