Hendon recorded their third 6-goal away haul in the Ryman League Premier Division when Heybridge Swifts were demolished 6-1 at Scraley Road on Saturday afternoon. As a result, Hendon rose 4 places in the table, up to 16th.

In truth, Heybridge were more than fortunate to lose by only 5 goals. If Byron Bubb, Dale Binns and Paul Towler had all taken their good chances, they could have completed hat-tricks and Martin Randall and Eugene Ofori would have finished with at least 5 each.

Much of the credit for the performance must be laid at the door of Dons boss Dave Anderson. On a good, firm surface, he decided to use both Binns and Bubb in wide positions and the Heybridge defence was ripped to shreds. Paul Towler partnered Steve Forbes in the middle of the park, behind the front pair of Randall and Ofori, while Simon Clarke and Micky Woolner were given licence to go forward from full-back. The increasingly dominant centre-back duo of Steve Butler and Mark Cooper were again in top form, giving David Hook an easy afternoon in goal.

This Heybridge team was by no means a team of callow youths or players out of their depth. The two most tormented defenders, Mark Cranfield and John Pollard, have made over 700 appearances for Swifts, while most of the rest of the line-up had at least a season of experience of playing at this level.

Four goals from 11 good opportunities is a very good return from a single game, but this was the sum of Hendon's first half exploits. Even before the opening goal, in the 17th minute, Hendon could have been 4-0 up and should have scored three times.

In the first minute, Bubb curled a free-kick into the arms of Matt Greenley. Less than 60 seconds later, a great cross from Ofori found an unmarked Randall 8 yards out. Going for too much accuracy Randall put the ball a couple of yards wide. Two minutes later, Randall put Ofori through, but he shot just wide.

In the 11th minute, Ofori produced a piece of ball control that was technically more difficult than anything either Dennis Bergkamp or Robert Pires have displayed in televised matches. He received a pass from Forbes on the edge of the penalty area and had 2 defenders at his back. Ofori flicked the ball up to his knee, then over his head, sprinted around the 2 bemused defenders and faced Greenley, only to shoot wide of the target.

In the 17th minute, Butler chipped a ball over an approaching Heybridge midfielder and released Binns, who raced down the left flank. His inch-perfect curling cross was just so far away for Greenley to go for, but ideal for the onrushing RANDALL who side-footed the ball into the roof of the net.

Three minutes later, Randall was offside in the middle of the penalty area as Binns, from the left side, played a short diagonal pass into the path of Ofori, who fired into the net. There is no doubt that Randall was in an offside position, but whether he was in an active or passive position is another matter.

Hendon's next noteworthy chance fell to Bubb. After 25 minutes, the former Millwall man danced through a pair of lunging tackles and found himself with a clear sight of goal. He tried to shoot inside Greenley's near post, but the goalkeeper made an athletic save. However, if he had laid a square pass across the 6-yard box, either Randall or Ofori would have had a tap-in for No. 2.

It delayed the inevitable for all of 3 minutes. Clearing a defensive corner from the right-back position, Bubb played a 40 yard pass to Randall in the centre circle. He quickly sent the ball out to the left wing, where Binns had left all the Swifts defenders trailing in his wake. Binns tried to lob the ball over Greenley as the keeper came off his line, but Greenley was able to get a hand on it. The ball may have bounced into the net, but OFORI made certain with a header from 3 or 4 yards as Pollard vainly tried to get back.

Pollard came desperately close to scoring a spectacular own goal when Ofori tried his luck with a long-range lob. The defender's clearing header went barely 6 inches over his crossbar as ran back to cover the danger.

Goal No. 3 arrived after 40 minutes and, for once, there was no spectacular build-up. A corner from Bubb bounced at Randall's feet. The mesmerised Heybridge defence, Greenley excluded, watched as the striker turned and rifled a shot into the roof of the net as the goalkeeper tried to smother the ball.

The most spectacular goal of the game arrive in stoppage time at the end of the half. Bubb appeared on the left side of the field and was allowed to run the with ball. Spotting Greenley slow to move across his goal, BUBB unleashed a 30-yard pile-driver into the top corner.

Heybridge brought on Andy Parkinson and former Hendon striker Dominic Gentle, for Sean Caton - ruining his 100th Swifts appearance - and Josh Leeke, respectively, at half-time in a damage-limitation exercise, but it did not have the desired effect. Within 7 minutes, the lead had been extended.

Forbes found Ofori in acres of space 30 yards from the Heybridge goal. Ofori timed his pass to perfection to release Randall in a one-on-one with Greenley. It was a no contest as RANDALL knocked the ball through Greenley's legs to complete a memorable hat-trick.

It was Forbes' final contribution to the game as he gave way to Paul Yates. Ofori joined him on the bench 9 minutes later, with Ricci Crace coming on - but not until he had fired wide of an open goal after knocking the ball beyond Greenley

Binns, who in the first half had made an 80 yard sprint from deep inside his own penalty area to the edge of the Heybridge box before letting off a tired shot, produced a moment of exceptional skill in the 65th minute. A ball came across the midfield towards him and two defenders, Nick Haydon and Cranfield converged on him. A dip of the shoulders and a body swerve later, Cranfield and Haydon lay side by side on the ground and Binns was speeding off towards goal. His drilled cross was about 6 inches away from Crace's boot.

Towler could have bagged a perfect hat-trick (right foot, left foot and header) in 18 minutes. He side-footed his first chance wide after Bubb had created the opening. Then he tried his luck with his left foot and missed by a considerable distance. Finally it was a header which went inches over the bar. But these misses should not detract from a superb performance.

Crace was unlucky to be given offside, in the 78th minute, when Randall, Woolner and Yates combined to send him through on goal. He got his revenge in the 85th minute. A poor goal-kick from Greenley was controlled by Randall, who quickly passed to Bubb. Bubb looked up and invited Crace to onto his slide-rule pass. As Greenley came off his line, CRACE banged the ball past him.

After watching Ofori and Binns produce moments of individual brilliance, Bubb decided to get in on the act in the 88th minute. Pollard and Ross Taylor tried to box in Bubb by the right wing corner flag. But they were bamboozled by Bubb's quick feet and a feint that left them staring at the corner flag while Bubb ran at goal.

In the last minute of normal time, with Hendon in cruise - or was that snooze - control, Heybridge snatched a consolation goal. Parkinson delivered a deep cross from the left wing and Kevin BUDGE scored with a header from beyond the far post.

Just to show Hendon's anger at this effrontery, the Greens almost added a 7th goal within seconds. A cross from Yates picked out Randall who powered a header past Greenley. The ball bounced off the foot of the post and went a matter of inches away from Crace who was following up.

"It was one of those days and I really enjoyed it," said Mr Anderson. "But now I am thinking of Tuesday, because we have struggled in the game after such a performances before this season."