Hendon won the Middlesex Senior Cup for the 13th time (including 2 as Golders Green) with a hard-fought 4-2 victory over Northwood at Hayes on Easter Monday evening. Although play swung from end to end for long periods of the game, the quality was not great.

The hard, bumpy pitch made instant control almost impossible and both teams' eagerness to shut down the other, resulted in a harum-scarum affair. Once both teams tired as the game moved into extra time the match improved. Hendon made 3 changes from the team which defeated Boreham Wood on Good Friday, Gary McCann made way for David Hook in goal, Byron Bubb replaced Paul Yates on the right side of midfield and Mark Cooper returned to the heart of the defence, allowing Paul Towler to take Jon-Barrie Bates' place alongside Steve Forbes in the centre of midfield.

After 6 minutes, Eugene Ofori showed his pace and sprinted past Alan Hamlet. With only Paul Riordan to beat, the young striker went for a spectacular strike rather than a calculated finish and the ball sailed high over the bar.

Nine minutes later, Dale Binns was lucky to receive only a yellow card for retaliation after he was cynically taken out by David Nolan. Surprisingly Nolan was not even spoken to, the reason being Mr Alf Street, the referee, said, "the foul did not hurt the Hendon player."

In the 21st minute, a drilled cross from Binns was met by Randall at the near post, but Riordan produced a spectacular save. After this, Northwood began to get a foothold in the match, but Steve Butler and Cooper dealt with just about everything thrown at them. The ever-dangerous Lawrence Yaku was not given much service and was forced to forage for possession some way from the danger area.

Just before half-time, a shot from Forbes struck the boot of Dave Butler, the extra touch slowing it enough to allow Riordan to make another diving save.

The opening goal arrived 10 minutes into the second half. A quick corner was taken by Ofori to Binns, who crossed the ball first time. Fastest to react was RANDALL, whose header was parried by Riordan, but he could not keep the ball out.

Instead of going forward and building on this lead, Hendon sat back or were forced into more defensive positions. Hook was forced to make saves on 2 or 3 occasions and had to be quick off his line to deal with a succession of crosses.

Midway through the second half, Scott Fitzgerald replaced Gavin Hart who had struggled to make an impression. In the 75th minute, Micky Woolner was cautioned for a foul on on Yaku, who was beginning to cause problems for the Hendon defence.

Three minutes later, Woolner comitted another foul, this time near the corner flag and it cost Hendon dear. Just as with the opening goal, the kick was taken quickly and short before being delivered from a different angle. This time Chris GELL was fastest to react and he buried a header past Hook.

In the 83rd minute, Dave Butler was as lucky as Binns had been to stay on the pitch. He pushed Ofori to the ground right on the edge of the penalty area as the two raced for the ball. Butler was clearly the last man but, in Mr Street's eyes, the foul did not merit a caution. Bubb's free-kick came to nothing and it proved to be his final contribution of a disappointing evening for the normally effervescent winger. Ricci Crace became Hendon's second substitute in 5 minutes, after Bates had replaced Forbes.

The break before extra time started afforded the Hendon management team the time to change some tactics and style and it had an immediate effect. The Dons dominated the first period of extra time, but Riordan was in fine form to deny Binns and Randall with two more excellent saves.

In the 103rd minute, however, he was beaten as Hendon got a stroke of luck. A shot from Binns, following a cleared corner, fell to Steve Butler. He helped the ball on to RANDALL,who turned and fired into the net.

Less than a minute later, Randall was denied a hat-trick when a fine shot cannoned off the base of a post. The goal of the game followed seconds before the end of the first period of extra time.

CRACE picked up the ball just outside the Northwood penalty area and he went on a mazy run past three defenders before shooting low past the advancing Riordan.

That should have made the game safe for Hendon, but the Greens showed their nerves by taking the ball into corners from early in the second period of extra time. It wasn't pretty to watch and, more importantly, it didn't work.

With 5 minutes remaining, out of almost nothing YAKU conjured a goal with a superb chip over Hook. Suddenly Woods felt they were back in the game, although time was against them.

In the last minute, the final nail in the coffin was driven in Binns. With Northwood over-committed to attack, Hendon took advantage of the extra space to raid down the right wing. Randall passed across to BINNS, who was in acres of space. He waited for Riordan to commit himself before rolling the ball into the opposite corner.

"I have never lost a cup final," admitted Mr Anderson. "But I had also never won against Northwood, so something had to give."