This game will give manager Gary McCann a few things to think about as he makes his final preparations for the start of the new season.

Hendon started brightly enough only to be undone by a couple of individual errors. Immediately taking the game to Maidenhead two quick raids, one down either flank, brought saves from the Maidenhead keeper. The latter one saw him smother a low hard drive from Cousins.

However with the game just four minutes old it was Maidenhead who scored.

A long ball hit towards the Hendon goal was met by Peacock but under pressure from David Pratt his attempted header back to Ben Goode in the Hendon goal did not carry far enough and Pratt was first onto it and slotted home easily.

Hendon were not rattled by this and carried on playing a controlled passing game that was at times a joy to watch. They enjoyed a good deal of possession while Maidenhead were the more direct in trying to find their frontmen.

Craig Tomkins brought a fine save from the Maidenhead keeper after 19 minutes and after that it was the turn of Michael Murray to test the keeper but his effort in trying to bend it round him from 20 yards resulted in a comfortable save.

As Maidenhead built up their momentum they won a number of free kicks inside the Hendon half but even those within sight of the goal were either beaten away or cleared for a corner.

Seven minutes before the break and a second defensive slip-up led to a second Maidenhead goal.

Against the run of play Maidenhead capitalised on the slip and a swift three man passing move saw Alex Wall fire the ball home into the roof of the net.

The scorer did not have to wait long for his second, that was to come just ten minutes into the second half.

The signs were there as Maidenhead upped their pace right from the re-start and completely changed the way that they approached the game. Now attacking with pace and in numbers they caused the Hendon rearguard a number of problems and it was nearly 3 after Goode was beaten by a low strike but as the ball moved goalwards towards the far post the alert James Fisher did well to race back and clear off the line just as the ball had hit a post.

2 became 3 in the 55th minute when Goode cauld only parry a low strike and the ball fell right into the path of the grateful WALL who made no mistake in rolling it home.

To Hendon's credit they recovered from this early second half storm, stabilised, tightened up, and got back into the game. Rankin made some fine runs forward but the opposing keeper was not unduly stretched. Maidenhead were happy to concede corners but they came to nothing.

With less than 10 minutes to go Elliott Brathwaite made a very welcome appearance as a substitute to continue what is hoped to be his final stages of recovery from an injury picked up twelve months ago.

It was a difficult and strong test for Hendon and although beaten no points were lost and Gary McCann and his coaching team will no doubt iron out any errors before the season starts for real but one thing is for sure, despite some shaky moments at the back his Hendon side will play with flair and with their superb passing style when they are on-song they will be a joy to watch just as they were at times during this game.